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        <title> - Cops Cheat on Ohio DUI Exam</title>
        <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/cops-cheat-on-ohio-dui-exam</link>
        <description>Troopers shared answers on Breathalyzer certification test.</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
        <generator>Plone 2.0</generator>

        
            
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                      <title>Liaison to Ohio DUI Task Force Busted for Drunk Driving</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/liaison-to-ohio-dui-task-force-busted-for-drunk-driving</link>
                      <description>Police officer also charged with having a loaded gun during DUI arrest.</description>
                      <author>Monica</author>
                      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:41:23 -0500</pubDate>
                      
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        <![CDATA[<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The Sharon Township police chief has not issued a comment. LaTour is due to be arraigned in Franklin County Municipal Court August 15.</p>

<p>Have you been arrested for OVI in Columbus, Ohio?  You need to hire a <a href="http://www.dui.com/ohio/franklin">Franklin County, OH DUI Lawyer</a>.</p>]]>
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                      <title>Cops Cheat on Ohio DUI Exam</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/cops-cheat-on-ohio-dui-exam</link>
                      <description>Troopers shared answers on Breathalyzer certification test.</description>
                      <author>Monica</author>
                      <pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:52:52 -0500</pubDate>
                      
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        <![CDATA[<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The cheating was so rampant and open that state highway patrol superiors knew of the exchange of test answers.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Do you need to hire a <a href="http://www.dui.com/ohio">DUI Lawyer in Ohio</a>?</p>]]>
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                      <title>Prosecutor Objects to Sealing of Candidate’s Ohio DUI Arrest Records</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/prosecutor-objects-to-sealing-of-candidate2019s-ohio-dui-arrest-records</link>
                      <description>Candidate for County Commissioner must have felony record sealed in order to hold office.</description>
                      <author>Bill</author>
                      <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2008 18:01:07 -0500</pubDate>
                      
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        <![CDATA[<p>Jefferson County prosecutor Tom Straus has filed an objection over the sealing of the arrest record of Steve Vukelic. Vukelic is running for the position of County Commissioner, but he has two misdemeanor arrests for drunk driving in Ohio and a felony charge that allegedly involved the bribing of public officials. According to Ohio law, he cannot hold office unless the record is sealed.</p>
 
<p>The prosecutor stated that the court does not have the authority to seal the record because of the convictions for driving under the influence in Ohio. That is not allowed under new Ohio law.</p>
 
<p>Vukelic acknowledges the DUI arrests though he says one was expunged. He also disputes the petition’s claim that his felony conviction involved bribery. Vukelic plans to address the issue at a county commissioners meeting, and he says he ultimately hopes the voters have the opportunity to decide if they want him to hold office.</p>

<p>If you have been arrested for drunk driving or OVI in Ohio, you will need to hire a <a href="http://www.dui.com/ohio">DUI lawyer in Ohio</a> for legal representation.</p>]]>
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                      <title>Ohio Woman Has DUI Thrown Out</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohio-dui-dismissed</link>
                      <description>Court reverses conviction because traffic stop was not justified</description>
                      <author>Ron</author>
                      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:43:33 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>drunk driving</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<p>Jodirae B. Brown of Cortland, Ohio had her <strong>DUI</strong> conviction overturned by the 11th District Court of Appeals. The reason cited was a lack of sufficient evidence to warrant the traffic stop that lead to the arrest.</p>
<p>Brown was charged with <strong>drunk driving</strong> three years ago by a Liberty police officer for allegedly driving &lsquo;somewhat erratic&rsquo;. The officer said he stopped Ms. Brown around 2:00 am for a marked lane violation, though in cross-examination at a suppression hearing held in Girard Municipal Court he admitted that Brown had stayed entirely in her lane.</p>
<p>The court ruling stated, &ldquo;In this case, the record does not reveal any [indication] of erratic driving behind some modest weaving by Mrs. Brown in her own lane of traffic.&rdquo; The <strong>Ohio DUI</strong> charge against Brown was ordered returned to the Municipal Court so they can proceed in line with the Appeals Court ruling. </p>]]>
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                      <title>Proposed Ignition Interlock Devices Could Mean Jail for Innocent Motorists</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/dui-interlock-unreliable</link>
                      <description>Columbus Ohio DUI lawyer Brad Koffel claims equipment is not relaible</description>
                      <author>Ron</author>
                      <pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2007 04:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>DUI Lawyer</category>
     
