Southaven DUI Lawyer on: Driving or operating a vehicle

In Mississippi, to be convicted of DUI, the state must prove that you were operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Understand that driving and operating are two different things. When the state legislature wrote this law they weren’t just repeating themselves with these words. They have different meanings and cover different situations.

Driving the vehicle is pretty straightforward and I think we all know what that means. Operating the vehicle is not the same thing though. If you’re sitting behind the wheel in full control, while the engine is running, then you’re operating the car under Mississippi DUI law. A lot of it will depend on where you’re sitting in the car, whether it’s running, and where was the key. Operating basically means that you must have been capable of moving the vehicle, regardless of whether you were actually causing it to move.

DUI cases can be fact-sensitive. A lot can turn on little details. For help with drunk driving charge, contact Southaven DUI lawyer Patrick Stegall at 901-205-9894 or pstegall@stegall-law.com.