DWI / DUI

Published on: January 12, 2012

Fatal Hit and Run on I-55

by Stephen Bilkis

A late Thursday night crash has left one man dead and another charged with aggravated DWI, sources have confirmed. The incident occurred at approximately 10:15 p.m. Thursday in Chicago, IL, when one Chicago man was standing outside of his broken down vehicle that he had parked along the shoulder, as he awaited a tow truck. Another Chicago man was seen driving across the fog line and then struck the stranded motorist before speeding away from the scene. The man who was struck was pronounced dead at 11:34 p.m. as a result of his injuries.

A passing motorist who had witnessed the incident immediately phoned 911 and reported a description of the vehicle that had sped away from the scene. Police located both the driver and his pickup about 15 minutes after receiving the initial call from the motorist. When they approached the man, the police report says that officers could smell a “strong odor of alcoholic beverage,” and that his eyes were both bloodshot and glassy. The report also added that his speech was slurred. According to a New York Criminal Lawyer, the police report stated that when officers approached the man, they noticed an open can of Modelo beer inside the cab of the truck. The beer can reportedly had some alcoholic beverage remaining in the can.

Officers went on to include in their report that the subject agreed to their request to perform a field sobriety test, and that he subsequently failed those tests. He was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated DWI, and is being held on a $1 million bail. A Nassau County Criminal Lawyer went on to add that it is expected that more charges will be filed against the 40-year old man during his first hearing. The least of those charges that are anticipated could include vehicular homicide, which is normally filed when a death occurs as a result of a traffic violation or action.

Published on: January 12, 2012

School Board Member in Massachusetts Not Seeking Re-election After DWI Arrest Last Year

by Stephen Bilkis

A Massachusetts, a School Committee member has decided not to seek re-election. The decision seems to have been a year in the making, since many of his colleagues have repeatedly urged the 46-year old man to step down following his arrest last year for DWI.

The incident began on New Year’s Day 2010 following a call to 911 where the caller reported the driver of a pickup truck that was driving erratically, sources explained to a New York Criminal Lawyer.

An off-duty police sergeant was in his personal vehicle after completing his shift and heard the call over the police radio of what was happening. He spotted the pickup, radioed the location to the police dispatcher, and proceeded to follow it. Soon after he would observe the driver of the pickup, drive recklessly and almost hit two joggers. Soon afterward, a police cruiser arrived and stopped the truck. As part of the police’s investigation, they learned that the driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.25 percent, which is more than three times the Massachusetts legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Published on: January 11, 2012

Baseball Star Faces DWI and More

by Stephen Bilkis

A former star of the a popular baseball team, was already in trouble for driving recklessly and forcing two cars off the road, even before he was arrested for DWI in February.

A New York Criminal Lawyer obtained evidence from the State Attorney’s Office in Florida that showed the defendant forced a truck off the road before his driving caused another car to take “evasive action and (go) totally onto the grass shoulder in order not to hit the sport utility vehicle head-on”.

This was from one of two drivers who claimed to see the SUV driving erratically. The 911 call revealed the driver felt the SUV operator had to be drunk or under the influence of drugs.

Published on: January 11, 2012

San Antonio Police Officer Killed by Drunk Driver

by Stephen Bilkis

A 27-year old San Antonio Police Officer was killed Tuesday, when her police cruiser was struck by a man that police suspect of being drunk at the time, a New York Criminal Lawyer was told.

Police say that the 32-year old driver of the SUV was driving the wrong direction on Interstate-35 in San Antonio when he struck the police cruiser head-on.

Having just finished with a call involving a fight, the young officer was responding to another call involving another officer who might be in trouble when her vehicle was struck. Another officer nearby witnessed the crash and immediately began CPR on the downed officer. When other first responders arrived on the scene, they were able to remove the officer from her vehicle and then rushed her to the hospital where she later died as a result of her injuries.

Published on: January 9, 2012

Trucking Accident Leads to Suspected DWI Case

by Stephen Bilkis

After a 911 call was placed, a man was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence. A trucker was the one who placed the call, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. The trucker said that the SUV was driving erratically and the truck driver felt that the driver of the SUV was obviously under the influence.

The driver’s SUV was smoking as the driver sporadically changed lanes, directions and speeds. The trucker driver attempted to avoid a collision with the other vehicle. The driver of the SUV also crossed the center line and drove into oncoming traffic. At one point the trucker was forced to drive on the shoulder to avoid the SUV as the SUV attempted to pass the trucker. The trucker driver felt that the SUV was endangering the lives of the other drivers on the road.