     
        <category>DUI defense attorneys</category>
     
     
        <category>DUI defense lawyers</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI defense attorney</category>
     
     
        <category>drinking and driving</category>
     
     
        <category>drunk driving</category>
     
     
        <category>ignition interlock device</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<p>The Ohio legislature is considering a bill that would require the installation of an alcohol <strong>ignition interlock devices</strong> in vehicles owned by those convicted of <strong>drunk driving</strong>. The idea is receiving a generally favorable response from the public, though <strong>DUI defense attorneys</strong> want to make sure everyone knows the downside of the equipment. Specifically the possibility of false readings that could result in an innocent motorist being jailed for probation violation.</p>
<p>Columbus <strong>DUI lawyer</strong> Brad Koffel has successfully challenged the accuracy and reliability of <strong>ignition interlock devices</strong> in court. Koffel states, &ldquo;these small machines are not specific for alcohol, are too sensitive to outside temperature changes, are not compatible with new electronics in newer car models, are easily tricked, provide more false positives than true positive results, and that is before you get around to the lack of training for the folks who are installing them for the courts.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>DUI defense lawyer </strong>Koffel recently represented a businessman who was ordered to install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle after being convicted of an <strong>Ohio DUI</strong>. The client had dutifully used the equipment for 10 months before attempting to start his SUV. The company that installed and monitors the device then sent a letter to the courts saying that Koffel's client had failed two times. That suggested the motorist had consumed alcohol before attempting to start his vehicle. Despite his denials of <strong>drinking and driving</strong>, he faced almost six months in jail for violating the terms of his probation.</p>
<p>An investigation conducted by Koffel showed the interlock device had actually recorded 35 'failures', not two, indicating persistent, questionable readings from the equipment. The president of the interlock company admitted that many foods, other than alcohol, can cause false positives. Fortunately, one of the 'failures' was recorded when the accused motorist was documented as being in Koffel's office.</p>
<p>As a result of Koffel's findings, the presiding judge in the case ordered the immediate removal of the <strong>ignition interlock device</strong> from the defendant's vehicle. In his summary, the judge questioned the science and legitimacy of the devices.</p>
<p>The unreliability of <strong>ignition interlock devices</strong> is resulting in unusual actions on the part of motorists. Koffel says, &ldquo;We are learning that clients are simply leaving their vehicles on with the doors locked instead of turning off the vehicle and running the risk that it will take 15 &ndash; 90 minutes for the interlock to permit them to start the vehicle again.&rdquo; Koffel and other <strong>Ohio DUI defense attorneys</strong> hope that legislatures fully investigate the reliability of the equipment and question the claims of manufacturer's before passing a law that could result in people being wrongly accused of violating their probation and being sent to jail.</p>
<p>Brad Koffel limits his practice to DUI defense. He is a member of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DUI / OVI Task Force. Mr. Koffel can be contacted through dwi.com/ohio/franklin-county.</p>]]>
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                      <title>Lead Singer of Popular 70’s Band Charged with Ohio DUI</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/eric-carmen-ohio-dui</link>
                      <description>Eric Carmen stopped in Gates Mill for drunk driving</description>
                      <author>Ron</author>
                      <pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:46:47 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>drunk driving</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ericcarmen.com/">Eric Carmen</a>, lead singer of &lsquo;The Raspberries&rsquo; was arrested for <strong>Ohio DUI</strong>.</p>
<p>Gates Mills Police officers said Carmen, 57, was stopped around 9:30 p.m. Witnesses reported that Carmen's Lexus sport utility vehicle was all over the road and that he hit a mailbox and a sign.</p>
<p>Carmen was part of &lsquo;The Raspberries&rsquo; from Cleveland, Ohio, which recorded 70&rsquo;s hits &quot;Go All the Way&quot; and &quot;I Wanna Be With You.&quot; He went solo in 1975, and his first album included the hit &quot;All By Myself.&quot; He also contributed &quot;Almost Paradise&quot; for the &quot;Footloose&quot; soundtrack. </p>]]>
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                      <title>Ohio County Crushes Truck of DUI Offender</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohio-dui-truck-crushing</link>
                      <description>Vehicles used in a crime could be crushed after being confiscated</description>
                      <author>Ron</author>
                      <pubDate>Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:09:01 -0600</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>DUI/OVI</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI-OVI</category>
     
