Repeat drunk drivers, a growing menace?

On a recent Friday night in Palm Beach County, the Contact 5 Investigators found a driver confused, his Lexus bruised after deputies say alcohol led him to cross over the median and take down a street pole.

It's a scene that has become all too normal in Florida, because DUI crashes have become all too common.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, last year drunk drivers caused upwards of 50 crashes per day in the Sunshine State and killed nearly one thousand people.

It's a problem that is dangerous, deadly, and all too often, repeated.

"It's not fair and it shouldn't be," said Duane Jacobetti. He and his wife, Tina, know what repeat drunk drivers are capable of.

But, they could never imagine their only child would fall victim to one.

"I miss her so much. I never would have thought she'd be one of those statistics," said Tina.

16-year-old Jessica Smith was a popular cheerleader at South Fork High in Martin County when she crossed paths, this summer, with a repeat drunk driver. The driver, 58 year old David Whelan, was driving the wrong way on US-1 In Hobe Sound.

Tina had gone out looking for her daughter, when she found her.

"I see this accident scene with this truck but I really didn't think it was her truck so I pulled over. I talked to the officer and he's like 'what's your daughters name?' Then he said 'come here.' That's when I knew it was her. I thought maybe she was just hurt. He showed me her picture and then I see this purse her boyfriend got her for her birthday in April and I knew it was her," explained Tina.

Jessica died upon impact that June 23rd. So did her killer, 58-year-old Whelan. According to the Florida Highway Patrol crash report, Whelan's blood alcohol level that night measured nearly four times the legal limit.

But as more details about Whelan's past started to surface after the crash, the Jacobetti's grief turned to rage.

"This guy should never have been on the road that night," said Duane.

David Whelan had a history of alcohol problems. He had been arrested more than 40 times on various charges, most alcohol related.

The night he crashed head on into Jessica, Whelan had been convicted of three DUIs and his license had been suspended for the fifth time.

"Other than, literally, putting someone in jail, there's very little we can do to prevent them from getting back in the car. We can't, literally, hold everyone's keys," explains Nelson Baez, an Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County, where Whelan lived.

The State Attorney's office failed to prosecute Whelan three times last year when he was arrested, again, for driving under the influence and, once again, for driving with a suspended license.

The Contact 5 Investigators asked Baez why the state never pursued charges against Whelan for those arrests.

"I have nothing to say, specifically, about David Whelan's situation," Baez said, further explaining his office doesn't comment on individual cases.

But while the State Attorney's office isn't talking about the Whelan case, Palm Beach County Judge Barry Cohen, is.

"No one likes to say this, but no system is perfect. The criminal justice system cannot provide 100% public safety," Judge Cohen said.

Cohen signed a warrant for Whelan's arrest, issued just two weeks before the deadly crash. The warrant was issued after Whelan consistently violated the terms of his release from a 2009 DUI conviction.

But even though a warrant had been issued for Whelan's arrest on June 9th, warrant cops couldn't catch up with him before the crash on June 23rd.

"An attempt was made at his home address, but he wasn't there. Whelan was one of those offenders who had had multiple addresses, he had 8 different addresses on file from various encounters with law enforcement, " explained Lt. Chris Keane of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office warrant division.

But Judge Cohen explains Whelan's case is an unfortunate reality of a criminal justice system overloaded by cases, grossly underfunded and understaffed.

"When you look at volume, it's a miracle people get out of the courtroom at all and anything gets done," he said.

"Was this a system failure?" asked the Contact 5 Investigators.

"Well, obviously an innocent young woman is dead. She was killed by a guy who's got a record and she was killed by a guy driving under suspension, who was on probation for DUI. Um, I'm not prepared to say the system failed this victim," he said.

"Are you prepared to say the system worked," asked Contact 5 Investigator, Katie LaGrone.

Judge Cohen replied, "No, not at all."

Nearly 4 months after the crash, Jessica's memory remains where she died. A roadside memorial on US-1 in Hobe Sound is covered with messages from friends and family.

But her parents continue to ask questions, knowing the man who killed their only child, should never have been driving behind the wheel to begin with.

"How could this guy have gotten away with so much?

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Making DUI History, One Bar at a Time

Unfortunately, drunk driving is one of the greatest problems society faces today. Children are warned repeatedly that drinking and driving is bad, even before driving is even really a thought in their minds. Everyone knows you shouldn’t get behind the wheel of a vehicle, and yet it seems like you can’t even blink without seeing another story on the news or in the papers about some tragedy or another caused by someone doing just that.

