DUISearch results for category: Washington DUI
Police Officer Charged with Washington DUI
Sergeant left accident scene while suspected of driving drunk.
On Wednesday evening, a sergeant with the Spokane Police Department was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington. Sgt. Brad Thoma is accused of causing a minor accident and then fleeing the scene before Washington State Patrol troopers arrived.
Thoma reportedly rear-ended another vehicle at low speed as traffic slowed for a red light. He then drove on before stopping in a parking lot, where he was met by authorities. A breath test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .17%, more than twice the legal limit for intoxication.
Thoma, who is one of Spokane's most productive patrol sergeants, appeared in District Court Thursday and entered a plea of not guilty to DUI in Washington. He has been placed on administrative leave with pay until his court date in November. It is Thoma's first offense for suspected DUI in WA. The Spokane County prosecutor's office is also considering filing charges of hit-and-run.
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Special Patrols Nail 35 for Washington DUI
Emphasis patrols target drunk driving in Seattle Tacoma area.
Law enforcement agencies in Pierce and Kitsap combined to conduct special saturation patrols targeting motorists suspected of driving under the influence in Washington. Fifty extra officers on patrol led to 35 WA DUI arrests last Saturday night. A spokesperson felt that even more arrests could have been made because manpower had to be diverted to two wrecks with fatalities.
The special emphasis patrols are part of the statewide anti-DUI initiative called ‘Drive Hammered, Get Nailed’. The patrols initiated a total of 439 traffic stops on Saturday. A spokesperson said that the patrols would be rolling again in force next weekend, focusing on areas with statistically high numbers of Washington drunk driving arrests and serious accidents. The 26 officers on the detail include three who have been specially trained to test drivers for drug impairment.
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Arrests Up for Boating Under the Influence During Seattle Water Event
Arrests for BUI up substantially during Seafair weekend.
Law enforcement officials issued 110 violations for boating under the influence in Washington during the recent Seafair weekend. That number reflects a 23 percent increase over the number of Seattle BUI arrests made during last year's event.
Seattle area police departments conducted special patrols on Lake Washington and Lake Union over the weekend. In addition to looking for potentially drunk boat operators, the officers stopping boats for having too many passengers and for violating 'no wake' zones. Most offenders were cited and released. One boater however was jailed after being charged with two WA BUI offenses, one on Friday and another on Sunday.
In addition, 50 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence in King County during the weekend.
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Seattle Officer Who Shot DUI Attorney Charged with Washington DUI
Officer shot the attorney in 2006 and then sued the victim.
Zsolt Dornay with the Seattle Police Department was arrested last month for suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington. He and his younger brother were stopped by Washington State Patrol in Ocean Shores for going 49 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone on his motorcycle. The two men admitted they had been drinking. When the older Dornay submitted to a breath test he registered 0.149% and then 0.172% blood alcohol content, and he was booked for WA DUI.
Dornay has been placed on administrative leave while the Seattle Police Department conducts an internal investigation.
In 2006, Zsolt Dornay shot an unarmed Seattle DUI defense attorney. Dornay was involved with an altercation with a woman who took umbrage to the off-duty officer riding his motorcycle through a crowd of people outside a pub. That escalated into a brawl with several men upon which Dornay fired several shots from his .40 caliber Glock, hitting the uninvolved lawyer. When sued for assault, Dornay countersued the victim claiming it was simply to protect his legal position and that he had little interest in pursuing legal action. King County prosecutors eventually decided Dornay was justified in firing his weapon and no additional action was taken against the officer.
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Peculiar drunk driving articles for the week of March 13
Really odd drunk driving news – Oddities.
Driving With 3 Tires Leads to FL DUI – Largo police pulled over a Clearwater man for driving a vehicle with only three tires. Henry C. Romeu, 27, was spotted early in the morning driving without the rear passenger tire. A field bobriety test and a breath test revealed intoxication and Romeu was charged with driving under the influence in Florida.
Sitting Through 6 Traffic Light Sequences Earns PA DUI – Police in Dillsburg say they investigated a sport-utility vehicle that had, despite honking horns, sat through six light sequences at an intersection. The SUV was stopped in the intersection with the driver asleep at the wheel. A beer was on the console. After yelling to waken the 41-year old unidentified man, police arrested the him for drunk driving in Pennsylvania.
Honest Statement During Tennessee DUI – After police stopped Donald Edward Teague, Jr. and ordered him out of his car, the DUI suspect replied, “Aw (expletive), I am drunk.” After pulling Teague from his car, police found a glass pipe believed to be used for smoking crack. Teague was charged with TN DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Wrong House Leads to Washington DUI – State Patrol Trooper Trevor Downey was heading home after his shift when noticed a vehicle driving 30 mph in a 50 mph zone. As he approached the vehicle, it turned into a driveway and parked in the garage. When the driver was asked what he was doing, the unidentified 31-year Yakima man said it was his home. Unfortunately, the driver had selected Downey’s home and parked in the trooper’s garage. The driver was charged with WA DUI, adding to his three prior convictions.
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King County Assessor Investigated for Washington DUI
Scott Noble suspected of drunk driving south of Seattle.
Scott Noble, the King County Assessor, is under investigation for driving under the influence in Washington and vehicular assault. In mid-January around 2:00 am, the 58-year old allegedly caused a head-on collision on Interstate 5 near Auburn by making a u-turn and heading south in the northbound lanes. Noble and the two occupants of the other vehicle were injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Witnesses say that Noble was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic prior to the accident. They then saw him pull over to the right shoulder and make a quick u-turn. Law enforcement arriving at the accident scene advised Noble that he was to be booked on suspicion of DUI in Washington and vehicular assault. Police say that Noble's identity was not immediately evident because his driver’s license uses his legal name 'Russell S. Noble'. When the prominent elected official was identified, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office turned the case over to the Washington Attorney General's office. A spokesperson for the state AG office confirmed that the office was conducting an investigation.