     
        <category>blood alcohol content</category>
     
     
        <category>drunk driving</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<p>A repeat <strong>Ohio DUI-OVI</strong> offender got to watch his older pick-up truck get flattened courtesy of the local government. After the man was convicted of his ninth <strong>drunk driving</strong> charge, Athens County, Ohio officials seized his truck, an option when a vehicle has been used in a crime.</p>
<p>Usually such property are sold, though occasionally the resale value of a vehicle is low and the county opts for destroying it.</p>
<p>The owner of the truck was arrested for <strong>DUI-OVI</strong> after running off the road and nearly striking a building. Police found a bottle of vodka under the seat and the driver registered a <strong>blood alcohol content</strong> twice the legal limit. Besides his ninth <strong>DUI-OVI</strong>, it was the driver&rsquo;s third felony <strong>drunk driving</strong> charge.</p>
<p>The county prosecutor plans on recording the vehicle crushing and using the video in a public service announcement warning about the dangers of <strong>drunk driving</strong>. </p>]]>
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                      <title>Ohio DUI Case Impacted by Police Errors</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohioduicase</link>
                      <description>Judge throws out key drunk driving evidence</description>
                      <author>Monica</author>
                      <pubDate>Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:34:27 -0600</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>BAC</category>
     
     
        <category>DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>DUI defense</category>
     
     
        <category>DUI defense attorneys</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI</category>
     
     
        <category>blood alcohol content</category>
     
     
        <category>drunk driving</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<p>The <strong>DUI defense</strong> of Lawrence Prather was boosted by a judge&rsquo;s decision to prevent the introduction of key <strong>drunk driving</strong> evidence. <a href="http://www.summitcpcourt.net/">Summit County Common Pleas</a> Judge Judy Hunter issued her ruling to dismiss blood test results from trial in response to a series of errors on the part of law enforcement.</p>
<p>Prather, of Akron, Ohio, lost control of his vehicle and crashed shortly after leaving a party with friends. His passenger, Dustin Kalstrom, was killed in the accident. Prather was taken by ambulance to a local medical center with non-life threatening injuries.</p>
<p>Though a blood sample indicated that Prather&rsquo;s <strong>BAC</strong> was twice the legal limit, prosecutors were kept from introducing that evidence because <a href="http://publicsafety.ci.akron.oh.us/police/">Akron Police</a> failed to collect the sample within a time frame mandated by law. Court records show that police missed a statutory two-hour deadline by 21 minutes.</p>
<p>Ohio law specifies the time limit so an accurate <strong>blood alcohol level</strong> can be determined closest to the time of a suspected alcohol related accident. Earlier this year, state legislators amended the law, increasing the time frame for blood collection to three hours. Because Prather&rsquo;s accident occurred prior to the new law, however, it has no bearing on his case.</p>
<p>The errors on the part of the <a href="http://publicsafety.ci.akron.oh.us/police/">Akron Police</a> did not stop there. They did not mail Prather&rsquo;s driver&rsquo;s license to <a href="http://www.dmv.org/oh-ohio/department-motor-vehicles.php">Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles</a> in Columbus within a mandated 48 hours so it could be suspended. That allowed Prather to continue driving while his <strong>DUI</strong> case is pending in court.</p>
<p>The mother of the accident victim, Doris Kalstrom, laments the mishaps, saying, &ldquo;It's more frustrating than anything else. Mistakes were made, and nobody seems to be trying to correct them.&rdquo; Her frustration stems not only from her tragic experience but also from the knowledge that law enforcement officers do not seem to be learning from the past.</p>
<p>In a <strong>DUI</strong> related accident prior to Prather&rsquo;s, Akron police collected blood samples at a medical center that does not have a lab certified by the <a href="http://www.odh.state.oh.us/ ">Ohio Department of Health</a>. The law requires lab certification before collected evidence can be admitted in a court of law. As a result, county prosecutors were forced to negotiate a plea agreement with DUI defense attorneys.</p>
<p>Though informed of this error by prosecutors and given the location of a certified lab, Akron police returned to the same medical center in the Prather case. <strong>DUI defense attorneys</strong> would have been able to void the results, even if the collection of Prather&rsquo;s blood had taken place within the mandated time frame.</p>
<p>Prosecutors have asked the judge to reconsider her ruling, but there are no plans to appeal her decision to a higher court.</p>]]>
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                      <title>Cincinnati Bengals' Football Player Arrested for DUI</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohio-football-player-gets-dui</link>
                      <description>Linebacker over twice the legal alcohol limit</description>
                      <author>Monica</author>
                      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:17:35 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>Cincinnati Bengals</category>
     