It seems like everything that can be done has been. Preventative education hammers it into kids’ heads that drinking and driving is bad long before they’re even remotely old enough to even think about doing either thing. Legislation has enacted stiff penalties for people who get DUIs or DWIs: liscense suspensions, fines, even jail time. Organizations like MADD have turned drunk driving into almost a demonic specter hanging over everyone’s heads in terms of social stigma. What else can be
done?

Not much. However, there is one option that remains virtually unconsidered. It’s easy, simple, and law enforcement already makes extensive use of it during their DUI and DWI stops. The breathalyzer is standard equipment for many police officers because you get quick, accurate results. However, outside of the law enforcement field, breathalyzers are exceedingly rare.

The Alcobuddy is a product made to change all of that. It is a wall-mounted breathalyzer machine intended for installation in bars and other venues that serve a lot of alcohol, like nightclubs and vineyards. The Alcobuddy is mounted at eye-level and has an attention-grabbing design to arouse the curiosity of bar patrons — which is, of course, the first step towards encouraging use. Once Average Joe is curious enough to go and inspect the Alcobuddy, he’ll find the digital video screen that will guide him through the quick and easy process of testing his blood-alcohol levels. For the bar owner, a great feature the Alcobuddy is its adaptability. The Alcobuddy can be reprogrammed for any language or languages (it can be bilingual) and any currency, and it can be altered to accept credit cards as opposed
to cash.

The most important thing about the Alcobuddy, though, is that it can, and will do a lot to deter drunk drivers. If you know exactly – within .01 units – just how drunk you really are, you’re probably not going to be able to convince yourself that you’re only “buzzed” and are therefore fine to drive home. This device can literally help save lives – not many other gadgets sold to bars can make that claim.

If you’re still unsure of the uses of the Alcobuddy, the website (www.alcobuddy.com) has a long list of the features the Alcobuddy possesses to the advantage of the bar owner, as well as testimonials as to its usefulness. Give it a shot; you won’t regret at least looking.

Study Suggests Lowering DUI Limit

Drinking and driving is notoriously known for being dangerous, but it turns out that imbibing even one drink can seriously impair a driver.

University of California sociologist David Phillips and coauthor Kimberly M. Brewer found that blood-alcohol levels below the legal limit of 0.08 percent are still associated with injury and death-related vehicle accidents. The UC San Diego study, published in the journal “Addiction,” displayed that as little as one drink can impair a driver enough to cause a fatal or severe accident.

Phillips and Brewer looked at data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which includes information on all U.S. people involved in fatal car accidents. They examined the ratio of severe injuries to minor ones.

The data set had nearly 1.5 million people between 1994 and 2008. It covered all times of day accidents were reported and the blood-alcohol content of those involved by increments of 0.01 percent.

"Accidents are 36.6 percent more severe even when alcohol was barely detectable in a driver's blood," Phillips said.

Even with a BAC as low as 0.01, Phillips and Brewer discovered there are 4.33 serious injuries for every non-serious injury versus 3.17 for sober drivers.

"Compared with sober drivers, buzzed drivers are more likely to speed, more likely to be improperly seat-belted and more likely to drive the striking vehicle, all of which are associated with greater severity,” Phillips said.

The severity of the accident also seems to increase with BAC. Phillips and Brewer found that higher BAC correlated directly with increased average speed of the driver.

The findings persist even when such potentially confounding variables as inattention and fatigue are excluded from the analysis.

Eloisa Orozco, executive director of San Diego’s Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, said the study brings up a lot of points about drinking and driving.

“If you’re going to drink at all, don’t drive,” she said. “When in doubt, have a designated driver, it’s the best way.”

Phillips said he hopes this study will shed light to lawmakers regarding drinking.

"We hope that our study might influence not only U.S. legislators, but also foreign legislators, in providing empirical evidence for lowering the legal BAC even more," Phillips said. "Doing so is very likely to reduce incapacitating injuries and to save lives."

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Romeoville PD Among Top 100 for Handing Out DUIs

As we head into one of the most dangerous times of year for drunk driving—the Fourth of July—a survey ranks the Romeoville Police Department 75th in the state for arrests for driving under the influence (DUI). That’s out of nearly 700 departments that participated in the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists’ (AAIM) 21st annual DUI survey. The anti-drunk-driving organization released the results of the survey Tuesday.

Romeoville reported 99 DUI arrests in 2010, ranking 75th among the reporting departments and tying with the Woodridge and Rosement police departments. The Rockford Police Department was ranked No. 1 with 727 arrests, and Naperville Police handed out the second-highest number of DUI citations in the state, dishing out 671 DUI arrests in 2010.

The department rankings factor in only the number of DUIs handed out in that year and do not account for population or number of sworn officers.

