Medlin Law Firm - May 2019

OUT OF THE DARK AND ONTO THE WEB

The Golden Era of Athletes on Social Media

scrutiny of the public. PR firms representing players have now made it a top priority to keep their clients’ images in line by scrubbing old posts that could be offensive and land them in hot water. Still, though, it seems like there’s a new controversy every week. One of the best examples comes courtesy of former football star “Johnny Football” Manziel. The former Heisman Trophy winner was notorious for posting embarrassing images of himself partying when he should have been practicing, and he often blasted his private issues in public, seemingly with no filter. He’s out of a job now, most recently having been banned from the Canadian Football League. For every bad apple, though, there is a bushel of athletes who use their platforms for the greater good. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, five-time Pro Bowler and NFL star, has used his social media “juice” to spread the word about his charity, raising over $4.6 million for youth athletic programs and organizations. Philanthropy aside, part of the beauty of celebrity social media is that the people who seem so much larger than life become accessible because of it. In decades past, you might have written a letter that, if you were fortunate, got a response from some unpaid intern. Today, fans can reach out directly to their favorite athletes. It is a personal connection unparalleled in history. What a time to be alive.

It’s not an overstatement to say that social media has revolutionized the way we live our lives today. But with that massively powerful platform comes a massive responsibility, especially if you’re already in the spotlight. Athletes have taken the opportunity social media affords them to build their personal brands and engage in community outreach with the fans who look to them as role models, but there’s a downside to cataloging years of unfiltered thoughts on the internet. For better or worse, social media is here to stay, and we have full access to all the drama that unfolds for our entertainment.

Despite the web’s potential for good, some pros can’t seem to get the message that every post falls under the

User Error, Inaccurate Reading, or Intoxicated Driver? WHEN A BREATH TEST FAILS

When equipment fails, it’s often because of a manufacturing default or a user error. In the case of breath test instruments, any failure can have serious consequences for the recipient. You’d think this equipment would be accurate every time, especially with jail time, fines, and other penalties on the line, but the DWI breath test is not always an accurate measure of intoxication. This device gauges the amount of alcohol in your breath to determine how much alcohol is in your blood, and several factors, including the three below, can influence this measurement and leave room for error. Breath test equipment is sensitive to temperature changes and must be calibrated to account for them. A police officer should also observe a suspect before giving them a breath test to make sure they aren’t doing anything that could disrupt it, including vomiting, smoking, or burping. Medical Conditions Certain medical conditions, including Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), acid reflux, and heartburn, Faulty Equipment or Unreliable Application of the Breath Test

can affect how much acid is in the mouth, potentially masking the alcohol present in the deep lung tissue that a breath test measures. Diabetes and hypoglycemia can also lead to a skewed reading. Rising Blood Alcohol Levels Abreath test is meant tomeasure your level of intoxication when you were behind the wheel. Because alcohol can take up to three hours to be absorbed, If enough time passes between when you were driving and when you are given the test, the measurement may not accurately reflect your level of intoxication while you were driving. In Texas, it’s unlawful to drive while intoxicated, which is defined as driving while unable to function mentally or physically because of alcohol or drugs or with a BAC of .08 or higher. The DWI breath test is one of the most common ways police determine intoxication levels, and while it can provide some information about a person’s blood alcohol content, it’s not always accurate. If you’ve found yourself on the other side of a breath test, don’t wait to call a Fort Worth DWI attorney. With over 32 years of criminal law experience, Gary Medlin is very familiar with the complexities of DWI cases. Don’t hesitate to reach out to The Medlin Law Firm to seek justice for your case.

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