Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

A Florida man was arrested for DUI in Crestview when an officer spotted the man’s truck swerving down the road. Upon the traffic stop the officer attempted to conduct field sobriety tests but the truck’s driver instead opted to just turn over his keys and told the officer “I’m done” according to a report on TampaBay.com. The driver also refused a breathalyzer.

The driver of the truck allegedly admitted to drinking a six pack before driving. He also repeatedly asked the arresting officer what his favorite drink was, while being transported to jail. That wasn’t his only request from the back seat of the police cruiser. The man also asked the officer if he would turn on his blue police lights during the ride to jail.

Continue reading "Florida DUI Arrest Includes Requests For Blue Lights And The Arresting Officer’s Drink Of Choice" »

The story of 24-year-old Jeri Bollinger keeps getting more twisted. The woman who ran a red light killing a 57-year-old grandmother and then was later arrested stealing lingerie from a St. Cloud Wal-Mart has a long history of traffic violations some of which involve driving under the influence according to an Orlando Sentinel story. Bollinger has one conviction for DUI from 2009 and in 2003 she had her license suspended for not submitting to testing for drugs or alcohol following a traffic stop.

Those aren’t the only charges on the woman’s record. In 2002, when she was 17-years-old, she was stopped for speeding. Two months after the speeding stop, she was in a car with alcohol present. In 2003 and 2004 she had her license suspended for failing to pay traffic tickets. In June of 2009 Osceola Circuit Court records show she was sentenced to probation for a battery charge. At the time of last week’s fatal crash she was driving with an expired license and police are awaiting test results to determine if she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of this latest crash.

Continue reading "Woman Involved In Alleged DUI Fatality Had A History Of DUI, Battery And Traffic Incidents" »

A cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon with a famous last name in the Tallahassee medical community was arrested on drunk driving charges in Wakulla. Dr. Thomas Bixler allegedly was driving with a blood-alcohol level of .285, which is more than three times the legal limit in Florida. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Bixler was arrested on DUI charges and held in the Wakulla County Jail.

Bixler was first pulled over for speeding and then given field sobriety tests. According to the article Bixler was driving 50 MPH in a 35 MPH zone at the time he was pulled over. Bixler’s father was the first emergency room doctor at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. The emergency room at TMH is now named after Bixler’s father.

Continue reading "Prominent Tallahassee Surgeon Arrested In Wakulla On DUI Charges" »

Ocala Police have charged the owner of a popular downtown restaurant with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. Loring W. Felix, owner of Felix’s restaurant, was allegedly involved in a single-car accident and then left the scene. When police found him he admitted to drinking all day and failed field sobriety tests according to Ocala.com.

Ocala police report that Felix smelled of alcohol and was unsteady. He refused to take a breath test at the Marion County jail. The 51-year-old said he had consumed two or three beers throughout the day. Officers found Felix’s silver Mercedes abandoned on Watula Avenue after it had been crashed into a utility pole.

Continue reading "Owner Of Popular Ocala Restaurant Charged With DUI Following A One-Car Crash " »

The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting that a 37-year-old employee at South County Jail has been arrested on charges of DUI following a single-car accident. Davita Glenn was involved in a crash near Brandon Monday. The trooper on the scene smelled the odor of alcohol and Glenn later registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.201.

Glenn, a detention sergeant at South County Jail, was in uniform and on her way back to work at the time of the accident. According to a Fox 4 report, the detention officer has resigned her position with Polk County following her arrest.

Continue reading "Polk County Detention Officer Charged In Drunk Driving Accident" »

There are many things that a police officer has to do during a DUI arrest that are mandated by the state of Florida. If an officer doesn’t follow those rules, the DUI arrest could be dismissed. That was the case in Polk County where 54 drunk driving cases have been dropped due to one sheriff’s deputy who did not follow those rules.

Polk County sheriff's deputy Tex Thomas has been disciplined and reassigned following an internal investigation into how he conducted his DUI arrests and filing out the reports that went along with those arrests according to an ABC Action News report. Thomas was accused of violating the “20-minute rule”, which mandates police officers observe a suspect for 20 minutes before giving a breath test. Thomas apparently wasn’t disciplined for that reason though. He was officially disciplined for copying information from an original DUI report into subsequent reports in order to save time.

Continue reading "54 DUI Cases Dropped As Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Is Disciplined For Breaking DUI Arrest Rules" »

The traffic crash that critically injured four people in Pasco County may have been cause by drunk driving according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that the FHP are waiting on tests that will determine if one or both of the drivers involved in the accident were driving under the influence.