However, according to the survey, Romeoville police average 1.57 DUIs per officer, compared with Naperville (4.02 per officer), Channahon (4.40), Plainfield (3.12), Minooka (2.75), Lemont (2.45).

Joliet, which ranked #42 with 171 DUI arrests, had a lower rate with .65 DUIs per officer, along with Bolingbrook, which showed 1.42 DUIs per officer, and Yorkville, with 1.35 DUIs per cop.

An earlier AAIM survey shows that in 2009, Romeoville ranked 68th with 118 DIU arrests.

“AAIM is always particularly pleased to announce the increases in impaired driving arrests,” said AAIM board vice president and crash survivor Marti Belluschi in a news release.

“Traffic safety advocates believe that drunk drivers who are arrested are the fortunate ones. In our impaired driving prevention programs, we always remind people that if they are driving drunk they are lucky if it is a cop that stops them, rather than a tree, another car or a small child."

The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists is an Illinois-only citizen activist group founded in 1982 by victims of drunken driving. The Alliance’s mission revolves around prevention, victim advocacy and legislation. A grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation funded the survey.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Flo Rida Released on $2,000 Bail, Allowed to Fly to Bangkok

Flo Rida is out of jail hours after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The rapper behind "Right Round" and "Low" was released on $2,000 bail on Thursday afternoon, June 9. He was covering his face from cameras with a T-shirt when making his exit, TMZ reported.

Despite the incident, Flo will go on with his scheduled performance abroad. His lawyer Christopher Lyons mentioned that the Hip-Hop artist has obtained a signed court order that allows him to travel to Asia for a series of concerts in Bangkok, Thailand over the weekend. He, however, was ordered to return on June 16.

Flo whose real name is Tramar Dillard was arrested for DUI in Miami Beach on Thursday, June 9 morning. He got into more trouble after police found out he was driving his 2008 red and black Bugatti on suspended license for failing to pay a traffic fine. The pop-rapper was taken into custody shortly before 4:00 A.M. ET and charged with both DUI and driving under suspended driver's license.

It was reported that Flo didn't immediately stopped his car when he was signaled to pull over by the police. He swerved several times before pulling the vehicle over near Lennox Avenue. When being told to walk a single line, he allegedly admitted that he had a few drinks and attempted to convince the arresting officer that he was alert enough to drive again. His blood alcohol level, however, was .185, more than twice the legal limit.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Trooper Hit By Drunk Driving Suspect While On Separate DUI Stop

AUBURN, Washington -- A Washington State Patrol trooper was injured when a car struck his parked cruiser on State Route 167 early Saturday morning.

The trooper had stopped a woman at about 3 a.m. just south of 37th Street on SR 167 in Auburn and arrested her on suspicion of DUI, the State Patrol said. While the trooper was parked on the shoulder of the highway and waiting for a tow truck with his emergency lights on, another vehicle drove into the back of his cruiser.

The trooper suffered minor injuries and was taken to Auburn Hospital, the State Patrol said. The woman from the original traffic stop, a 36-year-old from Auburn, and the woman who collided with the police cruiser, a 24-year-old Auburn woman, both suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Both women were arrested on DUI charges.

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Lawmakers send upped drunk driving penalties to gov

TOPEKA, Kan. – Legislators sent Gov. Sam Brownback a mega-bill Thursday upping the penalties for drunk driving and requires convicted drunk drivers to use a device that locks up a car ignition if the driver fails a breathalyzer test.

Other provisions hike the fine for driving drunk by $250 and direct the extra money toward Kansas community corrections agencies. A new statewide database of DUI offenders will ensure those who drive drunk in multiple jurisdictions will face an escalation of penalties rather than first time charges for each occurrence.

Legislators focused on ways to keep drunk drivers off the road, looking heavily to ignition interlock in the new punishments rather than simply license suspension. The technology affixes to a car’s ignition system at a cost to the user of $2.11 per day, and will only allow the vehicle to start if the driver blows a clean breathalyzer test.

“Statistics show 80 percent of people with suspended licenses still drive and they still drive drunk,” said state Rep. Pat Colloton, a Republican from Leawood who sponsored the bill on the House floor. “It’s absolutely recognizing that suspending licenses does not have the effect of putting an interlock in.”

Kansans who currently have suspended licenses can apply to have an ignition interlock installed in their car in exchange for driving privileges. The application will carry a fee of $100, which will also go to community corrections agencies.

Lawmakers hope the extra fees from retroactive ignition interlocks and increased DUI fines will help local corrections agencies who will now have to shoulder the responsibility of increased supervision of offenders. The 2012 budget originally cut funding for the agencies by $2 million. However, $1.5 million was replaced during budget negotiations.

