Results tagged “florida” from DUI Lawyers & Attorneys News

This week, a Florida jury in Escambia County found 41 year old Donald Buffkin guilty of DUI manslaughter.  Two years ago, Buffkin's wife died while riding as a passenger in her husband's car.  Buffkin was impaired at the time of the accident.

The accident occurred on April 10th and led to Buffkin being charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving with a suspended license.  Buffkin's wife, Gari Ann, had been married to her husband four years when she died while riding in his car.

According to police reports, the 41 year old had been driving on Mobile Highway when he lost control of his vehicle, ejecting his wife from the car.  Gari Ann never made it to the hospital because she died at the scene of the accident after suffering serious injuries.  When police arrived at the scene, they administered a breath test, which revealed that Buffkin's BAC (blood alcohol concentration) was .115%.

Buffkin will be sentenced on March 5, 2010.  He faces up to 15 years imprisonment for his wife's death.  Prosecutors say that he may be subjected to enhanced sentencing because he violated his probation for another criminal offense by driving under the influence (DUI).

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Dunedin, Florida -- local news sources are reporting that a Sheriff's Deputy from Pinellas county was recently charged with driving under the influence (DUI) after causing a collision.

Reports filed with the sheriff's office state that Wade Nordby, who is 41 years of age, happened to be off duty when the incident occurred on Tuesday.  During the morning hours, Nordby crashed his motor vehicle into a concrete barrier, which led to his vehicle rolling over.  A passenger that had been riding with Nordby sustained minor injuries during the accident.

When police arrived at the scene of the collision, they noticed that Nordgy was staggering and that he reeked of alcohol.  They asked Nordby to take a breath alcohol test and his BAC was .166%, more than twice the state's legal limit of 0.08%.

After he failed the breath test, Nordby was arrested by officers for DUI and later released on $250 bail.  The sheriff's office told reporters that it has plans to conduct an internal investigation in the near future.

If you have been charged with Florida DUI, click here to locate a DUI defense attorney in your county.

In Orlando, Florida, a woman by the name of Denise Rutledge appeared at a local jail in Flagler Beach and requested a conjugal visit.  Instead of allowing the visit, police arrested the 45 year old for DUI (driving under the influence).

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Rutledge had made a visitation appointment with an inmate at the jail.  However, the jail does not allow conjugal visits.  Additionally, Rutledge showed up past her appointment time, so she was turned down by the jail's staff.

Once turned down, Rutledge drove away from the jail only to reappear a second time to gain admittance.  The second time she appeared, officers arrested her after she failed field sobriety tests and provided a blood alcohol sample.  Her result was .256%.  The state's legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08%.

After her arrest, Rutledge posted $500 bail and was released from police custody.

Charged with DUI in Florida?  If so, click here to find a DUI defense attorney who can adivse you of your rights!

In Port Richey, Florida, a mother by the name of Lena K. Maki was stopped by police after dropping her 11 year old daughter off at Chasco Elementary School on Monday.  Police say that when they stopped Maki, she was under the influence of a controlled substance and had been DUI with her child.

While driving her daughter, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol say that Maki hit another car as she pulled up to the school.  Instead of stopping, she ran onto the curb and then hit a nearby fence.  She then proceeded to drive away from the scene of the accident.

Luckily, another driver blocked her car from driving off. 

Florida Highway Patrol charged the mother with DUI related crimes, including leaving the scene of an accident and child neglect after she failed the administered field sobriety tests.

Maki was able to post bail on Monday evening.  Police say that no one was injured during the accident.

If you have been charged with driving under the influence or a related offense, click here to find a DUI defense lawyer who can help!

In Ocala, Florida, it is being reported that a local woman was stopped by police for driving under the influence (DUI) and then arrested.  Oddly, the woman was arrested and charged with DUI two times in three days time.

According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, 43 year old Samantha Stilwell was first arrested for the first time this past Saturday.  She was booked, placed in jail, charged with DUI and then released.

On Monday, the same deputy that had stopped Stilwell on Saturday noticed that she was driving erratically again.  He pulled her over and asked her to perform field sobriety tests and take a breath test.  She failed both.  In fact, her breath test result was two times the state's legal limit of 0.08%.  She was charged with DUI for the second time and released from police custody later that day.

The deputy claims that both times, Stilwell was driving in her pajamas with no shoes.

Charged with DUI in Florida?  Click here to find a skilled DUI defense lawyer!

Davenport, Florida - a man in Polk County was recently charged with 3 counts of DUI manslaughter after causing a car accident that killed 3 people.   The victims included a pregnant mother and her 11 month-old child.