     
        <category>NFL</category>
     
     
        <category>Odell Thurman</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio DUI offense</category>
     
     
        <category>Sobriety check point</category>
     
     
        <category>arrested for drunk driving</category>
     
     
        <category>blood alcohol content</category>
     
     
        <category>breathalyzer test</category>
     
     
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        <![CDATA[<font size="2">
<div><a href="http://www.bengals.com/"><img style="FLOAT: right" height="231" alt="Odell Thurman DUI" width="146" src="resolveuid/f3e8f16df9809e701a612dc2f664f031" />Cincinnati Bengals</a> linebacker Odell Thurman was <strong>arrested for drunk driving</strong> early Monday morning. Around 3 am a police officer working near a <strong>sobriety check point</strong> saw Thurman cross a double yellow line and stopped the vehicle for <strong>suspicion of DUI</strong>. Thurman was taken to the checkpoint where he was asked to perform a <strong>breathalyzer test</strong>. His <strong>BAC</strong> was 0.18, more than twice the legal limit. Thurman was released to a sober companion and teammate who drove him home.</div>
<br />
<div>The former University of Georgia player has been serving a four game suspension imposed by the <a href="http://www.nfl.com">NFL</a> for a substance abuse violation. He had just one game to go before being allowed to re-join the team. Thurman could now be suspended for a year from the <a href="http://www.nfl.com">national football league</a>.</div>
<br />
<div>Thurman is the sixth <a href="http://www.bengals.com/">Bengals</a>' player arrested in the past year and his <strong>DUI arrest</strong> occurred less than a week after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell visited the Bengals and reminded them of their responsibility to stay out of trouble. He asked the players to represent the league with honor.</div>
<br />
<div>Head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Marvin Lewis, said Thurman &quot;just obviously doesn't understand the privilege and the right to play in the National Football League.&quot;</div>
<br />
<div>The typical sentence for a first-time <strong>Ohio DUI offense</strong> is a short jail term, a fine of $500 and the requirement to participate in an alcohol education program. Thurman however could receive a tougher sentence because of his high <strong>blood alcohol content</strong>.</div>
<br />
<div>A court appearance for the <strong>DUI charge</strong> is scheduled for October 2, the day Thurman was to return to the team.</div>
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                      <title>Ohio DUI Defense Fails to Get Dismissal</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohio-dui-defense-not-dismissed</link>
                      <description>Ohio DUI Defense Fails to Get Dismissal Based on Time Prosecutors Given Time to Pursue Criminal Cases During Retrial</description>
                      <author>Monica</author>
                      <pubDate>Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>Ohio DUI defense attorney</category>
     
