DUI
FL DUI News
Holiday Ad Campaign Announced Against Florida DUI
Statewide campaign targets drunk driving in Florida.
State officials, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced a new holiday campaign aimed at reducing incidents of driving under the influence in Florida. The $7 million campaign targets drivers between the ages of 21 and 24, the group most likely to be involved in an alcohol related accident with fatality. Ads will be featured on radio and television, as well as online. In combination with the ad campaign, law enforcement agencies across the state will target areas prone to Florida drunk driving arrests with extra patiols and sobriety checkpoints.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety reports a 10 percent drop in the number of DUI related fatalities in the state over the past ten months. Officials cite better law enforcement and a decrease in driving due to higher gas prices. December, however, statistically has one of the highest rates of DUI arrests, with a reported 4 out of 10 alcohol related accidents with fatality occurring in the last two weeks of the month.
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Billboards Send Florida DUI Message
Town using outdoor ads to combat drunk driving in Florida.
Records show that Florida DUI arrests spike in December. The Port Orange police hope to encourage motorists to consider the impact of drunk driving in Volusia County and to select safe modes of transport when they have been drinking.
The billboards were developed by local crime prevention officer David Miller. Lamar Advertising donated use of its billboards for the campaign.
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Deputy Arrested for Florida DUI in Lee County
20 year veteran asked for ‘professional courtesy’ in effort to avoid drunk driving charge.
A Lee County corrections officer stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence in Florida tried to use his position to avoid the charge. According to the arrest report, Alan George Welch, 47, asked for ‘professional courtesy’, further stating that the arrest would ruin his 20-year career.
Another motorist alerted the Florida Highway Patrol to an erratic driver on the interstate. After Welch was stopped, he speculated that a mixture of two beers and arthritis medicine had done him in. A breath test conducted 90 minutes after the initial traffic stop however revealed a blood alcohol content of .173, over twice the legal limit for driving while intoxicated in Florida. He also failed several field sobriety tests.
Welch has been a corrections officer with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 2 years. His responsibilities included guarding and moving inmates at the Lee County jail. It is not known where he was employed previously.
Welch was booked for Florida DUI and briefly held before being released on bond. He surrendered his badge, firearm, ammunition, department jacket and identification, and was placed on administrative leave.
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Sheriff's Department Deputy Charged with Florida DUI
Detention deputy arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Pinellas County, Florida.
Aaron Simpson, a detention deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, has been placed on administrative leave following an arrest for drunk driving in Florida.
Simpson was stopped at an intersection around 8:45 pm after being observed weaving in and out of his lane. At one point he reportedly almost drove the arresting officer off the road.
Simpson, 28, was booked for Florida DUI and released after posting $500 bond. He is already on a pretrial release for a prior DUI arrest last February. Simpson is a six year veteran with the Sheriff's department.
You should never drink and drive, but just because you have been arrested doesn't mean your guilty. If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Pinellas County you should could contact a Florida DUI lawyer for help with your DUI charge and DMV hearing.
UFC Fighter Hermes Franca Charged with DUI in Florida
Hermes Franca arrested for drunk driving in Jupiter, Florida.
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Hermes Franca was arrested for drunk driving in Florida early Thursday morning. Franca was booked at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office around 2:30 am. He was released shortly after 10:00 am. The charges include first offense Florida DUI.
Franca lives in Jupiter, and hours before his arrest had attended the WEC 36 match between Faber and Brown at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, California. Franca, 34, is a five year veteran with UFC. His last fight was October 25th in Chicago when he defeated Marcus Aurelio.
You should never drink and drive, but if you have been arrested for drunk driving in Florida you should could contact a Florida DUI defense attorney for help with your DUI charge and DMV hearing.
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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.
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New Port Richey Police Officer Arrested for DUI in Florida
Christopher Sutherlin, a New Port Richey Police Officer was involved in late night crash in Florida.
A New Port Richey police officer is facing charges of Driving Under the Influence in Pasco County, Florida following a hit and run accident. Christopher Sutherlin, who was off duty at the time, reportedly slammed into the back end of a 2005 Ford pick-up truck with his 2006 Nissan pick-up around 3:00 am and then tried to flee the scene. He did not get very far though because of heavy damage to his vehicle. Sutherlin, a passenger in Sutherlin’s vehicle and the driver of the Ford truck were all slightly injured.
