A head-on accident hospitalized an elderly woman and left a former Weston police chief facing his third drunk driving charge. The MetroWest Daily News reported Dec. 1 that James McShane was charged with causing an accident Nov. 14 that left three members of the same family injured. John Aftandlian of Belmont said he was driving down Route 30 to visit family with his 82-year-old mother, Stella, and 13-year-old daughter, Lia, when McShane crossed the center line and hit their vehicle head-on. The crash left John and Lia Aftandlian with only minor injuries, but broke Stella Aftandlian’s arm, hand and tailbone and caused internal bleeding. She spent a week in the hospital.
McShane was arrested Nov. 14, arraigned and released without bail. The article did not mention his plea, but did say he will be back in court Dec. 28. The charge is his third OUI. He was chief of police in Weston between 1986 and 1996, but resigned from that post after crashing an unmarked police car into a pole in 1995. That crash, which took place off-duty, resulted in McShane’s first drunk driving charge.
Read article: Former Weston Police chief faces third OUI offense
As a Massachusetts drunk driving defense attorney, I hope McShane has already gotten the advice of an experienced criminal lawyer. In our state, a third OUI raises the stakes considerably, starting with the fact that a third OUI is a felony rather than a misdemeanor. Those convicted of a third intoxicated driving offense can expect at least five months in prison, and up to five years, along with an eight-year license suspension and steep fines. Nobody should face these life-altering penalties without support. Depending on the circumstances, an experienced attorney may be able to find many avenues of defense, including challenges to the evidence itself or its handling by law enforcement. Even if a guilty plea is truly the best option, an experienced Massachusetts OUI defense lawyer may still be able to negotiate lighter, fairer penalties that better reflect the circumstances behind the arrest.
The Law Offices of Stephen Neyman represents people throughout greater Boston and all of eastern Massachusetts who are facing charges of operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Remember, you are not necessarily guilty just because law enforcement says you are. To learn more about how we can help aggressively defend a Massachusetts OUI, please call (617) 263-6800 or contact our office online.