“I believe that how we funded this bill from the state general fund and fines, we’ve come up with a formula that will most appropriately fund community corrections,” said state Rep. Melody McCray-Miller, a Democrat from Wichita and ranking minority member of the Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee.

The Kansas Department of Transportation put forth $2.5 million from its technology fund to pay for the central repository database, which will keep track of all DUI offenders in the state.

“We believe that by funding the central repository, it will reduce deaths and injuries related to DUI crashes which is why we believe it’s so important that it be funded,” said Lindsey Douglas, chief of governmental affairs for KDOT.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will maintain and administer the repository. Each of the 105 counties in Kansas will have to streamline their technology to correlate with the KBI, so there will be an implementation period as local governments get on board.

First time DUI offenders with a clean driving record will now be required to drive with an ignition interlock for six months. But first time DUI offenders with three or more traffic violations will be subject to an interlock for a year. Subsequent DUI convictions carry penalties that increase the interlock requirement time by one year for each offense.

State Rep. Lance Kinzer, a Republican from Olathe was critical of the way the bill allows drivers with five or more DUIs to retain their licenses in some cases with an interlock caveat.

“I too think it’s a mistake to get rid of revocation provisions for those who have shown time and time again they’re going to go through ignition interlock and still have cases where they’re still being allowed to drive and not have their license revoked,” Kinzer said.

Nonetheless, Kinzer supported the legislation, with hopes the lawmakers would revisit the issue next year. The bill received a unanimous 121 to 0 vote in the House. The Senate approved the bill on a 39-0 vote.

The bill is a result of more than two years of work by a legislative the DUI Commission, a panel of lawmakers, public officials and concerned citizens who listened to testimony and brought ideas to put in a final recommendation to the legislature.

Currently all states except Alabama have some sort of ignition interlock requirement for varying levels of DUI convictions according to the National Council of State Legislatures. Kansas previously required interlocks for one year after license reinstatement for second, third, or fourth DUI offenses.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Governor approves tougher DUI penalties

Washington is about to get tougher DUI laws.

Under a bill Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Tuesday, the state will rely heavily on ignition interlock devices, which detect the alcohol in a driver’s breath, to crack down on drinking and driving.

“With this legislation we’ll get enough of these ignition interlock devices into the universe of drunk drivers’ cars to show that it is really one of the best options to reduce the carnage on our highways,” said Rep. Roger Goodman, the primary sponsor of House Bill 1789.

The bill, most of which goes into effect in September, requires more offenders to install ignition interlock devices in an effort to address the problem of pleading down. That happens when prosecutors agree to a reduced sentence for people who have been arrested for a DUI in order to avoid the expense of going to court.

In some cases, that can lead to a conviction for negligent driving, which doesn’t necessarily require that drivers install interlock devices.

Under the new law, all drivers who are convicted of either negligent driving in the first degree or reckless driving and have a DUI conviction within the last seven years will have to get a device.

It also increases a fee that people who are arrested for drunk driving have to pay and dedicates some of the money to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to pay for programs to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol.

Commission program manager Shelly Baldwin said she was glad that more money would go to prevention programs and ignition interlock devices in the state.

“This places us in the forefront of getting ignition interlock devices on as many vehicles as possible,” she said.

According to a February study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, re-arrest rates for drunk drivers decreased by about 67 percent for people who had interlock devices compared to people who just had their licenses suspended.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Drunk driver sentenced to eight and a half years for killing Decatur seniors

The driver that killed two teenagers three days before their graduation from Decatur High School last spring will be spending the next eight and a half years in prison.

Alexander E. Peder was sentenced to 102 months Friday afternoon by King County Superior Court Judge James Cayce for two counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence after killing Decatur seniors Derek King, 18, and Nicholas Hodgins, 18, on June 9, 2010. The driver of the car, Anthony Beaver, also a Decatur senior, survived.

“These three young men were supposed to be launching into adulthood,” said King County Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim during the sentencing hearing. “This was their last day of high school, but only one would survive the day.”

Frieedheim, along with Peder and his attorney, John Wolfe, recommended to Cayce for the maximum sentence possible, which was the 102 months he received.

Peder’s sentencing range included a pair of two-year enhancements for two prior DUI-related convictions. He was convicted of first-degree negligent driving in 1998 and of reckless endangerment in 2008 after pleading down both alchohol-related incidents.

After entering a plea of not guilty immediately following the crash, Peder flipped and plead guilty on the two counts of vehicular homicide in February.

"I accept full and complete responsibility for my reckless actions," Peder said Friday. "Today, I'm here to face their families and friends. I'm sincerely sorry for the pain and suffering I have caused them. I selfishly choose to drink and drive that evening. I wish I could turn back the hands of time."

