A Northern California jury found a Ukiah man not guilty of driving under the influence after deciding his actions were justified after he was caught cheating on his wife, which made his driving “necessary to allow him to escape two angry women,” according to Mendocino County prosecutors.
The San Francisco Chrionicle says Thomas Patrick Houston, 60, was charged with a DUI, with a blood alcohol level of .08 or greater, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Defense attorneys argued that Houston driving under the influence of alcohol was “an act of necessity, thus justified under the law.”
According to the District Attorney’s Office, whenever a trial judge allows a necessity defense, the defendant must prove that they acted in an emergency to prevent bodily harm to themselves or others; their driving did not create “a greater danger than the one avoided” and that they had no other choice but to drive under the influence.