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DUI Library: Washington
DUI in Seattle for 'Deadliest Catch' Fisherman
Jake Harris arrested for drunk driving in Washington.
Jake Harris, star of 'Deadliest Catch', was arrested for driving under the influence in Seattle Washington around 9:00 pm last Thursday. Harris reportedly struck the rear of another vehicle with a 3-Series BMW and fled the scene. A report of an erratic driver in Shoreline allowed a Washington State Patrol aircraft to spot the vehicle and direct troopers to it.
Harris failed a field sobriety test and refused to have his blood alcohol content tested. He was booked at the King County Jail for DUI in Washington, driving with a suspended license and additional traffic offenses.
Jake Harris, 24, is the son of Captain Phil Harris who suffered a stroke and died less than two weeks ago. The BMW is registered to the late, elder Harris. Jake and his brother Joshua are deckhands on the crab fishing vessel 'Cornelia Marie' on the Discovery Channel show.
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Police Officer Charged with Washington DUI
Sergeant left accident scene while suspected of driving drunk.
On Wednesday evening, a sergeant with the Spokane Police Department was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington. Sgt. Brad Thoma is accused of causing a minor accident and then fleeing the scene before Washington State Patrol troopers arrived.
Thoma reportedly rear-ended another vehicle at low speed as traffic slowed for a red light. He then drove on before stopping in a parking lot, where he was met by authorities. A breath test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .17%, more than twice the legal limit for intoxication.
Thoma, who is one of Spokane's most productive patrol sergeants, appeared in District Court Thursday and entered a plea of not guilty to DUI in Washington. He has been placed on administrative leave with pay until his court date in November. It is Thoma's first offense for suspected DUI in WA. The Spokane County prosecutor's office is also considering filing charges of hit-and-run.
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Special Patrols Nail 35 for Washington DUI
Emphasis patrols target drunk driving in Seattle Tacoma area.
Law enforcement agencies in Pierce and Kitsap combined to conduct special saturation patrols targeting motorists suspected of driving under the influence in Washington. Fifty extra officers on patrol led to 35 WA DUI arrests last Saturday night. A spokesperson felt that even more arrests could have been made because manpower had to be diverted to two wrecks with fatalities.
The special emphasis patrols are part of the statewide anti-DUI initiative called ‘Drive Hammered, Get Nailed’. The patrols initiated a total of 439 traffic stops on Saturday. A spokesperson said that the patrols would be rolling again in force next weekend, focusing on areas with statistically high numbers of Washington drunk driving arrests and serious accidents. The 26 officers on the detail include three who have been specially trained to test drivers for drug impairment.
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Arrests Up for Boating Under the Influence During Seattle Water Event
Arrests for BUI up substantially during Seafair weekend.
Law enforcement officials issued 110 violations for boating under the influence in Washington during the recent Seafair weekend. That number reflects a 23 percent increase over the number of Seattle BUI arrests made during last year's event.
Seattle area police departments conducted special patrols on Lake Washington and Lake Union over the weekend. In addition to looking for potentially drunk boat operators, the officers stopping boats for having too many passengers and for violating 'no wake' zones. Most offenders were cited and released. One boater however was jailed after being charged with two WA BUI offenses, one on Friday and another on Sunday.
In addition, 50 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence in King County during the weekend.
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Seattle Officer Who Shot DUI Attorney Charged with Washington DUI
Officer shot the attorney in 2006 and then sued the victim.
Zsolt Dornay with the Seattle Police Department was arrested last month for suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington. He and his younger brother were stopped by Washington State Patrol in Ocean Shores for going 49 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone on his motorcycle. The two men admitted they had been drinking. When the older Dornay submitted to a breath test he registered 0.149% and then 0.172% blood alcohol content, and he was booked for WA DUI.
Dornay has been placed on administrative leave while the Seattle Police Department conducts an internal investigation.
In 2006, Zsolt Dornay shot an unarmed Seattle DUI defense attorney. Dornay was involved with an altercation with a woman who took umbrage to the off-duty officer riding his motorcycle through a crowd of people outside a pub. That escalated into a brawl with several men upon which Dornay fired several shots from his .40 caliber Glock, hitting the uninvolved lawyer. When sued for assault, Dornay countersued the victim claiming it was simply to protect his legal position and that he had little interest in pursuing legal action. King County prosecutors eventually decided Dornay was justified in firing his weapon and no additional action was taken against the officer.
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King County Assessor Investigated for Washington DUI
Scott Noble suspected of drunk driving south of Seattle.
Scott Noble, the King County Assessor, is under investigation for driving under the influence in Washington and vehicular assault. In mid-January around 2:00 am, the 58-year old allegedly caused a head-on collision on Interstate 5 near Auburn by making a u-turn and heading south in the northbound lanes. Noble and the two occupants of the other vehicle were injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Witnesses say that Noble was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic prior to the accident. They then saw him pull over to the right shoulder and make a quick u-turn. Law enforcement arriving at the accident scene advised Noble that he was to be booked on suspicion of DUI in Washington and vehicular assault. Police say that Noble's identity was not immediately evident because his driver’s license uses his legal name 'Russell S. Noble'. When the prominent elected official was identified, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office turned the case over to the Washington Attorney General's office. A spokesperson for the state AG office confirmed that the office was conducting an investigation.