According to local law enforcement, 21 year old William Garret Coe was charged with DUI manslaughter after his toxicology results were released.  His tests result showed that he was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident.  Coe was formally charged with manslaughter, one count of marijuana possession and one count possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Police say that no one in the car was wearing seatbelts and that Coe sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The victims were 22 year old Eduardo Lopez, 17 year old Lucero Tijerno and her infant daughter.  Tijerno was just 5 months pregnant. 

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to find a skilled DUI defense lawyer!

According to the Associated Press, a man in Ocala, Florida was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) today.  The man, 45 year old J. Dante Krauss, was spotted by police while riding naked on his motorcycle in Marion County on Interstate 75.  The deputy that made the arrest could not believe his eyes when he saw Krauss cruising by.  He followed Krauss until they reached a red light and then pulled him over for suspicion of DUI.

Captain Mike Rolls said that when he questioned Krauss, Krauss had no idea where he had been or where he was heading.  Rolls asked Krauss if he had consumed alcohol and he admitted that he had been drinking.  Krauss submitted to a breath alcohol test and had a result that was higher than 0.08%, the state's legal limit.

Rolls charged Krauss with DUI shortly after.  It is the fifth time the 45 year old has been charged with driving under the influence.  After his arrest, Krauss was released from jail on $20,000 bail. 

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to find a DUI defense lawyer!

Cleveland Browns' wide receiver, Donte Stallworth, has been suspended for the remainder of the 2009 National Football League season.  28 year old Stallworth was placed on suspension after he killed a pedestrian while driving drunk.  Rager Goodell, NFL Commissioner, told Stallworth that he would not be allowed to play this season and would not receive any pay because he violated the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policies for his criminal acts.

In a letter to Stallworth, Goodell wrote, "There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family."

On March 14tth, Stallworth was drinking at a hotel bar near Miami Beach.  He then decided to drive his Bentley while under the influence of alcohol.  That day, he crashed into and killed 59 year old Mario Reyes, a Florida construction worker.  When police arrived, they performed a breath test on Stallworth, who had a blood alcohol concentration of .126.  In the state of Florida, the legal limit is 0.08.

This June, Stallworth pled guilty to manslaughter while driving under the influence.  He was sentenced with 30 days of jail time, 2 years house arrest, 8 years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. 

If you have been charged with DUI in Miami, click here to find a Florida DUI defense attorney!

In Cape Coral, Florida, police are reporting that a heated argument between a boyfriend and a girlfriend led to the DUI and battery charges on July 22nd.

According to police reports, 19 year old Brecken Elizabeth Boyd was arrested for driving under the influence and misdemeanor battery.  Police say that witnesses noticed Boyd and her boyfriend were arguing outside of Leapin Lizard Bar & Grille.  The witnesses called police as the argument became more incensed. 

Boyd's boyfriend, 21 year old Ryan Kracczon, told police when they arrived at the scene that Boyd was giving him a ride to Fort Myers Beach when they suddenly got into a serious argument.  Boyd, who was very upset, stopped her vehicle and asked Kraczon to get out.  When he exited her vehicle, she continued to fight with him and then began to slap and bite him repeatedly in the face.  Kraczon said he had been walking away from his girlfriend when police found him.

Police suspected that the girlfriend was under the influence when they smelled, "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Boyd."  After she failed the field sobriety tests, officers placed her under arrest for DUI and battery.  She is currently being held in Lee County jail in lieu of bail, which was set at $8,500.

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According to police in Manatee County, a 70 year old woman by the name of Carol Jean May was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) for the 7th time.  Police arrested the woman outside of DeSoto Square mall after finding her passed out in her car.  Since 1971, the 70 year old has been charged with driving under the influence on 7 separate occasions.

Police say that when they noticed May in her vehicle, she was sleeping.  They approached the vehicle to wake May up and immediately noticed that her vehicle smelled of alcohol.   Once they woke May up, she was unable to stand on her own and also reeked of alcohol.  Police then looked up her record and discovered that she had 6 prior DUI arrests and 5 DUI convictions.  In 2002, her driver's license had been suspended by a Florida judge.

May was placed under arrest and escorted to the Manatee County jail.  There, she said she would not perform the required breath alcohol test because her license, "was already suspended for life."  May could barely sit in her chair, which prohibited police from being able to read her Miranda Rights to her.  Yesterday, a judge ordered for May to be held on an $80,000 bond. 

Court records reveal that May was arrested in 1971, 1973, 1976, 1978, two times in 1998 and once in 2002.  In 1998, May had to serve two months of jail time and was ordered to pay over $2,000 in fines.

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In Spring Hill, Florida, police are reporting that a woman bared her chest to officers after they stopped her for DUI.  She also bared her chest to a suspect who had crashed head-on into a car that had been parked. 

