The saying “Father knows best,” clearly didn’t apply over the weekend when an intoxicated 31-year-old Hopkins man allowed his 1-year-old to drive his SUV in downtown traffic.
Domonic E. Green of Hopkins was officially charged on Monday with drunk driving and child endangerment in connection with an incident that occurred Saturday night. He remains in jail on $20,000 bail ahead of his first appearance, which is scheduled for August 9.
According to the police report, the incident began when a witness reported that they saw Green driving his SUV in downtown Hopkins. The problem was, they also saw a small child on his lap, and the witness heard Green giving the child directions on which way to turn. The witness called police to report Green, and officers arrived on scene shortly thereafter and stopped the vehicle.
In a Facebook post, the police said an officer “located the vehicle almost immediately and saw the child on the driver’s lap” and a car seat in back.
Drunk Driving With Children In The Car
The officer approached Green and noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and watery, his speech was slurred and his movements were described as “clumsy.” The officer also noticed an empty cup and a bottle of tequila on the passenger seat, although Green denied that the alcohol was his. Green was clearly intoxicated whilst driving the SUV. Wherever he was headed, he should’ve rung a company, like Cars Arrive Auto Relocation (click here) for example, to transport his vehicle for him instead of putting himself, his son, and other road users at risk.
Police told Green that the boy needed to be secured in the back seat when the car is in motion, and Green replied that he was only going around the block. When asked if he had been drinking, Green replied “I’m not even circumference to do that.” He was placed under arrest and the boy was given to a family member.
A look into Green’s past shows some disturbing choices. Green has never held a valid driver’s license in Minnesota, and he pleaded guilty to drunk driving just five days before drunkenly getting into the SUV with his son. He was also involved in a case from December 2017 in which prosecutors agreed to dismiss counts of drunken driving, speeding and driving without a license in exchange for a careless driving plea agreement.
While this isn’t the worst decision making we’ve seen in our years in the legal field, it’s clear that Mr. Green is going through some issues right now that need to be addressed. He would benefit from some one-on-one as well as group counseling and an alcohol education course.
At Appelman Law Firm, while we want to focus on helping you beat the charges you’re facing, we also want to ensure you get the help you need to get your life back on track. We have connections in the addiction services community and can help you get back to a great place in life. For all your professional and personal needs, trust your situation to the experienced legal team at Appelman Law Firm
