Teacher Arrested Twice in One Night Faces DUI, Drug Charges

Trust this Pittsburgh Criminal Lawyer when I tell you: No matter how much fun you are having while drinking, it’s not and will never be worth the risk of driving while impaired. 

And as a Pittsburgh Criminal Lawyer, I can add this: It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, a man or a woman, a white-collar worker or a blue-collar worker – if you get busted for DUI, the penalties can be rough, but sometimes the bigger embarrassment is triggered by your name appearing in the local police blotter.

While some typical DUI arrests garner only a paragraph or two, some driving-under-the-influence cases are so bizarre, that they warrant their own story.

A local elementary school computer teacher likely learned that the hard way.

According to numerous media reports, a Greensburg-Salem teacher was arrested twice on the same night for DUI.

The teacher, Brian Minick, has been placed on paid leave at the district while an investigation ensues. The district learned of his charges over the weekend. They had been unaware that he had previously been convicted of similar offenses.

Here’s what the news has reported so far: police have accused Minick of weaving while driving on a Mt. Pleasant roadway, striking another vehicle. Officers said they found a baggie full of prescription pills in his car, which was towed. Minick? His father drove him home.

But, according to police, instead of sleeping it off, Minick again went out, having somehow gotten his truck back in the intervening three hours.

The cop that responded to the first incident allegedly recognized Minick’s truck, which was allegedly traveling so slowly that traffic was backed up behind it.

And things just got worse for Minick from there, according to police.

The cop tried to get him to pull over, and the incident ended with the officer using his Taser multiple times on the guy (because the first time or two didn’t affect him), who now faces DUI, aggravated assault (because he backed his truck up and nearly hit the cop), weapons charges, drug charges (from the bag of suspected hydrocodone pills found on the seat), and fleeing charges. Being as this is not Minick’s first go-round with being arrested for driving under the influence, he is certainly facing even harsher penalties this time.

Minick nearly backed into the cop’s car the second time he was arrested, and sprayed industrial strength duster into his mouth, right in front of the officer.

Besides his criminal consequences, Minick could very well find himself unemployed and his professional teaching license revoked. If that happens, and given the fact that he was arrested a third time about a month later, it probably will, he will have to find an entire new career. After he gets out of jail, of course.

The lesson here (other than the obvious, “Don’t drink, drive, or give police any reason to have to use force”) is, again: no matter how bad things are, you can always, always make them worse.

The difference between a DUI and a spate of charges that include assault or fleeing is sometimes your own conduct.

When you are already in hot water, don’t get yourself deeper – call your friendly neighborhood Pittsburgh Criminal Lawyer for advice. I promise you this: The sooner you call, the quicker your legal troubles will be resolved.

If you do find yourself in trouble, give my associates and me a call. We can be reached 24/7 at 844.PITT.DUI or }. Or, you can contact us online.

Source: TRIB Live

Update: April 26, 2017

Mr. Minick pleaded guilty to his charges and was sentenced to six months of house arrest and five years of probation. The school district scheduled a termination hearing, where it would be decided if he would keep his job or not. Mr. Minick died three days before the hearing. His cause of death is unknown.