Floyd was charged with underage drinking, and Salamon was charged with a DUI, police obstruction, and underage drinking. Floyd was favored by many to be a strong draft pick, but he opted to stay in college for an additional year.
As a DUI attorney in Washington, DC, I am interested in what many perceive as different treatment for celebrities and athletes arrested for drunk driving. It seems like many think famous people are given special treatment. When it comes to some crimes such as gun charges or drug charges, this is possibly true, but with DWIs, or other drunken driving charges, celebrities often harsher consequences because of the publicity of the proceedings.
When an average citizen with no prior criminal record gets arrested and charged with a DUI, in Washington, DC, he or she may be eligible for a deferred sentencing agreement (DSA). A DSA means that if you plead guilty, you are required to complete some courses and be on probation, but the charge will be dismissed after successful completion. This program is at the discretion of the prosecutor and will not be offered if you blew over 0.10 grams per milliliter of blood on a breath test, or were abusive to police at the time of your arrest. In the case of a celebrity, they may not be offered a DSA because prosecutors could be seen as giving special treatment. You also have statements from judges such as in the Lindsay Lohan case to the tune of, “I don’t care who you are.”