Within a few minutes, police responded to the trucker’s call and attempted to arrest the driver of the SUV. At the time the police responded, the driver of the smoking SUV had pulled over to the side of the road of his own accord. According to the police, the driver initially resisted arrest. The police report also states that the driver had exhibited signs of a possible DWI at the time of arrest.

Published on: January 8, 2012

Jaime Pressly booked for DUI

by Stephen Bilkis

Jaime Pressly was booked for a DUI offense after she was pulled over for a traffic violation. Pressly, the “My Name is Earl” star who plays Joy Turner, was given a breathalyzer test. She registered at .22 on the blood alcohol level test, a reporter was told.

The .22 blood alcohol level was almost three times the California’s legal alcohol limit, tells a policeman. California’s legal alcohol level is .08 for legal drinkers. It is against the law to drive under the influence no matter how much alcohol consumed. It is also against the law to drink if you are a minor.

She was not involved in a traffic accident. Drugs are not believed to have been found in her car. The police found no indication of any drugs in the blood test taken. No children were in the car when the cops pulled Pressly over for a traffic violation. It is unclear what the traffic violation was.

Published on: January 8, 2012

Alleged Drunk Driver Knocks Over Power Pole in Texas

by Stephen Bilkis

A Texas man drove his vehicle into a parked car and knocked over a power pole, police reported. Officers responded to a call before 2 a.m. The police explained that the the driver ran his vehicle into another car, then spun around and hit the power pole, which fell onto a tree. Only one customer seems to have lost power, according to Texas officials, and a crew was quickly at work to repair the pole.

Officers said that the driver was taken straight to the hospital. His injuries were non life-threatening. While at the hospital, his blood was drawn for a possible DWI charge. As of this writing, the driver was still hospitalized.

Handling these kind of events are just what a New York Criminal Lawyer is for. Everyone who is accused of a crime requires a legal advocate. It is more than just the law – it is the right of everyone in the United States to have legal representation. Still, such representation comes in many forms. Not all legal counsel are equal. Make sure, if you ever have a date in court, you have only the best speaking for your side of the story. Only a qualified criminal lawyer has the tenacity, integrity, and discretion you need when it comes to a criminal trial.

Published on: January 8, 2012

DWI Probable Cause of Back-to-Back Wrecks in California

by Stephen Bilkis

A 27-year-old man rammed his vehicle into the back of another on an interstate in Riverside, California, then went on to drive the wrong way down the freeway, eventually getting into a head-on collision with another vehicle, California Highway Patrol officials said. The driver is suspected of a possible DWI.

The driver suffered a number of major injuries. He was trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle until emergency crews could finally extract him and take him to a hospital. An officer told a New York Criminal Lawyer that investigators would seek drunken driving charges from the driver.

It all began at 1:59 a.m. on the morning of April 2011, when the suspect was driving his vehicle at around 100 mph going south, authorities revealed. His first crash was into the back of a vehicle being driven by a 63-year-old man.

Published on: January 8, 2012

Defect in Breathalyzers May Throw Out Hundreds of Convictions in Ventura County, CA

by Stephen Bilkis

Ventura County, California is looking at the possibility of throwing out hundreds of DWI convictions, thanks to a defect found in some handheld Breathalyzer machines purchased earlier in the year. Sources state these devices have been giving inaccurate readings of blood-alcohol.

Memos have been sent to local attorneys from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, stating there are eight breathalyzers that have shown “erratic results” in blood-alcohol tests taken between January 20 and March 31, an attorney with the felony unit told a New York Criminal Attorney.

There were 128 of the devices in all, each of them costing about $4,800.

Published on: January 7, 2012

Nineteen year-old is found guilty of DUI

by Stephen Bilkis

A jury of his peers found a 19-year-old man guilty of driving drunk. The Lancaster County jury found him guilty of DUI, a New York Criminal Lawyer was told.

An officer pulled him over in the wee hours of Nov. 1. He was stopped near 37th Street and Huntington Avenue in Nebraska. The police officer noticed the 19-year-old man had watery eyes, slurred speech and an alcohol scent.

He was wearing a homemade breathalyzer costume when he was stopped. He had been at a Halloween party before being stopped. It is unclear why the police pulled the young man over before discovering he was drunk.