hey UF Pike - are you going to stay at UF for law school? who do you know here? I'm finishing my second year this semester.
and regarding the FL bar...yes there are ways around it, and we've all heard stories about "my friend's older brother who robbed 32 banks and killed someone" and still got admitted, but BE CAREFUL. the bar admissions people in our lovely little state are cranky old twits and really get their panties in a bunch about alcohol/drug related problems.
...maybe because they know attorneys all end up alcoholics?...
speaking of alcohol, you should go with your friends to the law school's halloween party - it's always great. (one of the law school parties where even the people who insist they are "too cool to go to law school parties" still know they have to be there)
but back to your advice...absolutely NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
but, for the sake of argument, if someone ended up in this situation (at least in FL) - no way in he** should you agree to that test. sure, you lose your license. and man, that cop is gonna be cranky with you.
note: do not try this if there is ANY chance at all that you have any items of "questionable legality" in your car (i.e., drugs or even alcohol if you're underage). refusing the test will likely be probable cause for the cop to search your car (as well as you and every passenger in the car), and if that cop finds anything, you're still going to jail but in huge trouble now.
anyway, assuming getting your car searched isn't going to cause any problems, losing your license for a year and getting a traffic citiation is definitely better than definitely getting a DUI added on.
now, the people who said that you could still be arrested for driving drunk are right. so let's say the cop says your breath smelled like alcohol, your eyes were bloodshot, and you were slurring your words. fine. so you have a trial. the cop may not be able to show up to testify. then you are free. even IF the cop shows up, any halfway decent defense attorney will be able to pick holes in the cop's testimony. believe me, there are usually holes. (this info comes from my friend who just started working at the jax. state atty's office) remember the standard is "beyond a reasonable doubt" and if there's any shakiness in the prosecution's argument, the jury will most likely be nice to you.
but AGAIN, the easiest solution is to just bribe a friend to be DD. or geez, gainesville is not that big of a town. from downtown bars to most apt complexes is a cheap taxi ride. usually no more than 5 miles.
...wow, that was a long post. too bad i'm not an atty yet so i could charge someone by the hour for that analysis. haha