Noble has not answered inquiries. His Washington DUI defense lawyer has acknowledged that his client was involved in an accident and that there was an open investigation. The driver of the other vehicle said her SUV was destroyed though she said she and her passenger were lucky to be alive. They both suffered broken bones.
Noble was first elected King County assessor in 1992 and he is currently serving his fifth term. The retired Navy officer is described as having a "call 'em as I see 'em" personality. He has implemented cost-effective measures and technology improvements that have earned the Department of Assessments a positive reputation.
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State Troopers Make 125 Washington DUI Arrests Super Bowl Sunday
Extra patrols were in place looking for motorists suspected of drunk driving.
State Patrol troopers charged a total of 125 motorists with suspicion of driving under the influence in Washington during the Super Bowl. A crackdown on Washington drunk driving was conducted Sunday into early Monday morning.
The region to record the highest number of drunk driving arrests was the area that includes Whatcom County, where there were 27 arrests. Second was the Seattle area with 23 arrests.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the previous weekend there were 75 Washington DUI arrests. In 2006, when the Seattle Seahawks were in the NFL title game, 128 DUI arrests were made statewide.
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Ignition Interlocks Now an Option Following Washington DUI
WA DUI offenders can get special drivers licenses if they install ignition interlock devices.
Starting January 1, 2009 those convicted of driving under the influence in Washington will have the option of retaining their driving privileges if they install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. A new type of driver’s license was created to address concerns about motorists driving with a suspended license following a DUI arrest.
The 'ignition interlock license' allows DUI offenders to drive legally to work, school or child care while their regular license has been suspended. The motorists are required to breathe into a device that disables the vehicle when alcohol is detected. The intent is to offer an option for those who need to drive, while still providing for public safety.
According to Washington DUI law, a conviction for drunk driving can lead to the suspension of a driver’s license for 90 days to four years, depending on the driver’s record and specifics of the DUI arrest. The license suspension is part of a separate civil case, so defendants can see the criminal charges reduced or dismissed and still lose their licenses. That has often led motorists to drive illegally. Statistics show that 75-85% of those with suspended licenses continue to drive.
The legislators who drafted the special license bill thought limited driving privileges coupled with the mandatory installation an interlock device was a good balance. A State Patrol spokesperson expressed hope that the program would help those who really wanted to avoid another incident of drunk driving in Washington. Those who had their licenses suspended because they refused to submit to a breath test to check for blood alcohol content during an arrest for Washington DUI are also eligible to enroll in the new program. Motorists convicted of vehicular assault or vehicular homicide in the past seven years are not eligible.
By requesting the special license and interlock installation, defendants waive their right to appeal their license suspension and must provide documentation of insurance. There is a fee of $120, part of which goes to a fund for low-income clients. There is a monthly fee of $65-75 for the ignition interlock device. The device is usually required for the duration of the regular license suspension, though it can be mandated for up to 10 years.
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Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Charged with Washington DUI
On-duty officer found intoxicated after reporting for work at Jefferson County Sherriff's Department.
Deputy Brian M. Post arrived for work at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department around 8:00 am, and shortly after a patrol sergeant suspected he might be intoxicated. He was suspended and taken home.
A preliminary investigation determined that Post had driven to work in his patrol car, so the evidence was forwarded to the prosecutor's office and Post was charged with drunk driving in Washington.
No final action has been determined following the internal investigation though, in addition to DUI, Post faces charges of reporting to duty while intoxicated, violating sheriff's department rules of conduct, bringing discredit to the sheriff's office and disobeying sheriff's office rules. Post, 45 could be fired for the incident. He is a seven-and-a-half-year veteran with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Prior to that, he was employed by the Lynwood Police Department.
If you have been accused of drinking and driving in Washington you will need to hire a Washington DUI Lawyer.
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Breath Tests Barred in Seattle DUI Cases
Ruling over accuracy of equipment affects Washington DUI cases.
A four-judge Seattle Court has ruled that breath test evidence gathered during arrests for drunk driving in Washington will not be admissible during trial. The ruling impacts hundreds of Seattle DUI cases before the city’s Municipal Court.
The judges decided to bar all breath test results taken before December 18, 2007 due to problems at the state toxicology lab. Last year the lab was found to be incorrectly calibrating equipment, resulting in false blood-alcohol content readings. In addition, software errors led to equipment inaccuracies.
Whereas the lab has reportedly addressed the errors, the judges determined that convictions for drunk driving in Seattle going back over three years may have been based on inaccurate evidence. More recent Seattle DUI cases could also be impacted as Washington DUI defense lawyers raise lingering questions about procedures at the lab.
In the ruling, the judges indicated they wanted drunk drivers off the road, but it was only fair that it be done with good evidence. The decision could mean that people already found guilty of driving under the influence in Seattle could appeal their cases. The Seattle City Attorney estimated that only a small percentage of cases would be overturned, citing additional evidence of intoxication that contributed to the conviction.
In addition to the Seattle municipal court, the courts in King County, Snohomish County, Jefferson County and Mason County Washington have barred breath test results. In the most extreme decision, some courts have banned all breath test evidence in Washington DUI cases until the state lab could demonstrate that all of its problems have been remedied.
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