Search results for category: Underage Drinking

Two Underage Drunks Avoid Florida DUI in Orlando

Witnesses cannot identify who was driving at time of single vehicle wreck with two underage drivers in Orlando, Florida.

Both the Florida State Patrol and an entire neighborhood are upset over an inability to charge a driver with drunk driving. Steven Janotha and Michael Busowski, both underage and both intoxicated, were speeding in a Trans Am through an Orlando area neighborhood when they crashed. The vehicle nearly hit a house, coming to rest by a wall outside a young girl’s bedroom. While it was obvious that the two young men were drunk, no witness could identify the driver at the time of the wreck.

Under Florida DUI law, an eyewitness is required who can place a driver behind the wheel of a vehicle before an offense of driving under the influence can be charged. Similarly, a spokesperson with the FSP said to get a conviction for DUI there must be courtroom testimony from an independent witness who can place a suspected drunk driver behind the wheel.

The owner of the house that was nearly hit chased Janotha as he fled the scene, though the young man denied being behind the wheel of the car. The Trans Am belongs to Busowski’s father, though the younger Busowski insists he can not remember who was driving because he was disoriented after the wreck. Both young men now blame the other for the accident. Without a witness, no Florida DUI charges will be filed even though intoxication was apparent.

If you have been charged with at DUI in Orange County, Florida you will need to hire a DUI laywer in Orlando.

12-Year Old Gets Arkansas DWI

Young boy wrecks stepfather’s truck while driving drunk in Johnson County Arkansas.

A 12-year old boy, and his 10-year old friend, drank his parent’s beer to get ‘liquored up’. The two then drove off in a truck owned by the older boy’s stepfather to meet a girl they met at a rodeo. The two boys managed to travel 10 miles before the 12-year hit and jumped a guardrail and the vehicle careened 50 feet down a steep hill into trees.

A nearby resident answered banging on his front door around 2:30 in the morning to find the two boys. The older of the two exclaimed that he was drunk and had a wreck.

Neither boy was seriously injured though their troubles are just beginning. The Johnson County prosecutor said the 12-year old will be charged with driving while intoxicated in Arkansas and several other misdemeanors. The charges will be filed in district and juvenile court. The two more than likely will be grounded for some time.

If you have been arrested for a DWI in Arkansas, you will need to hire an experienced DWI lawyer in Arkansas for legal representation and help.

Teen Driving Drunk in Washington With Mother

Mother was passenger when drunk 14-year old flips car during Washington DUI accident.

State Patrol troopers say a 14-year old girl was driving under the influence in Washington when she wrecked a Dodge minivan. She was thrown from the vehicle as it overturned. Her 32-year old mother was reportedly also heavily intoxicated and passed out in a passenger seat at the time of the accident. Bottles of malt liquor were found in the vehicle. The pair was driving from Auburn, Washington when the accident occurred around 5:30 am Tuesday morning near Snoqualmie on Route 18.

The mother and daughter were taken to a Bellevue hospital. The young girl suffered severe head and spine injuries though they are not considered life threatening. The mother was not seriously injured. Both were described as uncooperative, refusing to divulge their names, ages or what they were doing before the wreck. The mother alternatively claimed she was the girl’s sister and cousin.

Troopers say both the teen and the mother are facing Washington DUI charges, as well as vehicular assault and reckless endangerment.

Do you need a Washington DUI Lawyer?

Unique Campaign Fights Underage Drunk Driving in Austin, Texas Area

Valentine’s Day effort warned of Texas DWI in Travis and Williamson County.

Two Central Texas law enforcement agencies embarked on a creative effort to curb underage drunk driving in Austin, Texas. Motorists stopped for traffic violations in Travis and Williamson County over a five day period were presented pink flyers warning of the dangers of teenage drinking and driving.

The annual ‘Valentine's Day DWI Emphasis Campaign’ was started in response to the 1999 death of local high school student, Mandi Machen. She was a passenger in a car that crashed while being driven by a 17-year old who was DWI. The driver walked away and Machen was left to die.

During the kick-off of the 2008 campaign, Machen’s mother stated that her daughter’s death reflects the consequences of drinking and driving in Texas and hoped that underage drivers make good decisions.

In addition to city and county law enforcement involvement, the ‘Valentine's Day DWI Emphasis Campaign’ involves the Travis County Attorneys Under-Aged Drinking Prevention Program, the Williamson County Attorney’s Office and the LIFESTEPS Council.

Are you looking for a Austin DWI Attorney?

