DUI
Ohio DUI/OVI Library
DUI Library: Ohio
Celina Ohio DUI Checkpoint
Law enforcement groups combined efforts to catch drunk drivers.
Several law enforcement agencies recently combined forces to target drunk driving in Celina, Ohio. On Friday, September 11, the Celina Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department and the Ohio State Patrol conducted both a sobriety checkpoint and saturation patrols to catch those suspected of driving under the influence in OH.
Members of the Coldwater Police Department, Rockford Police Department and the Ohio Division of Parks assisted in the Celina Ohio DUI crackdown.
Have you been arrested for OVI in Mercer County, OH?
Filed in DUI Related | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Holiday Deaths in Ohio Lowest in Decade
Number of traffic fatalities over Fourth of July holiday lowest since 1998.
The Ohio State Highway patrol released figures indicating that the number of traffic fatalities over the Fourth of July holiday were the lowest in more than a decade. There were five fatal crashes over the extended weekend, the lowest number since 1998. Last year there were 15 people killed on Ohio roads during the same period of time.
Law enforcement agencies across the state used saturation patrols to combat speeding, reckless driving, seat belt violations and DUI/OVI in Ohio. A total of 556 motorists were charged with driving under the influence in OH during the holiday.
Were arrested for drunk driving in OH?
Filed in Ohio DUI | Statistics | Permalink | Comments (0)
Police Shift Tactics Against Ohio DUI/OVI
Roving patrols allow police to cover larger area seeking drunk drivers in OH.
Law enforcement agencies across the state are regularly employing a different tactic in their pursuit of suspected drunk driving in Ohio. Police are utilizing saturation patrols, rather than sobriety checkpoints or speed traps, to target OH DUI. This past Fourth of July holiday saw just such plans put into effect by both state highway patrol and sheriff’s department troopers.
DUI checkpoints have been a common tool of law enforcement since being allowed by a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision. However, it is required by law that the location of such checkpoints be made public in order to balance constitutional rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Saturation patrols allow officers to cover a much larger area and to less obtrusively target locations with statistically higher numbers of arrests for driving under the influence on Ohio. In addition to searching for signs of impairment, the patrols use moving violations such as not wearing seatbelts, breaking traffic laws and failure to maintain proper speed to initiate a traffic stop.
Are you looking for an OH DUI attorney?
Filed in DUI Prevention | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Eric Carmen Sentenced to Jail for Ohio DUI
Former 'Raspberries' singer to spend 30 days behind bars.
Eric Carmen was sentenced to 180 days in jail for driving under the influence in Ohio, though he will only be required to serve 30. The judge showed little leniency however in doling out additional penalties.
Carmen was arrested for OH DUI in the Cleveland area after crashing into a fire hydrant. He reportedly handed the officer a credit card instead of his driver’s license. His blood alcohol content registered .23%, nearly three times the legal limit for intoxication.
Carmen was also fined $1000, charged $362 for court costs, ordered to enroll in an alcohol treatment program, required to install an ignition interlock device and ordered to begin his jail sentence on April 25. He lost his driver's license until September 9 and will have to undergo regular testing to ensure that he does not drink alcohol for 12 months.
This is Carmen's second offense for drunk driving in Ohio. In 2007, Carmen was arrested after striking a mail box and a sign.
Carmen is the former lead vocalist for the 'Raspberries', recording the band’s biggest hit 'Please Go All The Way'. He also recorded the 80's hit 'Hungry Eyes'.
Were you charged with OVI in OH?
Filed in Celebrity DUI | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Ohio to Buy Controversial Breath Test Device
Allegations of bid bias are raised.
The Ohio State Controlling Board authorized the purchase of 700 Intoxilyzer 8000 machines for testing blood alcohol content of motorists suspected of Ohio DUI. Nearly $7 million in federal grant money will be used to purchase the portable breath testing devices. The described intent of the purchase is to standardize the breath test equipment and procedure used to help catch drunk drivers in Ohio.
Concerns were raised during the decision making process because the manufacturer of the Intoxilyzer 8000, CMI Inc of Kentucky, is involved in several law suits with states over the equipment’s software. A suspicion of bid rigging has also been raised because the Ohio Department of Health official who wrote the state’s specifications for the device is friends with the president of CMI. An Ohio based firm that had previously supplied law enforcement with such equipment was excluded from the specification process. In fact, the process reportedly excluded all competitors.
The State Controlling Board voted unanimously to approve the acquisition. While acknowledging that the departments of health and public safety could have made a better case for the Intoxilyzer 8000, the legislators thought there was no reason not to buy the devices.
The Intoxilyzer 8000 will first be put into use in southwest Ohio. The handheld device will replace larger units now used to test for driving under the influence in Ohio.
Have you been charged with OVI in Ohio?Filed in DUI Related | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Breathalyzers Considered for Ohio DUI
Plan is to standardize breath testing equipment for testing drunk drivers in Ohio.
The Ohio Controlling Board a considering the purchase of new breath testing equipment for the state. The goal is to standardize the equipment used when testing driver’s for suspicion of driving under the influence in Ohio. Currently law enforcement agencies use a series of devices and techniques to test blood alcohol content or BAC. Both the Ohio Department of Public Safety and Department of Health are asking for the state to buy 700 Intoxilyzer 8000 machines. The Ohio State Patrol has also approved of the standardization of all breath test equipment for Ohio drunk driving tests.