Florida Highway Patrol officers responding to the accident knew Sutherlin, so they called for a Hernando County trooper. According to the arrest report, Sutherlin refused to perform field sobriety tests because of a back injury. His blood alcohol content registered .148 and .151 in two breath tests. The legal limit for intoxication in Florida is a .08 BAC.
Sutherlin, 30, had worked a political rally and then went off duty about 9:00 pm. He was charged with a DUI in Florida, two counts of DUI with personal injury, DUI with property damage and leaving the scene of an accident involving injuries. Sutherlin has been with the New Port Richey police department for ten months. He has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Arrested for DUI in Pasco County? You will need to hire a Florida DUI Lawyer for representation on your DUI case and DMV hearing.
Rockies Pitcher Charged with Florida DUI in Tampa
Relief pitcher, Luis Vizcaino, arrested for drunk driving in Florida early Monday morning.
Luis Vizcaino, relief pitcher for the Denver Rockies baseball team, was arrested for driving under the influence in Tampa, Florida. Vizcaino was spotted driving 71 mph in a 45 zone around 1:30 am Monday morning. When officers initiated a traffic stop, he abruptly stopped his red Cadillac sedan in the outside lane. Police detected alcohol and Vizcaino admitted to having consumed two alcoholic drinks. His blood alcohol content registered .084% and .087% after two breath tests. The legal limit for intoxication in the state of Florida is .080%. He was booked on charges of Florida DUI at the Hillsborough County Jail.
Vizcaino is from the Dominican Republic, and he resides in St. Petersburg. He has a career record of 34-27 with a 4.34 ERA. He has pitched for six teams during his 10-year career. Last December, Vizcaino signed a two year, $2 million contract with the Rockies.
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State Agency Fires Florida DUI Inspector for Rigging Breath Test Equipment Results
FDLE says inspector’s actions could impact numerous cases of drunk driving in Florida.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has announced the firing of aDUI inspector who deliberately turned off breath testing equipment when they looked like they were going to fail required inspections. Sandra Viega serviced machines in South Florida and her actions threaten the outcome of numerous cases of driving under the influence in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
Viega acknowledged to Miami Beach and Miami-Dade police departments that she intentionally turned off the power to Breathalyzer machines when it appeared they would fail required calibration tests. She said that by pulling the plug on the equipment there would be no documentation of the attempted test. Under Florida law, such testing must be undertaken monthly by local law enforcement agencies and annually by the FDLE in order to ensure that the machines are properly calibrated. If the tests are interrupted or altered, the accuracy of the breath testing equipment can be questioned. In response, South Florida DUI defense attorneys are challenging drunk driving cases, saying the lack of proper maintenance may have lead to false BAC readings and erroneous arrests when their clients were actually not legally intoxicated.
The FDLE issued a notice to law enforcement agencies in three south Florida counties last July, telling them to alert prosecutors handling DUI cases that breath sample evidence was compromised. Prosecutors, in turn, were responsible for informing defense attorneys whose cases may have been affected.
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Florida DUI Law Enforcement Agencies Concerned About Budget Cuts
Governor is asking all state agencies to pare their latest state budget requests.
The directors of the two largest law enforcement agencies in Florida have asked Gov. Charlie Crist to go lightly when cutting the budget of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. All state agencies are potentially affected by the Governor’s goal to pare back the state’s budget.
The heads of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and Florida Sheriff’s Association are urging robust funding for the FDLE, saying that a reduction in operating funds will jeopardize public safety. They cite the role of the state lab and FDLE field operations in all types of crime, including murders, drug smuggling and cases of driving under the influence in Florida. Local law enforcement officers echo the sentiment, expressing concern that an FDLE budget cut could impact their ability to combat and prosecute some crimes.
The FDLE has not yet submitted a legislative budget request for the upcoming fiscal period. Gov. Crist, who has a reputation of strong support for law enforcement, indicated that the input of the sheriffs and police chiefs will be considered during the budget process.
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