Noble has not answered inquiries. His Washington DUI defense lawyer has acknowledged that his client was involved in an accident and that there was an open investigation. The driver of the other vehicle said her SUV was destroyed though she said she and her passenger were lucky to be alive. They both suffered broken bones.
Noble was first elected King County assessor in 1992 and he is currently serving his fifth term. The retired Navy officer is described as having a "call 'em as I see 'em" personality. He has implemented cost-effective measures and technology improvements that have earned the Department of Assessments a positive reputation.
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State Troopers Make 125 Washington DUI Arrests Super Bowl Sunday
Extra patrols were in place looking for motorists suspected of drunk driving.
State Patrol troopers charged a total of 125 motorists with suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington during the Super Bowl. A crackdown on Washington drunk driving was conducted Sunday into early Monday morning.
The region to record the highest number of drunk driving arrests was the area that includes Whatcom County, where there were 27 arrests. Second was the Seattle area with 23 arrests.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the previous weekend there were 75 Washington DUI arrests. In 2006, when the Seattle Seahawks were in the NFL title game, 128 DUI arrests were made statewide.
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Ignition Interlocks Now an Option Following Washington DUI
WA DUI offenders can get special drivers licenses if they install ignition interlock devices.
Starting January 1, 2009 those convicted of driving under the influence in Washington will have the option of retaining their driving privileges if they install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. A new type of driver’s license was created to address concerns about motorists driving with a suspended license following a DUI arrest.
The 'ignition interlock license' allows DUI offenders to drive legally to work, school or child care while their regular license has been suspended. The motorists are required to breathe into a device that disables the vehicle when alcohol is detected. The intent is to offer an option for those who need to drive, while still providing for public safety.
According to Washington DUI law, a conviction for drunk driving can lead to the suspension of a driver’s license for 90 days to four years, depending on the driver’s record and specifics of the DUI arrest. The license suspension is part of a separate civil case, so defendants can see the criminal charges reduced or dismissed and still lose their licenses. That has often led motorists to drive illegally. Statistics show that 75-85% of those with suspended licenses continue to drive.
The legislators who drafted the special license bill thought limited driving privileges coupled with the mandatory installation an interlock device was a good balance. A State Patrol spokesperson expressed hope that the program would help those who really wanted to avoid another incident of drunk driving in Washington. Those who had their licenses suspended because they refused to submit to a breath test to check for blood alcohol content during an arrest for Washington DUI are also eligible to enroll in the new program. Motorists convicted of vehicular assault or vehicular homicide in the past seven years are not eligible.
By requesting the special license and interlock installation, defendants waive their right to appeal their license suspension and must provide documentation of insurance. There is a fee of $120, part of which goes to a fund for low-income clients. There is a monthly fee of $65-75 for the ignition interlock device. The device is usually required for the duration of the regular license suspension, though it can be mandated for up to 10 years.
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Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Charged with Washington DUI
On-duty officer found intoxicated after reporting for work at Jefferson County Sherriff's Department.
Deputy Brian M. Post arrived for work at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department around 8:00 am, and shortly after a patrol sergeant suspected he might be intoxicated. He was suspended and taken home.
A preliminary investigation determined that Post had driven to work in his patrol car, so the evidence was forwarded to the prosecutor's office and Post was charged with drunk driving in Washington.
No final action has been determined following the internal investigation though, in addition to DUI, Post faces charges of reporting to duty while intoxicated, violating sheriff's department rules of conduct, bringing discredit to the sheriff's office and disobeying sheriff's office rules. Post, 45 could be fired for the incident. He is a seven-and-a-half-year veteran with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Prior to that, he was employed by the Lynwood Police Department.
If you have been accused of drinking and driving in Washington you will need to hire a Washington DUI Lawyer.
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Peculiar Drunk Driving Articles for the Week of September 6, 2008
Really Odd DWI News – Sex & Nudity
Colorado DUI leads to witch’s spell – A 56-year woman was stopped for suspicion of drunk driving in Eagle, Colorado after nearly colliding head-on with a patrolling officer. She was unsteady on her feet and, while she refused to perform a field sobriety test, she admitted to having had some tequila and methadone. As she was being handcuffed her and placed her under arrest, she claimed to be a black witch and threatened to put a hex on the two officers. Besides DUI she was charged with not having a driver’s license, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Triple parking leads to New York DWI - Jean Anasta made it easy for police when he triple parked his 2003 Lincoln Town Car on a White Plains avenue and started drinking beer. When police pulled up to the vehicle around 2:30 am, they at first asked Anasta to move but then noticed he was holding an open beer and that his speech was slurred. After failing a field sobriety test, Anasta, 48, was charged with driving while intoxicated in New York.
Lollipop doesn’t help woman out of Washington DUI – Gas station attendants alerted police to a visibly intoxicated woman trying to buy beer and when officers arrived at the scene around 1:00 am they found the 25-year old lying sideways in her car batting at the keys in the ignition. When asked for her driver’s license the woman handed the officer $6, which he declined. After struggling to sit up she tried to get her license from her wallet but instead withdrew and offered the officer a heart shaped lollipop. State patrol officers were summoned and the woman was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington.
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