The story began when one of the police department's deputies was asked to investigate multiple reports of reckless driving by the intersection of Cortex Boulevard and Commercial Way.  When the deputy arrived at the scene, he noticed that traffic had been traveling around a black Mercedes which was parked in the middle of the intersection.  As the deputy stepped out of his vehicle,  he noticed that the Mercedes was in reverse gear.

The deputy yelled for the driver to "stop", but the Mercedes continued in reverse and crashed into the officer's front bumper.  The Mercedes driver, 49 year old Tina Lopez, then stepped out of the vehicle and proceeded to grab the deputy's arm many times so that she could maintain her balance. 

Aside from being unbalanced, Lopez showed other signs of being under the influence, so she was asked to perform field sobriety tests.  She failed each test and was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI.  The deputy was waiting for back up when Lopez proceeded to show her chest. 

After back up arrived, Lopez was taken to county jail and was charged with DUI and property damage - DUI.  She had a blood alcohol concentration of .111%, which is much higher than the state's legal limit of .08%.

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to find a skilled DUI defense attorney!

In Boynton Beach, Florida - a woman by the name of Michele Ammirato was arrested by police in September for driving under the influence (DUI).  Recently, police charged Ammirato with both DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. 

Serious criminal charges were brought against Ammirato because while she was driving drunk in September, she struck an 87 year old woman named Patricia Servant with her Kia.  Servant died shortly after being hit.  She was trying to cross the 2600 block of Federal Highway when Ammirato crashed into her.

According to Boynton Beach police reports, Ammirato was driving with a suspended license and when she struck Servant, she did not stop to see if the elderly woman was harmed. 

Additionally, toxicology reports reveal that Ammirato was also driving under the influence of cocaine when the accident occurred. 

At this time, Ammirato remains in police custody at the Palm Beach County jail.  Further court proceedings have been set for a later date and time.

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to find a DUI defense attorney!

The Associated Press is reporting that Rod Owens, the receiver for Florida State, was arrested for drunk driving in Tallahassee this weekend. 

Tallahassee law enforcement say that Owens was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).  Police spokesman, David McCranie, said that Owens was arrested for DUI after he took a breath alcohol test and his result came in at twice the state's legal limit, which is 0.08%.  Shortly after, 22 year old Owens was arrested, placed in jail and then released later that day.

Several media outlets have tried to contact Owens and his family.  However, calls left with Owens and the Florida State's athletic department were not returned.  A spokesman for the University said that coaches would attend a meeting this Monday to discuss next steps, but do not have any comments on the situation at this time.

The Florida State football team has a reputation for run-ins with law enforcement.  In November of 2008, five other Seminole receivers were suspended for one game after they were involved in a campus brawl.  One of the University's receivers, Preston Parker, was removed from the team in February after being arrested multiple times.
 
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In Tampa, Florida, the head coach for Robinson High School's boys basketball team, Steven H. Smith, was arrested this past Saturday evening and later charged with driving under the influence (DUI).  Aside from coaching the boys' basketball team, 41 year old Smith was also a math teacher at the school. 

On Saturday evening around 11:30 PM, Smith was arrested by Tampa police on Lois Avenue.  Police stopped Smith after they had sufficient suspicion to believe that he was driving while under the influence.  After his arrest, the coach was charged with DUI with property damage or personal injury.  He was released from jail after paying his bail of $500. 

According to the school's spokeswoman, Linda Cobbe, Smith will not face any form of disciplinarian action from the school.  She stated, "There won't be any discipline at the school level because it wasn't school related...It's a misdemeanor. He followed the law by notifying his school in 24 hours."

Smith was hired to work at Robinson High School in 1998 and he is currently the president of the Tampa Bay Basketball Coaches Association.  He is expected to return to coaching the school's basketball team this Wednesday, just in time for the team's next big game.  Calls were made to Smith by local news sources, but he was unavailable to make any comments regarding his DUI arrest and charges.

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This past Tuesday in Spring Hill, Florida, a woman was placed under arrest by local law enforcement for driving under the influence (DUI) after she ran her minivan into the back of a school bus.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 45 year old Patricia Kluge was stopped by police after crashing her vehicle into the bus.  Police asked her to take a breath alcohol test, which revealed that her blood alcohol concentration was .242% at the time of the accident.  Kluge hit a Hernando County school bus during the afternoon hours and it is reported that the bus did not have any students on board.  However, the bus driver and an adult passenger incurred minor injuries from the crash. 

Kluge was uninjured but she did resist arrest and struggled with police.  She allegedly head-butted two officers before they were able to handcuff her. 