     
        <category>Ohio Supreme Court</category>
     
     
        <category>charged with DUI</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<font size="2">
<div>Ruling on a challenge from a <strong>DUI defendant</strong> who thought her retrial of a criminal conviction took an unreasonable amount of time, the <a href="http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2006/2006-ohio-4252.pdf">Ohio Supreme Court</a> recently said that prosecutors dealing with such cases are not bound to a specific time-frame.</div>
<br />
<div>The issue stems from a case involving Theresa Hull who was <strong>charged with DUI</strong> and driving with prohibited blood-alcohol content in late 2001 . She tried and failed to get the results of her breath test suppressed and she was convicted on the prohibited blood-alcohol charge. She appealed the denial to suppress her breath test evidence and an Appeals Court overturned the conviction and requested a new trial.</div>
<br />
<div>Hull was found guilty again in the second trial and that decision was upheld by an Appellate Court. Hull&rsquo;s <strong>Ohio DUI defense attorney</strong> cited the Ohio Revised Code in an appeal to the <a href="http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2006/2006-ohio-4252.pdf">Ohio Supreme Court</a>. The Code says that those charged with first- or second-degree misdemeanors are to be brought to trial within 90 days of the arrest or service of summons. Hull&rsquo;s <strong>Ohio DUI defense attorney</strong> said that time frame should have started when the retrial was ordered.</div>
<br />
<div>It took 149 days to reschedule Hull&rsquo;s case.</div>
<br />
<div>The High Court wrote unanimously that, whereas the statutes of the speedy-trial system do specify a time frame for bringing a person to trial, they do not apply to &quot;criminal convictions that have been overturned on appeal.&quot;</div>
<br />
<div>The Court further found that the time limits for criminal convictions outlined in the Ohio Constitution and the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution take precedence over the speedy trial statutes, as the statutes do not specifically address remanded cases.</div>
<br />
<div>Supreme Court Justice O'Donnell said that had the Ohio State Legislature wanted the &quot;statutorily imposed speedy-trial time limitations to apply to convictions reversed and remanded on a plea of no-contest, it could have easily provided for that circumstance.&quot; The court went on to say that the Legislature could amend the statutes and </div>
<div>clarify time constraints for retrial if it so wished.</div>
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                      <title>Ohio Highway Patrol Changes Drunk Driving Checkpoint Strategy</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohio-dui-checkpoint-strategy</link>
                      <description></description>
                      <author>Monica</author>
                      <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>Ohio DUI</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<font size="2">
<div><a href="http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/media/2006/06-134.htm"><img style="FLOAT: right" height="80" alt="Ohio State Highway Partrol" width="250" src="resolveuid/1b1d997c4634a4d8de07daac35b8b656" /></a>The <a href="http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/news/2006/07_24_06_OSHP.pdf">Ohio State Highway Patrol</a> has announced a shift in its roadside checkpoint procedure for identifying <strong>drunk drivers</strong>. The new tactic calls for operating checkpoints with fewer state troopers, thus facilitating more checkpoints across the state. The &lsquo;low-manpower&rsquo; checkpoint program is funded by federal grant money with the intent of deterring and intercepting <strong>impaired drivers</strong>.</div>
<div></div>
<br />
<div>The result of the new checkpoints has been an increase in <strong>drunk driving arrests</strong>, technically known as <a href="http://bmv.ohio.gov/driver_license/dui_law.htm">Operating a Vehicle Impaired (OVI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI)</a>. In fact, there have been more <strong>drunk driving arrests</strong> in the first five months of 2006 (235 arrests) than in all of 2005 (139 arrests).</div>
<div></div>
<br />
<div>The checkpoints are coordinated with saturation patrols in an aggressive effort to stem alcohol-related automobile injuries and fatalities. &quot;Ohio traffic crash statistics show that there were over 17,000 alcohol-related crashes in 2005 and 477 of those crashes ended in death,&quot; Colonel Paul D. McClellan, superintendent of the <a href="http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/media/2006/06-134.htm">Ohio State Highway Patrol</a> in Columbus, Ohio, said. &quot;These checkpoints are designed to not only deter <strong>impaired driving</strong>, but to proactively remove these dangerous drivers from our roadways.&quot;</div>
<div></div>
<br />
<div>Previously <strong>OVI or DUI</strong> checkpoints called for as many as thirty officers who stopped traffic in both directions. The amended procedure establishes checkpoints with about ten law enforcement personnel and traffic is slowed in just one direction. Unless the presence of alcohol is suspected, typically motorists are delayed for only a few seconds. When a checkpoint is scheduled in a county that information is announced a day in advance, and the specific location is disclosed the morning of the checkpoint.</div>
<div></div>
<br />
<div>The <a href="http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/media/2006/06-134.htm">Ohio State Highway Patrol</a> troopers staffing the checkpoints are assisted by local law enforcement deputies and city police. The policy of smaller checkpoints supported by other law enforcement agencies allows the Highway Patrol to set up more checkpoints on Ohio&rsquo;s highways and help deter <strong>drunk driving</strong> in the state.</div>
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                      <title>Specialized License Plates for Drunk Drivers</title>
                      <link>http://www.dui.com/dui-library/ohio/news/ohio-state-license-plates</link>
                      <description>More States are creating legislation that could mandate specialized license plates for repeat DWI and DUI offenders</description>
                      <author>Kelly Byrne</author>
                      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jun 2006 11:15:24 -0500</pubDate>
                      
