Florida’s 5th District Court of Appeals ruled recently the trial court in Florida v. Kleiber incorrectly applied the strict compliance standard in granting a DUI defendant’s motion to suppress blood test evidence. DUI blood test evidence is critical in any case wherein a person is alleged to have driven drunk.…
Back in 1996, a man in West Boca caused an auto accident that resulted in the deaths of five Boca Raton teenagers. The following year, he would receive a 15-year prison sentence. Three years later, another man in West Boca killed six senior citizens in a crash. He too would…
Statements made to police detectives from a hospital bed will make it difficult for a man to build a solid defense following a fatal car accident in Pompano Beach in June. The decedent in the case was working with one other as a driver/delivery person on a car hauler. The…
This Independence Day, travel experts estimate some 35 million people are going to travel by car to BBQs, pools, beaches, parades and firework shows. Many people celebrate these occasions with booze. In fact, authorities say in 2013, Americans cracked open some 68 million cases of beer over the July 4th…
One of the key pieces of evidence in many criminal Florida DUI cases is the breathalyzer test, typically conducted with a brand of machine known as the “Intoxilyzer.” It is designed to measure a person’s blood-alcohol content by analyzing particles released in one’s breath. But the science behind the machines…
Although the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints has been challenged repeatedly across the country, it has consistently been upheld. That being said, police agencies are held to strict standards regarding how these operations must be carried out. Those include officers having a valid reason for establishing the checkpoint (high number of…
Florida law requires drivers arrested for a DUI to take a breath, urine or blood test if the arrest is lawful and the officer has probable cause to believe you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Defendants may be asked to take more than one test and in…
The case of Coffey v. Shiomoto involved a woman who was arrested for DUI, pleaded guilty to “wet reckless” (a lesser charge available in California, where this case originated) and then fought to have her administrative license suspension vacated. Similar to what happens in Florida, a person arrested in California…
For the death of a 6-year-old boy and injuring three others, a 20-year-old Davie man is facing serious felony charges that could send him to the prison for the next 35 years or more. According to news reports, the suspect, who was 19 at the time of the wreck, had…
Following a Broward Circuit judge’s conviction for driving under the influence in Boca Raton, it was agreed she would suffer additional sanctions. Those included a 20-day, unpaid suspension from the bench, a public reprimand and a $5,000 fine As well, she must undergo an evaluation for alcohol abuse and addiction…