King, Hodgins and Anthony Beaver were driving south on Interstate 5, coming home after a celebration for their high school graduation in Bellevue with several other Decatur seniors.

“Our boys were doing everything right that night,” said Mary Bobbitt, Hodgins’ mother. “They were great kids spending time with their friends and so looking forward to graduation.”

Peder, who was also injured in the crash, was taken to Harborview, released a few hours later, then arrested and taken to King County Jail.

According to the trooper’s report, Peder had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and “spoke with a thick tongue.” There was alcohol on his breath when he spoke.

In light of this, before being taken to the hospital, troopers had medics draw blood to test blood-alcohol levels. Toxicology reports showed Peder’s blood alcohol level to be .16 percent.

According to the charging papers filed Monday, there was also a small amount of marijuana and a pipe in the Explorer.

This was not Peder’s first DUI. In 1998, the charge was amended to negligent driving and his sentence was deferred after Peder showed proof of completing a DUI victims panel and getting an alcohol evaluation. In 2008, he was arrested for a DUI; this time the charge was amended to reckless endangerment, and Peder was given a two-year suspended sentence. He is still on suspension for that last DUI offense.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Atlanta Braves' Derek Lowe faces drunk-driving charge

Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe apologized Friday after being charged with drunk driving, saying he hoped his arrest would not be a distraction to the team.

The 37-year-old right-hander was charged with DUI, reckless driving and improper lane change, Gordy Wright, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said. Lowe declined to take a breath test before he was released.

Wright said a trooper stopped Lowe's vehicle about 10 p.m. Thursday after it was spotted racing another car down an Atlanta street. The trooper detected an odor of alcohol and administered a field sobriety test, which resulted in Lowe's arrest.

Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen won't fight his two-game suspension for tweeting after being ejected from a game earlier this week.

"They told me why they're going to do it and they talked to me about taking responsibility," Guillen said before Friday's games with the Orioles. "I shouldn't be [tweeting] during the game."

It was the first time baseball has penalized a player, coach or manager for use of the social networking site during a game.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake was sentenced to counseling and 30 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a charge reduced from theft to unauthorized use of property. The 23-year-old right-hander was arrested by Cincinnati police on April 18 after trying to leave Macy's with six T-shirts having a total value of $59.88. Leake claimed to have no intention of theft. He said he was trying exchange shirts that were already paid for. Leake's record is 3-0 with a 4.40 earned-run average in five starts this season.

The New York Mets have activated catcher Ronny Paulino from the 15-day disabled list. Paulino was placed on the DL on April 10 with anemia after missing the first eight games while serving the remainder of a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Man arrested for alleged fifth drunk driving offense

A 44-year-old St. Cloud man was charged Monday with a fifth-offense drunk driving offense, after being stopped Sunday night by a Sheboygan County sheriff's deputy on state Highway 23 in Plymouth.

Dennis B. Hiebing could receive up to three years in prison if convicted on the felony fifth-offense drunk driving charge, and also faces a third-offense misdemeanor charge of driving with a revoked license, for which he could be imprisoned for one year.

According to a criminal complaint:

Hiebing was eastbound on state Highway 23 at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday when he was pulled over by a Sheboygan County Sheriff's deputy just west of county Highway OJ after another motorist reported that he was driving erratically.

While following, the deputy said Hiebing nearly drove his car off the shoulder and into a guardrail at the intersection of state Highway 67.

The deputy asked Hiebing to exit the car and noticed he had trouble standing up. Asked where he was headed, Hiebing said he was on his way to pick up his children.

A preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.18, more than twice the 0.08 level the state considers to be evidence of intoxication. Hiebing told the deputy he had consumed a 12-pack of beer in the last five hours and that he had taken 20 different medications for his heart, back and shoulder.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Understand The Difference Between A Felony And A Misdemeanor Dui

What most individuals don't understand regarding the different types of DUI's is that there're not all felonies. If you receive a drunk driving citation then you have to figure out what kind of drunk driving citation it's going to be and the nicest way to do that is to simply hire an attorney to tell you. Another method you will be able to tell which type of drunk driving citation it is going to be is by whether or not you injured anyone or got anybody killed because of you driving while intoxicated. This is the core reason why individuals receive felony DUI's and if you're fortunate enough to just get a misdemeanor dui then you are extremely lucky.

Something you really must know regarding a misdemeanor dui is that in both the 1st and 2nd times you receive a dwi it'll be considered a misdemeanor dui unless you injured somebody but the third time is automatically a felony. What most individuals don't understand regarding this is why the third time is always a felony no matter what, the reason is really quite simple, a felony is everything that is in anyway dangerous and being that you have already received 2 DUI's you'll be marked as dangerous. As you can probably already tell, the majority of people that receive one dwi will receive 1 added but after that the DUI's tend to stop.

