Saturday night Alex White, a pitcher for the Rockies team was arrested in Arizona under suspicion of driving while intoxicated. After failing both the field sobriety test as well as the breathalyzer, he was taken into custody that night and released around an hour and a half later. White claims to have only had two drinks while socializing at a personal gathering. None of his teammates were with him at the time.He was not told by the arresting officers what his specific blood alcohol content level but was informed that it was over .08%, the legal standard allowed to be operating a vehicle.

He apologized a few days later to his teammates for the incident, as well as his management and fans. White stated he was very embarrassed over the episode and that this was not a normal occurrence for him. The general manager of the Rockies stated that white was very regretful of the event and until the DUI he had not demonstrated any problems.White was moved last year during the Ubaldo Jimenez Trade from Cleveland to the Rockies. This is the first time White has been arrested for a DUI and there is no indication that he has an issue with alcohol abuse. The Rockies team has a system in place for their members, allowing them to call for transportation in the event that they have been drinking too much and are unable to drive.

Management for the Rockies claims this is an isolated event and believes it was a simple mistake. They also noted how well White handled the situation, taking responsibility for it right away and owning up to his mistake. The morning after the arrest he went directly to management to inform them of what had occurred the night before and then he also called a meeting with his team members to apologize. White stated that he could not believe this happened to him and that he will not allow it to happen again. He also noted how thankful he was that no one had been hurt as a result of his errors.

Many people face the same event. They had a night out with social drinking and may have thought they were fine to drive without realizing their BAC level was over the legal limit. This situation can occur to many drivers and often times can be the result of a genuine mistake. While many individuals who are arrested for a DUI do not get into their vehicle with the intention of hurting someone, the fact is that each year thousands of accidents occur due to the impairment alcohol can cause. To deal with these high numbers, law enforcement has cracked down on drinking and driving, imposing harsh consequences and setting up road side checks to see who is driving when they shouldn't be. For those who are convicted of charges, fines, jail time, vehicle confiscation and a license suspension are just some of the ways in which you may be affected. For repeat offenders the consequences will continue to grow as well as for those who have more serious circumstances involved in their case, such as causing a death as a result of drinking and driving.

Each state has its own variation on what penalties they impose, making it important for those who are arrested to be educated. If you have been arrested for driving while under the influence, an attorney can help you defend your rights in a number of ways. They will investigate the circumstances of your arrest, looking into whether or not any errors may have occurred during the field tests and using their strong proficiency of the state's pertaining laws to protect you against the high penalties that can be enforced as the result of a DUI conviction.