Teen Arrested Multiple Times for California DUI

Morgan Hill driver arrested three times in just 11 days for Driving Under the Influence in California during the 'Avoid 13' law enforcement campaign.

Over an eleven-day period during a December DUI crackdown held by Santa Clara County law enforcement, Anthony Maher was arrested for driving under the influence three times.

At the first traffic stop, the 19-year-old man from Morgan Hill, California registered a blood alcohol content of .08%, the legal limit for an adult. Police ticketed Maher and held him at a police station for a couple of hours. Though he was an underage DUI suspect and thus subject to harsher penalties, Maher was released because he had no prior arrest record.

At Maher’s second arrest his BAC was .20%, four times the legal limit for a teen. During his third arrest his BAC was .21%. In both cases, police held the suspect for a few hours and released him to an adult. There was an option of detaining Maher in jail, which police now admit they should have done.

There are no laws for addressing three DUI arrests in such a short period of time. Because Maher had not gone to trial, let alone been arraigned, in any of his cases, all three arrests were labeled misdemeanors and, as allowed by California DUI laws, he was given a 30 day temporary driver’s license.

If convicted in all three cases, Maher could be required to pay huge fines, attend alcohol education classes, perform community service, pay high-risk auto insurance premiums and serve time in jail. His license would be suspended for three years.

Maher’s three arrests were part of the 87 total drunk driving arrests made in Morgan Hill during the ‘Avoid the 13’ law enforcement campaign.

Tags: Avoid 13

New Drinking And Driving Laws Target Teens

New Drinking And Driving Laws Target Teens

Meteorologist Tim Williams Reporting

(WJZ) There are new and tougher penalties for underage drivers caught drunk behind the wheel. With the laws going into effect this week,WJZ's Tim Williams reports that violators could lose their license for up to a year.

The new laws are cracking down on teen drivers, enacting a double penalty on those who choose alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

Jan Withers' 15-year-old daughter Alisa was killed in 1992. She was the passenger in a car driven by a drunk teen driver.

Withers feels the new law will have a dramatic effect. "If they know that combining the lethal effect of alcohol and driving could take away their license," she says, "I think it could prevent them from doing it."

The new law penalizes anyone under 21 convicted of driving under the influence with one year driver's license suspension.

"Traffic's not going to let up over time," says Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich. "Our kids need to be better at an earlier age and that's what these laws are all about."

The new law was approved by the General Assembly in April.

Source: http://wjz.com

Tags: Maryland DUI |  Underage Drinking

Drivers Under 21

In Illinois, the minimum legal drinking age is 21 years. Licenses for drivers under 21 are issued with a red header and a blue photo background. Effective January 2003 under 21 licenses say "Under 21 Until" ... and "Under 18 Until" .... Under 21 licenses issued prior to January 2003 have a red header above the photo and the words "Under 21." If you are under age 21 and convicted of DUI:

• the Secretary of State's office will revoke your driving privileges for a minimum of two years. A second DUI conviction will result in a license revocation for a minimum of five years or until you reach age 21, whichever is longer. A third DUI conviction, which is a Class 4 felony, will result in a minimum 10-year revocation. A fourth DUI conviction will result in a lifetime revocation. Your license also will be suspended for conviction of illegal transportation or possession of alcohol.
• the Secretary of State's office may issue you a restricted license after one year, but under no conditions will an RDP be issued until the age of 16. This license may be used between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. or as otherwise provided. It is valid for one year. Then, you would be evaluated again by the Secretary of State's office.
• you may be fined up to $2,500 and given a jail sentence of up to one year.
• you may be directed to participate in a Youthful Intoxicated Driver's Visitation Program.

If you are under 21 and are arrested for any traffic violation and found to have a trace of alcohol in your system while operating a motor vehicle, your driving privileges will be suspended for three months. If you refuse to submit to testing, your driving privileges will be suspended for six months. If you are a second offender, your privileges will be suspended for 12 months if you fail or 24 months if you refuse to test. Your suspension begins on the 46th day from the notice date and will not be terminated until you pay the reinstatement fee and your record is updated. If you were suspended prior to age 18, you will be required to successfully complete a driver remedial education course to make your driving privileges valid again. In addition, you may be required to submit to a complete driver's license examination to be re-issued a driver's license. A traffic stop for Zero Tolerance can be upgraded to a DUI arrest depending on test results or a test refusal, at the discretion of the investigating officer.

Any person under the age of 21 that is convicted of illegal consumption, attempting to purchase or possession of alcohol, or accepting an alcoholic beverage as a gift, will lose their driving privileges for one year.

Tags: Illinois DUI |  Underage Drinking