     
        <category>Specialized License Plates</category>
     
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        <![CDATA[<div><img width="200" height="150" style="float: right;" alt="Ohio Yellow Plates" src="resolveuid/c9bdc79a64d9386a2d963c4cf20ebe55" />Over the past several years, no less than four states have attempted to pass legislation that would mandate specialized license plates for repeat driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) convictions in hopes that the plates would increase road safety.&nbsp;There has been much voiced dissent in each state regarding the stigma the plates may generate, however, Ohio&rsquo;s legislation passed the bill proposed in their courts, and since that time, drivers who have been convicted of DWI or DUI twice in a ten year span can be ordered to place yellow license plates on their vehicle &ndash; &ldquo;red-flagging&rdquo; them to police, and to the public.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>The bill in California, Assembly Bill 2099, failed in courts just a few months ago.&nbsp;AB 2099 would have required anyone convicted of DWI or DUI more than once in a 10 year span to purchase red license plates for every vehicle they were registered to operate, and at $250 per plate, legislators worried about some being able to afford the plates.&nbsp;Their concern also surrounded the stigma that would accompany driving with the plates.&nbsp;Some argue that&rsquo;s what the guilty deserve, while others fear for any other family members who will be improperly targeted if driving these red-plated cars.&nbsp;The bill, although many felt was good in theory, was found impractical and the terms overly strenuous, leading to its defeat. &nbsp;</div>
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<div>While California has no legislation allowing for these specialized plates just yet, Minnesota and Georgia have joined Ohio as states that mandate coded or colored plates for repeat offenders.&nbsp;With the increasing popularity of this method to curb drunk driving, it will not be surprising when more states follow suite.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>The most recent bill proposed in New York asks not for red or yellow plates, but rather a code of either letters or numbers, the belief is that the validity of complaints regarding the &ldquo;red-lettering&rdquo; of the public will decrease if the plates look the same with the exception of this DWI or DUI repeat conviction &ldquo;code&rdquo;.&nbsp;The guidelines stating who is required to attach these plates are also more lenient than the bill proposed in California.&nbsp;The bill in New York asks that someone convicted three or more times in a five year span be required to wear the plates.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Regardless of those state legislatures that have not passed the proposed DWI and DUI plate bills, their popularity, whether liked or disliked, is on the rise and states across the nation will certainly be meeting them with ever increasing frequency.&nbsp;</div>]]>
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