What kind of damage can an unjust DUI charge do? Ask Charlie Bannister. He’ll tell you that it puts an astounding amount of strain on a person and his family. Even though Mr. Bannister received an apology from the sheriff after a blood test came back showing there was 0% alcohol in Mr. Bannister’s system, the DUI arrest continues to haunt him.

Of course the arrest was just one of several stressful incidences in Mr. Bannister’s life of late, and he has decided to step down from his elected role as Gwinnet County’s commission chairman over land purchase irregularities. What surprised me the most about the article about Mr. Bannister’s resignation in the AJC was the FOUR full paragraphs devoted to the bogus DUI charge, not for what the act which actually got him into trouble and was illegal. If a person didn’t read carefully, they’d get the impression that the man was actually charged, not falsely arrested. And in this day and age, where just the suspicion of drunk driving can ruin a person’s character for years, I truely think this is a dangerous thing.