Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk Couty, Florida, often gives morning briefs to his office’s social media followers. In a recent morning brief, the sheriff told the story of a local man deputies arrested in mid-December and charged with a DUI. It all started when police officers arrived to find the driver had crashed into a ditch.

Florida man blows .23 BAC…about three times the legal limit

A breathalyzer test landed the motorist in “enhanced DUI” territory. This happens when someone gets caught driving with a BAC of .15 or higher.

Sheriff Judd explains what can happen when you drink that much. “Well, you crash your car into a ditch…you have absolutely no idea where you are,” he says. “But you’ve pretty well figured out through your drunken stupor that you’re in trouble.”

As the Florida deputies were doing the DUI investigation, the driver offered the officers $100 to take him home. Not once…but twice. “That’s called ‘bribing a public official,'” Sheriff Judd posits.

The driver wins DUI plus “attempt to bribe public officials” charges

Sheriff Judd wondered if the man sobered up and asked himself if he had a good time the night prior…because he’s facing a challenging legal road ahead now.

In Florida, an enhanced DUI conviction can lead to jail time, thousands in fees, and license revocation. Bribery is a second-degree felony and if convicted, the suspect could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

In my mind, I’d think a judge would drop the bribery charge based on the motorist’s BAC at the time, but I’m sure there are other factors to consider here, too. At least no one was injured or killed as a result of the drunk driving.