The two state agencies say that the Intoxilyzer has been tested in a range of temperatures and climate conditions and been found to perform well. The concern is that the equipment has been the focus of several lawsuits recently. Judges in Florida, Arizona and Minnesota have ordered CMI, the Kentucky manufacturer of the Intoxilyzer 8000, to release the software code. To date the company has refused to do so and large penalties have been accrued. The software is the center of an on-going debate as to the accuracy of the breath test. Rather than being a static test with a single code version, each state has the latitude to define tolerances it finds acceptable. Drunk driving defense lawyers have challenged those variables and also claim that the manufacturer has changed the software authorized by the states without their knowledge or permission, leading to the possibility of false BAC readings.
Ohio Controlling Board is expected to announce a decision today.
Were you arrested for DUI in OH?Filed in DUI Prevention | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Police Sergeant Arrested for Ohio DUI
Mansfield cop nabbed during Ohio drunk driving patrols.
Shari Robertson, a police sergeant, was charged with driving under the influence in Mansfield, Ohio. Robertson was stopped for a traffic infraction during a three-day saturation patrol targeting drunk drivers.
Ohio Highway Patrol officers witnessed Robertson making a wide left turn and striking the curb with her right front tire. When they turned on their police lights in pursuit, Robertson continued driving, crossing the center line and nearly striking an oncoming car. When the officers turned on their siren, Robertson drove off the road and nearly hit a utility pole. According to the arrest report, she was texting when officers approached her vehicle. Her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet, and Robertson admitted to having consumed four or five drinks. She was booked on charges of drunk driving in Ohio and failure to drive in a marked lane.
Robertson, 41, supervises the Mansfield community policing program. While no action has been taken yet against Robertson, the county safety director said he will confer with the police chief about her work status. The Highway Patrol officers seized Robertson’s driver’s license, which will make it difficult for her to perform her duties. Previously when city employees have lost their driving privileges they have been able to apply any vacation time or comp time to the suspension period. If they don’t have any time accrued, they have been suspended without pay.
Robertson is scheduled to be arraigned October 8 in Mansfield Municipal Court.
Do you want to hire an Ohio OVI attorney?
Filed in DUI Related | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
State Troopers Fired for Ohio DUI Cheating Scandal
Troopers cheated on certification test for drunk driving detection.
Twelve Ohio State Troopers have been fired for cheating on an annual test to certify them in proper administration of breath test equipment. The equipment is used to check the blood alcohol content of motorists suspected of driving under the influence in Ohio, and troopers must be certified before they can administer the tests.
The cheating started last year and was noticed by an inspector with the Ohio Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Testing. Of the twelve fired troopers, eleven were with the Canton post. The other was from Wooster. The Canton post covers two of the largest areas in Ohio and it normally has a staff of 32. The loss of eleven troopers leaves the post understaffed by one-third. State officials have said they will transfer troops eventually but in the mean time posts in Medina and Stark Counties will help with accident investigations. There will also be a cut-back in sobriety checkpoints and DUI patrols.
Failure to properly administer a breath test could result in a false reading, and cause a motorist to be falsely accused of driving drunk in Ohio. Canton city prosecutors have said that up to 70 Ohio DUI cases are subject to review because of the trooper’s cheating.
If you have been charged with OVI in Ohio, then you need to hire an Ohio DUI attorney.
Filed in DUI Related | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Liaison to Ohio DUI Task Force Busted for Drunk Driving
Police officer also charged with having a loaded gun during DUI arrest.
Lt. Terrell LaTour, with the Sharon Township police department, serves on the Franklin County DUI Task Force. He was stopped for traffic violations around 2:30 am in a Columbus suburb last weekend and charged with driving under the influence in Ohio.
LaTour, 52, refused to submit to field sobriety tests or blood alcohol tests, and his driver’s license was immediately suspended. He was charged with speeding, Ohio DUI, failure to signal, failure to stay in his lanes. Because he was in possession of a loaded .38 caliber pistol while intoxicated, he was also charged with felony improper handling of a firearm.
The Sharon Township police chief has not issued a comment. LaTour is due to be arraigned in Franklin County Municipal Court August 15.
Have you been arrested for OVI in Columbus, Ohio? You need to hire a Franklin County, OH DUI Lawyer.
Filed in DUI Related | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cops Cheat on Ohio DUI Exam
Troopers shared answers on Breathalyzer certification test.
An organized cheating scandal has been exposed at an Ohio state highway patrol post. The troopers were sharing answers to an examination to become proficient in the use of breath testing equipment. That equipment is used in cases of suspected drunk driving in Ohio.
Only troopers who have certification from the Ohio Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Testing are allowed to administer a breath test, and officers must pass an annual written renewal exam.
In March of 2007 a trooper taking the 50 question, multi-choice test photocopied the test and his answers when the test administrator left the room. That trooper then shared his copies with other troopers scheduled to take the test. The scheme was discovered when a trooper was caught using a cheat sheet during the exam this year. The test is reportedly not that difficult, so there was dismay when an investigation revealed that troopers were even copying incorrect answers. Even though the investigation has focused only on state troopers to this point, there are allegations of cheating at several local law enforcement agencies.
The cheating was so rampant and open that state highway patrol superiors knew of the exchange of test answers.
The Ohio Inspector General has expressed concern over the public perception of the cheating, especially how it may call into doubt the validity of breath tests administered during a traffic stop for driving under the influence in Ohio. Under Ohio DUI laws being found guilty of Ohio DUI/OVI can rest solely on the evidence produced from a breath test for blood alcohol content. Having a trooper who is not proficient in the application of the test could result in a false reading would lead to a false arrest and substantial costs, fines and consequences.
The state has changed the test questions and instated a rule that the test administrator remain in the testing room. Those caught cheating have been given either an oral reprimand or a three day suspension.
Do you need to hire a DUI Lawyer in Ohio?
Filed in DUI News | Ohio DUI | Permalink | Comments (1)
