Driving while intoxicated, usually a misdemeanor, is elevated to a felony charge when a child is in the vehicle at the time, under New York State's Leandra's Law.
Emily A. Campbell of East Hampton, 35, was pulled over Friday on Route 114 by Stephen Hand’s Path, just after 4 p.m. East Hampton Town police said she’d failed multiple times to stay in her lane. She showed signs of drunkenness, they said, and performed poorly on field sobriety tests.
She consented to a blood test, the results of which were not available as of press time. Because there was an 11-year-old child in the back seat, what would have been a first-offense misdemeanor charge was elevated to a felony. Ms. Campbell was also charged with a misdemeanor count of ‘acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17.”
East Hampton Town Justice David Filer released her on her own recognizance after her arraignment the following morning.