A 40-year-old Clearwater man was intoxicated when his car rear-ended a deputy’s cruiser Tuesday afternoon while both were driving north on U.S. 19, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.
Neither Deputy Brian Williams nor John Doe was seriously injured in the collision, which happened just before 4 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.
Doe, of State Road 590, faces charges of driving under the influence with personal injury and property damage, and possession of oxycodone, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputy, driving a Chevrolet Impala cruiser, was going north on U.S. 19 in the left lane near Highlands Boulevard in Palm Harbor. Doe drove up from behind in a 2007 Honda Accord and rear-ended the deputy’s car, the sheriff’s office said.
Both cars had minor damage, the department said.
Williams, 28, was hired by the sheriff’s office in September 2005.
If you have too been charged with DUI in Pinellas, you should promptly hire an attorney. Without knowledgable legal representation on your side, you’ll be doomed to a conviction. Instead, call 727-480-9675 for a free consultation with a Pinellas County DUI lawyer at Musca Law.
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New to the scooter business, Doug Vitello and Gary Parr worked hard to meet their customers’ needs. But there was one type of customer they couldn’t serve.
Again and again, they kept hearing: I got a DUI. I lost my license. Do you have something I can use to get around?
Sunset Scooters did not. So Vitello and Parr started researching and found a type of electric scooter made in China and distributed out of California. They ordered some. They tried them out. They put a sign in their window:
They look like gas-powered mopeds, with bright candy-red and blue bodies, backrests and decorative detailing. They have headlights and window shields and go up to 20 mph.
And, yes, they’re legal to ride without a license.
They have pedals, which may or may not be used, and run for up to 25 miles on an electric charge. They fit a state and federal description of “low-speed electric bicycles.” Sunset Scooters gives customers copies of the law, recommending they laminate it and keep it with them.
“At first, we had some trouble with law enforcement basically not understanding what these were,” Vitello said. “Even some judges were completely mystified. But now they all seem to be on board.”
The scooters, distributed by a company called X-Treme Scooters and sold for $1,200 to $2,000, are still new enough to stump the law at times. Sgt. Tom Nestor, a spokesman for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, said the agency is trying to determine exactly what these scooters are and how to handle them.
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CLEARWATER, Fla. – The family of an accident victim felt a sense of relief after a judge revoked the bond of a woman who was charged with her second DUI in just two months.
When the family of the victim heard the bond for the suspect could be reduced, they said they would try to do whatever they could to keep her behind bars.
One week after the parents of the victim got a call that their son had been hit by the alleged drunk driver, they asked Pinellas County Judge Donald Horrox to keep the suspect locked up.
“She’s 22 years old sir, 22 years old and it’s her third DUI,” the victim’s father said. “She almost killed a person.”
Besides two DUI charges in Pinellas County, the suspect was also charged with DUI in California.
As lawyers talked about the case, the young man’s family members cried.
Police say the 22 year old was so intoxicated, she hit the victim while he was on a scooter, kept going, and when detectives tracked her down, court documents say, the scooter was stuck underneath her car.
The victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but will recover.
Besides the the victim’s family, the suspect’s mom was also in court. She asked for her daughters bond to be reduced. The suspect’s mother also said her daughter was a student, had a 4.0 grade point average, and went to alcoholics anonymous meetings.
The victim’s mother, told Judge Horrox, that it was clear the meetings did not work.
In the end, the judge sided with the family of Barber Jr., and because Horrox decided to revoke the woman’s bond from the DUI charge on August the 22nd, the suspect will stay in jail until she goes to trial.
Have you been charged with DUI in Pinellas County?
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A 33-year-old woman who was arrested for driving under the influence attacked a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy while she was reaching for his holster, although it was empty, according to an arrest report.
The suspect, of Clearwater, was arrested Sunday night for DUI. As she was being processed at the jail’s central breath testing facility, she jumped and knocked a deputy to the ground, reaching for his empty holster, the arrest report states.
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She punched and kicked the torso and legs of a second deputy who came to assist the first officer, the report states.
One deputy suffered a small scratch to his upper left arm.
The suspect, 33, had to be handcuffed, the report states.
“You standing there with your gun there, I went for it,” said the suspect, according to the arrest report.
“If you just stand there with your gun open, who wouldn’t go for it,” she said.
The suspect remained in Pinellas County jail tonight with bail set at $10,500, records show. She was also charged with two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.
Have you been charged with drunk driving in Clearwater? If so, you need a lawyer to guide you through the legal process. Contact a Clearwater DUI lawyer at Musca Law today for a free consultation:
Pinellas County Office
2240 Bellair Road, Suite 190
Clearwater, FL 33764
Phone: 727-480-9675 – Phones Answered 24/7/365
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ST. PETERSBURG — A Clearwater man faces charges of driving under the influence in connection with a March crash that involved a Pinellas deputy.
The suspect, 42, was arrested Saturday morning on charges of DUI and possession of a controlled substance.
Arrested for DUI in St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Clearwater or elsewhere in Pinellas County? Contact Pinellas County DUI Attorney at Musca Law.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect was under the influence of prescription drugs on March 17 when he hit a prisoner transport van driven by Deputy Gary Breest.
Breest had been stopped at a red light at 54th Avenue N and 49th Street in St. Petersburg when the suspect struck him.
The suspect had two non-prescribed oxycodone tablets in his vehicle, officials said. Jail records show he was released on a surety bond Saturday evening.
Cases like this often seem open and shut to the untrained eye, but they are far from. Things such as the constitutionality of the stop can be investigated and often lead to a not guilty verdicts.
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Arrested for DUI in Clearwater? If so call 727-480-9675 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with a Clearwater DUI attorney at Musca Law. The consultation can be conducted either in person or by phone, the choice is yours.
