Polk County Dui Lawyers

A central Florida woman has been sentenced to five years in prison for a fatal DUI crash.

A St. Lucie County judge sentenced 26-year-old Molly P. on Tuesday to half of the state’s 10-year minimum for DUI manslaughter. Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers ( http://bit.ly/rtVSAF) reports that both her family and the victim’s family had asked for leniency.

Authorities say Molly was driving shortly after midnight on March 18, 2010, when the car left the road and hit a tree. Molly was left comatose for five weeks, and her boyfriend, 29-year-old Jon , was killed.

Authorities say Molly had a blood alcohol level of 0.149 and 0.169 percent. Florida law considers a driver impaired at 0.08 percent.

RIP Jon

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The Florida Highway Patrol will unleash its “wolf pack” on Highlands County from 8:30 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday.

“Troopers will be patrolling major and secondary roadways where there will be a high probability of encountering impaired drivers,” FHP Sgt. George Taunton said in a press release. “The central focus of this wolf pack will be the apprehension of impaired drivers.”

Troopers have three goals, Taunton said: deter driving-under-the-influence to reduce death, injury and property damage; catch impaired drivers before they crash; and ensure the safety of all motorists by removing impaired drivers from the roads and the highways.

“The Florida Highway Patrol takes this crime very seriously and has a zero tolerance police for impaired drivers,” Taunton added.

I think operations of this nature are ridiculous; shouldn’t police always be on full watch for DUI and all other crimes?

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Mike and Ruth Fauskee and the Operation 3D DUI squad of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office had something in common Sept. 14 at the North Falkenburg Jail Assembly room.

There, the Fauskees and the squad each received kudos at the sheriff’s office’s Awards Recognition Ceremony, held quarterly to recognize employees and citizens who work to make the streets safer for Greater Brandon and beyond.

The Fauskees, of Riverview, received the quarterly “Citizen Award” for supporting the squad that arrests drunken drivers, conducts sobriety checkpoints and educates the community about the consequences of not following the squad’s motto, “Don’t Drink and Drive.”

The squad itself, and each of its 12 members (see below), received recognition as this quarter’s “Outstanding Squad.”

The Fauskees said in an interview that they have had lots of experience working with a team of players, as they did for their son, Deputy Christopher M. Fauskee, as a boy growing up in soccer leagues. Besides coaching responsibilities, the Fauskees said they made sure the team had refreshments after each game.

Now, their son son plays for a team with a grander mission, the Operation 3D squad, for which the Fauskees have been recognized for providing refreshments for deputies working sobriety checkpoints.

“Over the past two years, Mike and Ruth Fauskee have been supporters of the Operation 3D DUI squad by attending over 24 DUI checkpoints and providing food and beverages to those working the checkpoint,” said Major Mike Perotti, in announcing the couple’s award.
Continue reading “DUI Crackdown Earns Deputy, His Squad and Parents, Sheriff’s Kudos” »

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A Polk County woman was arrested on DUI charges and is recovering from a fiery crash after a good Samaritan saved her life.

Flames were shooting from Patricia H.’s car on Monday night.

Witnesses said she veered off the road in Winter Haven, hit two parked cars, and flipped her car before it burst into flames.

Keith L. heard the crash outside his house and jumped into action. “It took me about four or five punches and I was able to bust through the front windshield of the car,” he said. “We were able to get it pulled out and dragged her out.”

Keith ended up with cuts and scratches all over his hands, arms and feet.

Deputies arrested Patricia on charges of driving under the influence.

Well done Keith!

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While Florida requires drivers to maintain insurance the Insurance Research Council says 24 percent of Florida drivers don’t have it.

IRC lists the following as the states with the highest uninsured driver estimates:

Mississippi with the most uninsured drivers, 28 percent, New Mexico in second with 26 percent and a three way tie betweenTennessee, Oklahoma and Florida at 24 percent.

We all know car insurance is very expensive and seems very unnecessary, but it is the law and paying for it could save you a lot of stress later.

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If you intend to drink alcohol before getting behind the wheel this weekend, be warned that the Florida Highway Patrol, along with other police departments, is on special alert to nab impaired drivers.

