Question: I’m writing in for my fiancé. She was arrested for DUI two nights ago in Sandy Springs and I think she was singled-out by the police because she’s a stripper. I just don’t think it’s right that an exotic dancer (yes, she was formally trained in dance in New York) is the target of the cops. I want to know if a defense to the DUI can be that she was profiled because of her dancing.
Don’t get the wrong idea. Most people think that since she’s an Atlanta stripper she’s some sort of uneducated person. Actually, that’s completely wrong. She’s very well educated. She has a Ph.D. and she’s written on topics as diverse as the causes of the War of 1812, the economic structure of pre-industrial Japan, and a biography of President Herbert Hoover, focusing on his administration’s agricultural policies. She’s looking to get all of them published.
So she’s just stripping to make some money to support her areas of research. She said the money’s good but the hours are long and there are a lot of creepy people at Atlanta strip clubs. But she’s met nice folks there too, like me.
Frankly, I don't even like the word "stripper"; I prefer "exotic dancer," becasue that shows respect and talent.
The reason she thinks she was profiled is because in the last two months six girls who work at her club have been arrested for drunk driving. She thinks it’s more than a coincidence.
She took the breath test and it was like .132, which we know is high. But she’s so smart that she’s a good driver even when she’s drunk. So I’m writing to you anonymously to get some advice and see if she can use her present profession as a defense. And since so many people in Atlanta go to strip clubs, maybe it would help with the prosecutor and the judge.
S.V. in Atlanta, GA
Answer: We have not gotten any reports of dancers being specifically targeted by the police for DUI prosecution, and we have many clients who perform in nightclubs.
Obviously, since gentlemen’s clubs are often open late and drinking is encouraged, the patrons and the employees are probably at a greater risk of being stopped and accused of drunk driving than many other people. Statistically, more DUI arrests are made at night than during the day.
Her educational attainment is indeed high and her research sounds quite interesting.
However, we don’t think that being a dancer will help ingratiate her with the judge or prosecutor. While many people are attendees of the clubs, many others find them unsavory. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion
As a Sandy Springs DUI lawyer, we find that most cases are decided based on the merits of the evidence. And before offering an opinion on her case specifically, we’d like to do an investigation and fully evaluate all of the evidence.