One thing that you need to understand is without the proper legal representation you'll most likely receive a felony and the reason is because that is simply where judges start the process from. If you want to get your felony reduced to a misdemeanor then you'll need to understand what to say to the judge in order for that to take place, that is why an attorney is good to have at this point. One thing that lots of people don't know even if they've gotten a felony dui previous is that a dwi even if it is reduced to a misdemeanor is still counted as part of the three strike rule.

The last thing you need to understand is that all DUI's are really serious no matter what state you're in and nowadays law enforcement officers are very cracking down on individuals who are found driving while intoxicated. Usually for adults that are discovered drinking and driving they're placed in jail for a night only to get them to sober up and then they're released temporarily. The reason why drunk drivers are released temporarily is simply before their court date which normally is extremely soon because judges don't like to get intoxicated drivers roaming around the streets or getting into even added trouble prior to their hearing. Just remember that not every drunk driver is the same and it is almost impossible to know who drinks and drives and who does not. My suggestion to you is simply do whatever you can to keep yourself and your family safe and hope that everybody else is doing the exact same thing.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

No DUI Charges for Christina Aguilera's Boyfriend

It looks like Christina Aguilera's boyfriend is off the hook in connection with a March 1 traffic stop that put the pop star in custody. TMZ reported Sunday that 25-year-old Matthew Rutler will not be prosecuted by the L.A. County District Attorney for drunken driving.

Deputies saw Rutler "driving erratically" around 2:45 a.m. near Sunset Boulevard and Clark Street on March 1, and pulled him over, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore. Aguilara was found "incapacitated" in the passenger seat.

Rutler was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol, and was held at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, Whitmore said. His blood-alcohol content tested at 0.06 percent, just below the 0.08 percent threshold, and he was released about 9:30 a.m. after posting $5,000 bail.

The District Attorney's Office officially rejected Rutler's case, according to TMZ, "citing insufficient evidence to prosecute for driving under the influence of alcohol."

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Drunk Driving Checkpoint In Santa Clarita Valley Tonight

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s Traffic Unit will be conducting a Driving Under the Influence checkpoint tonight at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. tomorrow.

DUI checkpoints are a proven enforcement tool effective in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, as well as being an valuable means for heightening awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.

Officers will be checking drivers through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and or drug impairments. Officers will strive to impact motorists only momentarily. If officers suspect that a driver has been drinking or is impaired, they will conduct a field sobriety test. If you fail, expect jail, vehicle storage fees, license suspension, insurance rate increases, along with fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed 3 lives and resulted in 150 injury crashes harming 208 of our friends and neighbors,” said Sgt Rich Cohen of the Santa Clarita Sheriff's Station.

Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades, when the federal government began compiling figures. According to federal statistics, DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009. Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009, with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk or impaired driver.

“Everyone in California should be heartened with these figures,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). “But as encouraging as this is, we can’t let up on the efforts to encourage and support traffic safety. You can help make your community safe; if you see a Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1.”

Funding for this and other DUI checkpoints are provided to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and the City of Santa Clarita by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, targeting those who still don’t heed the message to designate a sober driver.

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Man Sentenced for Drunk Driving Wreck that Killed Campbell Co. Teacher

Campbell Co., VA - The man who drove drunk and killed a Campbell County teacher now knows how long he will spend behind bars.

Mark Elliott pleaded guilty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter and DUI in January.

On Thursday morning, a judge sentenced him to five years in prison.

In March of last year, Elliott had been drinking when he tried to pass a car on Leesville Road and hit another car head-on.

Hermione Stickle-Womack, 62, was killed. She taught Spanish at Rustburg Middle and High School.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Gulfport police chief's stepdaughter struck, killed by alleged drunk driver

A Gulfport man faces a charge of DUI causing death following an accident Tuesday that killed Deanna Tucker, the stepdaughter of Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford.

Tucker, 29, was loading her young child into her car when she was struck by another car driven by 26-year-old Darryl Edward Blappert and pinned between the two vehicles, authorities said Wednesday.

Tucker died about 11 p.m. Tuesday following surgery at Gulfport Memorial Hospital, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said.

Blappert was originally charged with driving under the influence and taken to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, Papania said.

That charge was upgraded Wednesday morning to DUI causing death, Papania said.

Blappert's bail was set at $1 million, and he remained in the county jail Wednesday.

Tucker's son, about 4 years old, suffered minor injuries, officials said.

According to Deputy Chief Leonard Papania, Tucker, of Gulfport, was putting her child in a car seat at the Bridal and Formal Boutique lot at 1524 Pass Road.