To get directions to our office use the map courtesy of Google below:
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After being charged with a criminal offense, it is now that you need to fight for your freedom. Although it may seem as if the evidence against you is compelling enough to convict you, it’s probably not. We, as Florida criminal defense attorneys, have tried thousands of cases throughout the state and have a high rate of success. This is due to our experienced and persevering staff. We have over 100 years of combined experience. View our case results online to see what we have achieved for our clients in the past.
If you are serious about beating your Clearwater, FL DUI charge you must act quickly. As our early involvement in your case can make all the difference. Call our Clearwater DUI lawyers at 727-480-9675 now.
Oftentimes people feel they have no need to hire a lawyer after a DUI arrest because they don’t fully (or at all) understand what legal representation can do for them. If you feel this way, you should know that a DUI attorney can:
1. Help you retain your drivers license – After a drunk driving arrest ( in Florida and many other states) you have only 10 days to schedule an administrative review hearing in order to avoid automatic license suspension. By attending this hearing with an experienced lawyer you can be assured everything will go smoothly.
2. Investigate your arrest – Any good lawyer knows how to investigate a DUI arrest to look for unconstitutional doing by the arresting officer(s). Whether you were pulled over without just cause or police improperly administered a breathalyzer test on you, things of this nature can be discovered and ultimately used in your defense.
3. Develop your case – Very importantly, a DUI lawyer will know what defense may work in your defense based on past experience. If you decide to fight your DUI charge, an experienced attorney’s guidance will give you a great shot at winning.
4. Work out a plea bargain – This is the opposite of reason 3, it’s either one or the other. If you decide to plead guilty or no contest you probably don’t know what penalties are average for your circumstances. Guess what? A lawyer’s experience comes into play here yet again. By hiring a lawyer for this purpose alone you are assured you’re not getting the short end of the stick
5. Save you time and money – Whether your lawyer helps you avoid being convicted or minimize penalties via plea bargain, you can count on their service paying for itself. Commonly DUI attorneys are known to turn jail sentences into community service and hefty fines into small bills. Not to mention keeping your criminal record clean which we all know can help you retain or get a job.
The fact of the matter is that anyone charged with DUI in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or elsewhere in Pinellas County can make things much easier on themselves by a quickly hiring a skilled DUI attorney. For specific details of your case contact our Pinellas County DUI lawyers for a free consultation:
Pinellas County Office
2240 Bellair Road, Suite 190
Clearwater, FL 33764
Phone: 727-480-9675 – Phones Answered 24/7!
Free Consultation!
Clearwater DUI lawyer.
A man, 49, of Clearwater has been accused accused of a hit and run accident for the third time.
The suspect is said to have drove northbound in the southbound lanes of US 19 hitting three vehicles and injuring one man on 3-18-10. Police say he was drunk and continued his habit of fleeing the scene of an accident. He was arrested Wednesday 4-21-10.
After the accident the suspect was unable to stand and was taken to the hospital; by request of police his blood was drawn. His BAC was reported to be .352, more then 4 times the legal limit of .08. I’m not sure why he wasn’t arrested until Wednesday, but it may have been waiting on his blood test results.
The suspect’s previous hit and accidents occurred in 1987 and 2000. In ’87 he was convicted with leaving the scene of an accident involving injury and recieved 6 months probation. In ’00 he was convicted of DUI hit and run with injury and received 1 year probation.
He was released from Pinellas County Jail Today after posting $5,500 bail.
Because of his criminal record he could very well be sentenced to jail this time around. He will need a Pinellas County DUI Attorney to protect his rights.
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Clearwater – A man with 4 previous Florida DUI convictions on his wreck is charged yet again after he allegedly killed a cab driver while driving drunk. He is said to have been evading police at the time of the crash.
Police say they were following a tip in pursuit of the suspect on Monday 4-12-10. They say they found him at the Chopper Mug Bar at around 1:45 am, but he got away.
Reports state the suspect got in his ’98 Dodge pickup and fled the scene. Police say they could not pursue him because of the great speed his vehicle was going.
Shortly after, police say, the suspect ran a red light and hit a Yellow Cab driven by the victim. Joshua Donahue was pronounced dead less then an hour later.
The suspect has 4 previous DUI convictions. He is charged with vehicular homicide, fleeing and eluding resulting in death, driving with a suspended license and driving under the influence.
Clearwater, FL DUI Lawyer
If you have been charged with a DUI in Clearwater or elsewhere in Pinellas County you will NEED a DUI lawyer to represent you. In fact if you show up to court without a legal representation the judge will have your court date rescheduled so you can bring an attorney. At this unfortuante time in your life you can count on us.
Call 727-480-9675 to speak with a Clearwater DUI Lawyer now.
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A man who plead guilty to DUI manslaughter in relation to a 2008 Clearwater DUI crash was sentenced today 4-9-10.
The crash happened on 5-5-08 when police say the man made an abrupt left turn in his GMC van in front of the 21 year old female victim. His BAC was “well above” the legal limit of .08.
The man was given a sentence of 5 years in prison. Also as part of his sentence:
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- He is required to serve 10 years probation after his jail sentence
- His right to drive is permanently revoked
- He must attend a DUI school
- He must complete 120 hours of community service
- He must pay $2,000 in fines.
With all the evidence against the man I think it was a good decision to plead guilty. After all, if he pleaded not guilty he may have been convicted regardless and given the maximum jail sentence of 15 years.
If you are facing DUI charges in Clearwater you would be well advised to promptly contact a Clearwater DUI attorney to protect your rights. You have only 10 days to schedule an administrative review hearing to retain your drivers license. Otherwise your license will be automatically revoke for 6 months if you failed a breathalyzer and 1 year if you refused one. Call 727-480-9675 to schedule a free consultation with Florida’s premier DUI law firm.
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