Kluge was charged with DUI and resisting arrest with violence.  Her bail has been set at $22,000. 

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to locate a skilled DUI defense attorney!

In Florida, a Sarasota man was recently arrested for driving intoxicated after he made a sharp turn and collided with a motorcyclist.  The motorcyclist, 19 year old Nikolas A. Reek, recently died in the hospital from the injuries he incurred during the DUI accident.  Now, DUI offender Adam J. Betancourt is facing both vehicular manslaughter and DUI charges.

Family members of Reek report that the young man died at 11:15 A.M. this past Thursday.  Reek had been on life support since the crash, which took place last Wednesday afternoon.

According to Florida High Patrol trooper, 43 year old Betancourt made a left turn in his Toyota Camry in front of Reek on U.S. 41.  The two vehicles crashed into one another and Reek was thrown off of his 2004 Suzuki motorcycle.

When troopers arrived at the scene of the accident, they found Betancourt nodding off in his car.  The FHP also reports that when they searched Betancourt's motor vehicle, they found 102 Oxycodone and 15 Hydromorphone.

Police arrested and charged Betancourt with DUI manslaughter, DUI serious bodily injury, two counts of DUI property damage, driving with a suspended causing death and no proof of insurance.  He also received a citation for making an illegal left turn.

Betancourt is currently being held in Manatee County jail without bail. 

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to find a skilled DUI defense lawyer!

According to Ocala.com - a 47 year old Silver Springs, FL man was arrested yesterday night for numerous criminal charges including third-offense DUI.  The man, Gary C. Schoen, was arrested after a Sheriff's Deputy pulled him over on East State Road.

The Sheriff's office report indicates that Mr. Schoen failed the field sobriety tests he was asked to perform.  He also requested that the Deputy give him a break because he was currently on probation. 

The Deputy found five and a half pills in an unmarked yellow prescription bottle in Schoen's 1998 Ford pickup.  When asked what the pills were, Schoen claimed they were Xanax. 

Shortly after, he was charged with driving under the influence, possession of Xanax without a prescription and violation of probation for false imprisonment. 

The Deputy who arrested Schoen was recently given an award from Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD) for making 100 arrests this past year.  He also received the award last year when he made 108 DUI arrests.

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Constance S. Saikaley, a 46 year old Sarasota, Florida woman is facing a felony vehicular manslaughter charge along with DUI (driving under the influence) charges.  Reports indicate that Saikaley struck her fiancee with her motor vehicle after leaving a Florida bar this past Wednesday night.  The man died this Thursday while in the hospital.

Sarasota police have charged Constance Saikaley with five counts of driving under the influence along with DUI related property damage.  Police report that the accident occurred at approximately 10:45 PM outside of Shakespeare's English Pub.  Saikaley backed her car out of the bar's parking lot and hit a parked car.  Instead of stopping, she continued to back up her car.  That is when she hit 55 year old James Halpin, who was pushed into another vehicle after being hit. 

Mr. Halpin fell onto the pavement after being struck and hit his head.  Still, even after hitting Mr. Halpin, Saikaley continued to drive, striking four other vehicles.  People who saw the accident occur report that Saikaley saw Mr. Halpin and told him, while he was unconscious, "that he was faking it and to get up.'

Prior to leaving Shakespeare's English Pub, bartenders and waitresses report that Saikaley and Mr. Halpin were drinking together at the pub.  A receipt from their evening together reveals that the couple, who were engaged, ordered five glasses of wine and a beer. 

Halpin suffered catastrophic brain injuries after hitting the pavement and was rushed to a local hospital.  On Thursday at 3:05 PM, he was taken off of life support and died shortly after. 

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In Venice, Florida it is being reported that a sheriff's deputy was recently charged with driving under the influence (DUI).  The deputy was charged after an off-duty deputy called 911 on her way home from work to report that she noticed a man was driving erratically and also speeding.

The DUI offender, 28 year old Deputy Shawn J. Lally was arrested this past Saturday at approximately 11:30 P.M.  Prior to his DUI arrest, Deputy Lally refused to take a breath alcohol test and also refused to perform a series of field sobriety tests.

Law enforcement is reporting that Lally was driving 100 miles per hour on Interstate 75. 

Before being apprehended by Florida police, the deputy nearly crashed into another car before exiting on Jacaranda Boulevard.  Unfortunately for Lally, the driver that was behind the wheel of the car that he almost struck was the very same deputy who called 911.  As she called 911 for help, the female deputy watched as Lally sped off and swerved his motor vehicle across two traffic lance.

When police finally caught Lally, he said that he was on his way home from a wedding and that he had not consumed any alcohol.

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to locate a DUI defense lawyer near you!