Tom Hanks And Rita Wilson Were Charged For Their Son’s DUI

One of the most popular and talented actors in Hollywood, Tom Hanks, along with his wife Rita Wilson were recently charged for a rear-end collision. However, this is not the most peculiar thing – the most interesting thing is the fact that the actor and his wife were not directly involved in the accident at all. They were charged for their son’s DUI.

The plaintiff himself, Terry Moogan, has filed all the necessary court papers against Tom Hanks and his wife, claiming that they were negligent and in their negligence allowed their son, Chet Hanks, to driver their vehicle. This is despite the fact that they knew that Chet was a known alcohol as well as drug abuser. Hence, the suit is basically indicating that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson knew that their son Chet is a drug user and abuses alcohol, but negligently permitted him to drive their car anyway.

In addition, Moogan claims that he did not only suffer from a whiplash, but also had a brain trauma when he hit the dashboard upon collision. Furthermore, Moogan is also claiming that Chet Hanks was driving under the influence of alcohol, despite the fact that Chet was not formally charged with DUI and the law enforcement officers were not called to the scene in order to file a report.

Chet Hanks Is Now In Trouble With The Law

Chet Hanks is also known as an aspiring rapper Chet Haze. He admitted that he had drug related problems in the past on numerous occasions. In one of his videos posted on Instagram last fall, Chet admits that he was “…doing coke until I couldn’t even snort it up my nose anymore because it was so clogged”. However, later one, he reported that he was in rehab and that things are getting better for him. In addition, not that long ago, he reached his 6 months sobriety mark.

Even though Terry Moogan filed a lawsuit, there a huge chance that it will be simply dismissed and for a number of reasons. First of all, due to the fact that Chet Hanks is 25 years old. Of course, in case Chet would be under 18 years of age, there could be a chance to pursue his parents for negligence.  Parents are responsible for being negligent, in addition, they would be responsible in case their child was driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances. However, the owner of the vehicle will be held responsible for their children’s actions only if they are under 18 or in case they are over 18 years of age, but are still dependents.

Will Prosecution Go Forward With Chet’s DUI Charges?

Despite the fact that is it still not entirely certain if Chet Hanks is still dependent or not, the fact that he is an aspiring rapper will also work towards undoing the claim.

Finally, and this is the most important part, the fact that Chet Hanks was not accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and the fact that the law enforcement officers were not called on the scene to document it, is going to work against Moogan in court, making it all the more difficult to pursue his allegations.

The DUI charges are very serious, even it is a misdemeanor DUI and a first-time one. One way or the other, the DUI offender will need to face some genuinely harsh legal penalties. Here is a list of possible punishment for first-time and consequent DUI charges to provide you with a better understanding of how serious these may really be:

First-time DUI:

• Up to 6 months of jail time depending on severity of the offense
• Up to $1000 in fines and additional penalties
• Suspended driver’s license for up to 6 months. In addition, the license may not be restored unless you have proven that you are financially responsible and have also completed the state-approved “driving under the influence” program
• Depending on the circumstance of the crime, an ignition interlock device may be required for the offender’s vehicle. This device will be installed at the offender’s own expense

Second-time DUI:

• Up to a year of jail time depending on the severity of the offense
• Up to $1000 in fines and additional penalties
• Suspended driver’s license for up to 1 year. In addition, the license may not be restored unless you have proven that you are financially responsible and have also completed the state-approved “driving under the influence” program
• Depending on the circumstance of the crime, an ignition interlock device may be required for the offender’s vehicle. This device will be installed at the offender’s own expense

Third-time DUI:

• Up to a year of jail time depending on the severity of the offense
• Up to $1000 in fines and additional penalties
• Suspended driver’s license for up to 2 years. In addition, the license may not be restored unless you have proven that you are financially responsible and have also completed the state-approved “driving under the influence” program
• Depending on the circumstance of the crime, an ignition interlock device may be required for the offender’s vehicle. This device will be installed at the offender’s own expense
• The state is going to consider the offender “a habitual traffic offender” for three years

Fourth-time DUI:

• Up to a year of jail time depending on the severity of the offense
• Up to $1000 in fines and additional penalties
• Suspended driver’s license for up to 3 years. In addition, the license may not be restored unless you have proven that you are financially responsible and have also completed the state-approved “driving under the influence” program
• Depending on the circumstance of the crime, an ignition interlock device may be required for the offender’s vehicle. This device will be installed at the offender’s own expense
• The state is going to consider the offender “a habitual traffic offender” for three years

As you can see, the penalties are very serious and may have a detrimental impact on your life, so it is best to get in touch with a qualified as well as genuinely experienced DUI attorney at the earliest opportunity. You can contact us 24/7 at (877) 870-4087

Sacramento DUI Specialist John Williams, Esq.
Law Offices of Sacramento DUI Specialists