University Dean Arrested for DUI in Florida with BAC Under Legal Limit

Two breath tests showed Ave Maria Dean of Students was not legally intoxicated.

The Dean of Students at Ave Maria University was charged with driving under the influence in Florida despite submitting to two breath tests that showed a blood alcohol content below the legal limit. Dan Dentino was stopped by the Collier County Sheriff's Department around 11:30 pm on September 3 for allegedly weaving in his lane. After reportedly failing several field sobriety tests, the officer initiated a breath test. Dentino registered .068% and .066% in two tests. The legal threshold for intoxication in Florida is .08%.

A sheriff's department spokesperson said that an officer can initiate an arrest for DUI in Florida even if the motorist has a BAC below .08%, when impairment is suspected. That said, she doubted the charges would stick, stating, "What the state does with it after this is up to them."

Ave Maria University officials are standing behind Dentino. In an email, the school president said “Please remember that a police charge is not a conviction; Dan is entitled to a presumption of innocence.” He went on to describe Dentino's FL DUI arrest as "an overzealous police intervention."

Dentino, 34, has been with the university for eight years. He serves as Vice President of Student Affairs and Adjunct Professor of Theology. He is a graduate of the Franciscan University and holds a Master's in religious studies and a Doctorate in systematic theology.

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