Tucker was pinned to her Honda Accord when her car was hit at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday by a 2004 Mustang driven by Blappert, Papania said.

Blappert, of Gulfport, was driving in the westbound lane on Pass Road and left the street near 15th Avenue, Papania said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and the Biloxi Police crash re-creation team were assisting Gulfport Police in the investigation Wednesday, Papania said.

Blappert faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of DUI causing death.

"The Gulfport Police Department has a long history of proactive traffic enforcement," Papania said. "Annually, we set goals aimed at reducing crashes and crashes with injuries. The police department has made tremendous efforts regarding public awareness of the dangers of drunk driving.

"People must take personal responsibility for impairment driving prevention to truly ensure the safety of themselves and others. In tragedy like this, there are great complexities in healing and recovering, while the prevention is so very simple -- don't drink and drive."

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Charge: Driver caught drunk two weeks after DUI sentencing

A Kent man previously convicted of drunkenly running into a pedestrian has again been charged with drunk driving.

Seventeen days after he was sentenced in another drunk driving incident, Patrick Rigg, 45, was arrested leaving a Kent bar and found to be again drunk behind the wheel, King County prosecutors claimed in charging documents.

Writing the court, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim noted that Rigg was convicted of vehicular assault in 2002 after crashing into a pedestrian. He had also twice been convicted of drunk driving, including a July 2010 incident for which he was sentenced March 2.

"Given his unwillingness or inability to not become intoxicated and drive, he is a very grave danger to this community and given his history, he knows the dangers that he places on innocent citizens and yet still he continues to drive impaired," Freedheim told the court.

According to charging documents, a state trooper spotted Rigg leaving the Central Pub shortly after midnight on March 19. Believing Rigg to be impaired by alcohol, the trooper pulled him over and administered several field sobriety tests.

Prosecutors contend Rigg failed the tests, and a blood draw that showed his blood alcohol level to be .14, nearly double the legal limit.

"When asked if he believed his driving was affected by alcohol, the defendant answered by saying, 'I don't think I was that bad,'" Freedheim told the court.

Rigg has been charged with felony DUI. He remains jailed on $150,000 bail.

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Police Catch 8 Drunk Drivers At Checkpoint

Bakersfield police officers caught eight people drunk driving last night during a checkpoint along California Avenue Friday night.

Bakersfield Police screened 1826 cars between 5 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.
Eleven drivers were asked to perform field sobriety tests, and eight of them were determine to be drunk behind the wheel. Three of those arrested had a prior DUI conviction, and police said one of the drivers was impaired by both alcohol and marijuana.

Officers also impounded 50 cars and caught 15 people driving with an invalid license. They report one woman was caught with three outstanding warrants, and 31-year-old Marco Mejia was arrested for possession of a loaded, concealed, stolen handgun.

Police said the DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint was in an effort to reduce the number of persons injured or killed each year in DUI related collisions and encourage people to assign a sober designated driver.

Funding for the program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Police encourage the public help keep roadways safe by calling 911 if they see a suspected impaired driver.

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Authorities crack down on underage drinking and driving

State police are reminding teenagers that if they drink and drive this prom season, they could pay some severe consequences.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- State police are reminding teenagers that if they drink and drive this prom season, they could pay some severe consequences.

The Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office announced Monday that state, county and city law enforcement agencies will join forces March 11-20 and April 15-24 looking for drunk drivers with an emphasis on those under 21 years of age.

Officers will conduct additional sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols as part of the continuing effort to apprehend drunk drivers.

According to state police, motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of teenagers in America, and nearly one-third of the fatality crashes are alcohol related.

Spring, the season of proms, school breaks and graduation parties, can be a dangerous time for young drivers. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities typically rise during these months, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The consequences of a DWI or DUI are far more serious than an impaired driver may realize. Arkansas teenagers driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between .02 and .07 can be arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). If the BAC is .08 or greater, an arrest of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) will occur.

Arkansas' penalties for underage DUI are substantial and include the loss of driving privileges, court imposed fines and community service. The fine for an underage DUI ranges from $100 to $2000. In addition, there are attorney's fees and significantly higher insurance premiums.

If an underage driver registers a BAC of .08 or above, law enforcement officers are required to charge the violator with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), which is the same as an adult offense and has identical consequences of jail sentences, fines, court costs, community service, license suspension, higher insurance premiums and possibly other related costs.

"There's even a greater cost to pay in personal anguish that lives forever when death or serious injury has been the result of a drunk driver," said Colonel Winford E. Phillips, Director of the Arkansas State Police and Governor's Highway Safety Representative. "We are asking teenagers to stop and consider all the consequences before being caught and arrested for drunk driving."