From today through Sept. 5, Sarasota sheriff’s deputies say they will be engaged in enhanced DUI enforcement – especially at night and on weekends.

In Manatee, sheriff’s deputies, Bradenton Police and the Florida Highway Patrol will have special patrols from 5:30 p.m. today until 3 a.m. in areas with a history of DUI-related accidents.

Charlotte County sheriff’s deputies and Punta Gorda Police say, today through the Labor Day weekend, they also will step up DUI enforcement.

Many police departments around the nation are also joining int he effort to target impaired drivers though Labor Day.

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A DUI sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for this weekend, beginning Friday, Aug. 19. The operation will take place at an undisclosed location in Lee County. This weekend marks the start of another nationwide law enforcement effort at cracking down on impaired driving. The well-known education and enforcement campaign, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest,” begins Friday and will continue through the Labor Day weekend. The enforcement message will be clear, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Checkpoint emphasis is placed on the following:

1. Remove impaired drivers from the roadway.

2. Reduce the likelihood impaired drivers will operate their vehicles on our roadways.

3. Heighten awareness.

4. Educate the public on the dangers of drunk driving.

Motorists are reminded it is a crime to mix alcohol, drugs and driving. Citizens are encouraged to avoid the risk of driving if they consume alcoholic beverages. While it may take several drinks for someone to become legally impaired, impairment begins with the first drink. Also, drunk driving is not a victimless crime. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2009, 25 fatalities and 447 injuries in Lee County were alcohol related.
Continue reading “Lee County Plans Weekend DUI Checkpoint” »

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A 40-year-old Lodge Grass man arrested in Billings for driving the wrong way on a one-way street was sentenced Friday for his fifth drunken-driving offense.

Rowland H. was sentenced as a persistent felony offender to five years with the state Department of Corrections for felony DUI.

Judge Ingrid Gustafson also ordered Rowland to pay a $1,000 fine and agreed to recommend him for a state alcohol treatment program.

Rowland apologized before he was sentenced.

Rowland was arrested May 29, 2010, after a Billings police officer stopped his vehicle for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Rowland admitted drinking alcohol, but he refused to perform sobriety tests or provide a breath sample.

Rowland has four prior DUI convictions in Florida, where he is wanted on a fugitive warrant for violating probation.

If you’re facing DUI charges in Florida, there’s no certainty you’ll be convicted, regardless of how many convictions you’ve had in the past. To discuss how you may be able to avoid being convicted, contact Polk County DUI attorney at our firm right now.

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Former U.S. Congressman Tim Mahoney was arrested on a DUI charge after police said they found him sleeping in his parked car on a South Florida road early Saturday.

Mahoney, a Democrat who filled former Congressman Mark Foley’s seat, was sleeping behind the wheel around 3 a.m. Saturday in Palm Beach Gardens, police said. Fifty-four year-old Mahoney was charged with DUI “based on the investigation and after talking to the driver,” Palm Beach Gardens Police Commander William Brandt said.

No other details were given. Mahoney, a multimillionaire venture capitalist, was released on his own recognizance Saturday morning, according to a jail spokeswoman.

A telephone message left for Mahoney was not immediately returned Saturday.

It’s the second scandal to rock Mahoney in recent years. The political newcomer who ran on a family values platform lost his re-election bid in 2008 after revealing he’d had several affairs and put one of his lovers on the federal payroll as a congressional staffer. She later became a campaign worker.
Continue reading “Former Congressman Charged With DUI in South Florida” »

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A Florida man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for an alcohol-related crash that left two nuns dead and a third nun injured.

A judge in Florida’s Lee County sentenced 62-year-old Michael H. on Monday after he pleaded guilty to two DUI manslaughter counts.

Authorities say the three nuns were heading back to Cape Coral from a conference in Cocoa Beach in September 2009 when Michael’s vehicle turned into their path at an intersection. Two of the women – 80-year-old Karinne O. and 84-year-old Ann M.- were killed in the collision in North Fort Myers.

A third nun, 67-year-old Elizabeth M., was injured.

RIP

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