First of all, the location of the ditch will determine whether a person can be charged with DUI in this case. If the ditch is on private property that is frequented by the public (such as a shopping center, a gas station, a church, etc) then that person in this scenario can be arrested for DUI. But i f the ditch is on private property that is someone's home and there is no proof that the person drove off the highway/street and into the ditch (for instance, the person was driving ON the property, such as backing down a driveway, and drove into the ditch), then the person should not be arrested or convicted. But the real question in this case centers on whether the officer can testify that the person was driving AFTER drinking. In this scenario, the person arrested can claim that he or she drank alcohol AFTER driving into the ditch.
Answered on Mar 25th, 2014 at 2:25 PM