A 28-year-old Sugar Land man has been convicted of drunk driving after he was pulled over going home after a night at Baker Street Pub in Sugar Land Town Square.
Benjamin Rabbani was convicted on March 24 after the jury deliberated for about an hour.
According to Assistant District Attorney Andrew Herreth, Trooper Tony Walthall stopped Rabbani after 2 a.m. on Jan. 11, 2009 for making an abrupt right turn without a signal. The trooper noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and asked Rabbani if he could explain. Rabbani admitted coming from Baker Street Pub in Sugar Land Town Square where he consumed “about” two Captain Morgan rum drinks and a shot called a Bull Blaster. The shot contains Red Bull energy drink and Jagermeister, a liqueur.
After poor results on the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, Rabbani was arrested. Rabbani refused to give a breath sample although he maintained he was not intoxicated. Rabbani told the trooper he had almost made it home.
“When Trooper Walthall stopped Rabbani, he made a decision which protected an untold amount of lives,” said Herreth. “That decision – to arrest the defendant for DWI, removed a dangerous and intoxicated driver from our streets.”
Rabbani was sentenced to 18 months probation including a $500 fine, DWI Education classes, a Victim Impact Panel and 80 hours of community service.
Rabbani was tried in County Court at Law #3 before Visiting Judge Gladys Oakley. Driving While Intoxicated in this case is a Class B Misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and/or a fine up to $2,000. The defendant and the prosecution agreed on his punishment.
Assistant District Attorneys Andrew Herreth and Sandra Salas prosecuted the case. Attorney Don Becker represented the defendant.
Let me clear up this irresponsible journalism propogated by poor investigation.
I was the victim in this incident.
The trooper did not protect an “untold amount of lives” nor did he “remove a dangerous intoxicated driver.”
The poorly trained & uneducated trooper was merely harrassing local citizens IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. The trooper pulled me over 40 yards from my own house. I was not speeding, swerving or driving wrecklessly. His reason for pulling me over was nothing more than a failure to signal a turn (which I was turning into my own neighborhood).
I was completely cooperative and honest with him and I get punished. The legal system in not meant to protect the innocent. The legal system is corrupt and meant to generate income for the county.
As far as the sentencing goes…well, lets just say there is ALWAYS a a way around it.