The current education campaign is designed to increase awareness of the dangers associated with teenage drinking and driving through heightened enforcement operations, paid media and school-based educational activities.

"We want to be sure that young people get the message that underage drinking and driving is a crime that will not be tolerated," Colonel Phillips said.

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Homestead man pleads guilty in DUI crash that killed 3 children

Gabriel Delrisco, who will be sentenced April 28, faces up to 45 years in prison for the triple fatal drunk driving crash.

Moments after accepting responsibility for the drunk-driving crash that killed three children in Homestead, Gabriel Delrisco wiped away tears and turned to the courtroom.
“I’m sorry,” Delrisco said, meekly. “So sorry.”

The surviving Serrano family just husband and wife, Hector and Mirian, dressed in black watched quietly, their faces empty of emotion. The apology meant nothing.
“Now he wants to say he’s sorry,” Hector Serrano said quietly after the Wednesday’s court hearing. “But it’s too late. He came and destroyed our entire family.”

He added: “He has to pay for what he did. He killed my family. We have nothing now.”
Delrisco, 42, pleaded guilty Wednesday, two years after he plowed his truck into the back of Hector Serrano’s minivan on South Dixie Highway near Homestead, killing his three young children.

The Serranos will get their chance to address him directly on April 28, when Circuit Judge Rosa Rodriguez issues a prison sentence. He faces up to 45 years.

Wednesday’s plea hearing was a muted affair, marked only by Delrisco’s initial indecision in pleading guilty. He had no plea agreement. Instead, he is hoping Rodriguez shows mercy at the April sentencing.

Hector Serrano survived the horrific crash that killed his three children, Hector, 10; Esmeralda, 7, and Amber, 4.

Delrisco, who had spent the night drinking, crashed into the back of a Ford minivan on Jan. 25, 2009 in South Miami-Dade. He had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, authorities said.

He also was charged with battery on a firefighter for fighting with rescue workers who extricated him from his own mangled truck. On Wednesday, he did not enter a new plea to that case, which is still open and could result in an additional five years in prison.

Delrisco’s case drew intense public interest because of his driving record: the former dump truck driver had been cited for traffic violations 29 times in eight years, including one previous drunk driving arrest. At the time of the Serrano accident, Delrisco still had a valid license.

His case took a twist when it was revealed that his defense attorney, Michael Catalano, had secretly worn a recording device in an attempt to help Miami-Dade prosecutors implicate the Serrano’s civil lawyer, Ariel Furst, in wrongdoing.

Catalano alleged that Furst wanted Delrisco to lie about where he drank that night, clearing the way for a potentially lucrative lawsuit against a Homestead strip mall.
Prosecutors eventually determined that there was not enough evidence for a criminal case against Furst. The feud between him and Catalano devolved into an ugly public spat and dueling complaints to the Florida Bar.

For defense attorneys in the high-profile case, Delrisco’s case was indefensible. There was no question he was driving the truck. And there were no flaws in the blood tests that showed he had been drinking.

“We really feel there was no viable defense to this case,” Catalano told the judge Wednesday.
Miami-Dade prosecutors David I. Gilbert and Deisy Hernandez had not made any plea deals offers. The Serrano family wanted nothing less than the maximum.

Catalano and co-counsel Robert Aaron, an assistant public defender, visited Delrisco in jail last week to explain the legal dead-end. By pleading “straight up” to the court and sparing the Serranos the ordeal of going through trial he could buy some goodwill from the judge and maybe get out of prison to see his grandchildren grow up.
And Delrisco could also hope for leniency for his remorse, and cooperation in the Furst probe. He spent last weekend mulling the case, and Monday told his attorneys he would plead guilty.

But on Tuesday, Delrisco wavered. Watching from the audience: the Serranos, along with representatives from Mothers against Drunk Driving and FHP Cpl. Guillermo Ochoa, the lead investigator on the case. Mirian Serrano wore a pin adorned with her children’s photos.

Delrisco, dressed in the red jail jump suit for high-profile inmates, his eyes cast downward, wanted to know if he could speak withc the family. He was told he could not. And Delrisco wanted to know whether Rodriguez could tell him her sentence before the plea.

The judge could not because she needed to hear from the surviving victims, as well as Delrisco’s own family.

“I would like ask you for an extension of 30 more days. I’m not able to make this decision right now,” Delrisco stammered.
“Why are we here if he’s not prepared to take a plea?” Rodriguez asked the lawyers. “Why on Earth did we have all these people show up here today. To waste time?”

Delrisco relented seconds later, pleading guilty to three counts of DUI manslaughter.

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