DUINY DWI News
Off-Duty Cop Accused of NY DWI in Pedestrian Death
Police officer hits pedestrian while driving drunk in NYC.
An off-duty police officer was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter early Sunday morning in Brooklyn. Around 1:00 am, New York City cop Andrew Kelly struck and killed Vionique Valnord as she was trying to hail a cab after attending a wedding reception. Valnord was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. Several passengers, including at least one additional police officer, were in Kelly's Jeep Cherokee at the time of the accident.
Officers responding to the scene detected alcohol on Kelly's breath and initiated an investigation. Kelly, 30, was booked for DWI in NY and released after posting $200,000 bond. A spokesperson with the police union refused immediate comment regarding the NYC drunk driving incident and the pedestrian death.
Valnord's father, a pastor at a Brooklyn church, delivered a Sunday morning sermon as scheduled.
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Olympic Gold Medalist Busted for DWI in New York
Track star at 1996 Atlanta Olympics arrested for drunk driving in Nassau County.
An athlete who won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta has been charged with suspicion of driving while intoxicated in New York. Derrick Adkins was stopped in his Nissan sedan for drifting in his lane shortly before 2:00 am on August 29. He told the State Police officer he had consumed two glasses of wine at a bar. The officer had Adkins perform a field sobriety test and submit to a breath test. Adkins' blood alcohol content was reportedly .15%, nearly twice the .08% legal limit for intoxication.
Adkins won a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles during the Atlanta games. He was a state champion hurdler during the 80’s, and he appeared in an ad campaign during New York City’s efforts to win the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
The former track star was arraigned on charges of NY DWI at the First District Court in Hempstead, New York.
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Fort Drum to Prosecute NY DWI Cases in Military Court
Army soldiers will be subject to military justice rather than civil court.
Major General Michael Oates, commander of Fort Drum in northern New York, has decided to prosecute soldiers arrested for drunk driving in military, rather than civilian, court. The Army post has been publishing photos of soldiers accused of NY DWI for several months, though Oates said that effort has not deterred drunk driving enough.
Soldiers arrested for driving while intoxicated in New York will now be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Punishment can range from a reprimand to a full court martial. Oates also hopes to conclude the DWI cases more rapidly, stating that prosecution in civilian court can take too much time.
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Attorney Jailed for New York DWI
Efforts to avoid charge of drunk driving in Buffalo leads to disbarment.
A former attorney from the Buffalo New York area, who once had plans of running for a judicial office, has been sentenced to jail. Anne Adams was arrested for driving while intoxicated in NY last September. She attempted to avoid prosecution by asking a sitting judge to declare her not intoxicated and she sought a falsified result for blood alcohol content.
Adams, 46, was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years probation, fined $395, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and required to write a letter of apology to the arresting officer in the NY DWI case. She also lost her law license and was dismissed from her position at the University of Buffalo Law School.
The State Supreme Court justice who handled the case called the episode "embarrassing and shameful."
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Former Congressman Charged with New York DWI
John Sweeney stopped for drunk driving in Saratoga County.
Former state Republican congressman John Sweeney was arrested early Sunday morning for suspicion of driving while intoxicated in New York. State Police stopped Sweeney for speeding and booked him on NY DWI charges around 3:30 am. He refused to submit to a breath or blood test. Sweeney posted bail and was released around 6:00 in the morning.
Sweeney was convicted of drunk driving in New York in late 2007. His license was suspended for six months and, as part of his plea deal, he was required to pay a fine, enroll in alcohol education classes and attend a DWI victim impact panel. As this is then his second drunk driving offense, under NY DWI law it will be filed as a felony. Because he refused to have his blood alcohol content tested, the DMV will move to suspend Sweeney’s driving privileges for one year.
Sweeney, 53, served in the New York State Congress between 1999 and 2007. He notoriously appeared drunk at a fraternity party at Union College in 2006, even though the school is not in his district. There have been allegations of spousal abuse and he was part of a federal investigation into his role with a lobbying firm with ties to convicted Washington power broker Jack Abramoff. Sweeney was defeated in his re-election efforts by current Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
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Officer Charged with NY DWI in Schenectady
Off duty cop has been investigated several times for other offenses.
A Schenectady city police officer was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated in New York last Wednesday. Joseph A. Peters, a 10-year veteran with the force, was stopped around 7:30 pm after another motorist reported a vehicle being driven erratically. Peters was off duty in his personal vehicle at the time of the DWI arrest.
Following an investigation by the police department’s Office of Professional Standards, Peters was issued two traffic tickets; one for NY DWI and another for having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of .08%. Peters was suspended with pay. He is scheduled to be arraigned in January.
Peters, 42, was recently suspended over two separate incidents; using a racial slur during a bar fight and threatening to kill his former wife.
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Increased Patrols Yield 35 Arrests for DWI in Niagara County, New York
Month long effort by Niagara County Sheriff's Office following two deadly accidents in September.
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office engaged in a month long crackdown on motorists driving drunk in New York. The increased NY DWI patrols were initiated after there were two accidents involving alcohol with fatalities on a single September day.
The arrests for drunk driving in Niagara County during October totaled 35. Three involved felony DWI charges meaning that the motorists had previous drunk driving convictions in the last ten years. Nine arrests were made by sheriff’s department patrols during the afternoon shift, with the remainder occurring during the midnight shift.
If you have been charged with DWI in Niagara County, NY you will need to hire a DWI lawyer in Niagara County.
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Halloween Crackdown on DWI's in New York
Extra patrols to look for drunk driving in NY this Halloween weekend.
Law enforcement agencies across the state will be adding special DWI patrols and setting up sobriety checkpoints this weekend. Dubbed ‘Halloween STOP-DWI’, the campaign is aimed at cracking down on motorists who are driving drunk in New York.
Because Halloween falls on a weekend this year, it is anticipated that there will be more parties and events. Adult themed costume parties are becoming increasingly popular and the concern is the potential for drunk drivers on the streets on the same evening as trick-or-treaters. Coordinators of the STOP-DWI program recommend designated drivers, planning a safe way home from a party and use of a taxi or public transportation. They also encourage all motorists to notify police if they suspect someone is driving drunk.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 44% of highway fatalities in the United States on Halloween night involve a motorist or motorcyclist who is legally impaired.
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Three Car Pile-Up from Staten Island DWI
Nine hospitalized from incident of drunk driving on Staten Island.
A motorist driving while intoxicated on Staten Island lost control of his Chevy Astro minivan and caused an accident that sent nine people to the hospital.
The unidentified driver was traveling in New Dorp around 6:30 pm with his brother and two nephews when he jumped a curb onto a traffic island, striking a pedestrian. The minivan hit a light post and careened into a Mazda carrying two women. The Mazda was then forced into a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The event unfolded in front of the 122nd Precinct police station, and officers from the station helped the accident victims.
A total of nine people were taken to local hospitals, with the pedestrian in critical condition. The minivan driver was charged with New York DWI.
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New York DWI on Staten Island for Man Who Hits Parked Car
Richmond County NY drunk driver was one block from home.
Thomas Guercio was charged with driving while intoxicated on Staten Island after crashing his 2007 Ford Fusion into a parked car. The Richmond resident was just down the block from his home.
When police arrived on the scene around 9:45 pm, they found Guercio, 46, with his shirt on backwards. The NY DWI suspect was slurring his speech, had bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet. The officers found an open bottle of vodka in the car. Guercio refused to have his blood alcohol content tested though he was taken to a local medical center for alcohol poisoning.
Guercio was charged with driving while intoxicated in New York and driving while impaired. He faces up to one year in jail if convicted.
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