When a person in or around Buffalo is faced with a drunk driving charge, it can impact their personal life as well as their work life. But when someone who is in the public eye is accused of driving while intoxicated, they also have to face public scrutiny. In all cases, those facing charges are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and not all charges lead to convictions.

Recently, the wife of New York Rep. Maurice Hinchey was arrested for allegedly drunk driving. Police claim her blood alcohol content was .14 percent when they arrived at the scene of an accident on a Wednesday night in January. No one was injured in the accident and police said there was minimal property damage.

According to a news report, this is the second time in less than a year that the woman has faced drunk driving charges. Her last arrest was in May 2011. She currently has a suspended license stemming from that arrest, police said. During the recent traffic stop, the woman was charged with driving while intoxicated, following too closely and driving while talking on her cell phone.

In a statement released through the woman's workplace, she said she is "committed to addressing this both legally and personally." She also apologized to her colleagues and friends in the statement.

Just hours before the arrest, her husband announced his retirement from Congress after 20 years of service. The 73-year-old had recently been declared cancer-free by doctors after battling colon cancer.

Source: Politico, "Rep. Maurice Hinchey's wife arrested for drunk driving," Seung Min Kim, Jan. 19, 2012