Massachusetts Principal Stephen Gross Gets Jail For 3rd DUI
Stephen Gross, a former principal with Robinson Middle School in Lowell, Massachusetts, was found guilty of a third drunken driving offense and sentenced to serve 18 months in prison. Gross was convicted Wednesday February 20, 2013 and found guilty of Operating Under the Influence, which is a similar offense to DUI in Massachusetts, as well an open-container violation. Gross will also lose his driver’s license for 8 years and was originally sentenced to serve 2 1/2 years in jail, but the balance was suspended for 3 years while he is on probation. Gross has been replaced since being placed on administrative leave after being arrested in September 2011 by Mirrimac police and according to Superintendent Jean Franco, his contract was not renewed. Gross was arrested after police responded to a call from someone at a local barbershop claiming to have seen a man getting out of his vehicle and dropping a bottle of whiskey.
When police arrived at the scene, Gross was just returning to his Camry with some items he purchased at Francesca’s variety store. When they approached Gross, officers noticed several symptoms of alcohol intoxication such as red, glassy eyes and an odor of alcohol on Gross’s breath. Gross agreed to let an officer retrieve his wallet from the center console of the Camry and that is when the officer found a half full plastic cup of whiskey, a half full bottle of whiskey as well as a bottle of ginger ale on the passenger side floor. Officers then placed Stephen Gross under arrest and asked him to submit a breathalyzer test, which showed his blood alcohol content (BAC) level to be .13%, almost double the .08% legal limit. Police continued to search Gross’s vehicle and found a duffel bag with four more bottles of Jim Beam whiskey. Gross’s defense attorney argued that there was no probable cause to arrest his client since he didn’t appear intoxicated and was not behind the wheel or driving erratically. Gross has been convicted of drunken driving before, once in 1991 and again in 2000.
If you have been arrested for driving drunk, contact an experienced and skilled Massachusetts DUI attorney for legal assistance.