Police reports state that New Port Richey’s Rose Mary Daniel was driving at about 4:00 p.m. when she rear-ended a car in front of her. She hit a 1993 Pontiac Firebird and the collision sent both vehicles spinning. There were three people in the Firebird and two were airlifted to a local hospital. A second passenger was taken to Tampa General Hospital. That is the same hospital Daniel was taken to.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourTampaDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Meredith Witt has resigned her teaching job at Oviedo High after admitting that she gave alcohol to one or more students and also gave her car keys to one of those students as well, as reported in the Orlando Sentinel. The 32-year-old was a special education teacher at the Orlando area high school. Witt has not been charged with a crime as of yet.

Witt’s story came to light due to the fact one of her students that she gave alcohol to later ended up hitting two cars, leaving the scene of the accident and then was charged with DUI. According to the police the student smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests when they tracked him down hiding out at his house. His Honda SUV was damaged and parked in the driveway.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Orlando, Orange or Seminole County, please do not hesitate to contact Orlando DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourOrlandoDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Orlando office located at 189 S Orange Ave., Suite 1850S.

Larry Garland is currently on probation for DUI and possession of a controlled substance. According to a report on TBO.com things are about to get worse for the 35-year-old. The Tampa man is back in jail now after he allegedly tried to submit a false urine sample when called in for a random drug test.

Tampa Police report that Garland’s probation officer noticed some sort of bladder device with surgical tubes strapped around Garland’s waist. The homemade bladder contained an orange-yellow liquid. Garland was arrested following the stunt at the probation office on N. Tampa St. He is being held without bail.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourTampaDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A 14-minute police chase took place in Pinellas County this weekend ending with the arrest of a 23-year-old man on multiple charges. In a story reported on TBO.com Dane Bailey was spotted by police officers driving a stolen car. At that point officers pursued the man into a shopping center parking lot where three passengers exited the vehicle and a 14-minute police chase ensued with three police cruisers and a power line being damaged in the process.

Bailey was finally stopped by Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies and taken in to custody. He was charged with DUI, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and grand theft auto. Bailey and one officer were treated for injuries at Mease Countryside Hospital.

If you have been charged with a DUI or any crime in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact Pinellas DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourPinellasArrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

Another traffic stop has led to a Tasering this time in Pinellas County. Earlier this week a man in Bradenton was stopped on his bike and fled police. That man was subdued with a Taser and ended up dying following the Tasering. Yesterday it was a Clearwater woman named Sarah Thomas who tried to get away from police following a traffic stop. Thomas fled, caused an accident and was then Tasered according to a story on TampaBay.com.

The incident took place Thursday afternoon when Thomas was pulled over by a Clearwater officer for reckless driving. After stopping her car, Thomas fled the scene. She tried to pass a car by driving in the grassy median and spun out. She then exited her vehicle and according to police approached them in a threatening manner which led to the officers using a Taser on the 39-year-old woman. She was then arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding, DUI and resisting arrest.

If you have been charged with a DUI in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourPinellasArrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

Tracey Brown was driving without her headlights on Monday night in Hernando County. Two deputies had just finished a traffic stop when they noticed the 48-year-old’s car heading towards them according to an article in Hernando Today online. The deputies motioned for Brown to pull over and while complying with the request she nearly hit one of the officers.

According to police reports Brown pulled over and nearly struck one of the deputies with her car before swerving to avoid the police officer. When Brown stopped her vehicle deputies approached and noticed signs of impairment and then gave Brown field sobriety tests, which she reportedly failed. The deputies then arrested the woman on DUI charges.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact Florida DUI Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at FightYourDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Stephen via email.

A 72-year-old Cape Coral, Florida man is going on the offensive after his recent DUI charge. Vincent Tallo was arrested at a DUI checkpoint last weekend after claiming to have had one beer in a two-hour span and passing a breathalyzer test. He spoke out against his arrest in an article published on the Tampa website 10connects.com.

Tallo was stopped at a DUI checkpoint last week and admitted to having a beer that night. After complying with the officer’s request to perform field sobriety tests, Tallo was placed under arrest for DUI. At that point he requested he be given a breath test, which he claims came back with a reading of 0.00. Following that test officers sent him to a portable urinal to provide a urine sample. Police claim something showed up in Tallo’s urine but they won’t know what until the results come back from the lab.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email.

According to the Tampa Police, Josy Lemos-Soares had a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 when she was pulled over at the Fowler Avenue and I-275 Saturday night. The 28-year-old was allegedly swerving in and out of her lane on the Interstate when she was pulled over. (read more)

Lemos-Soares is a tennis coach at Saddlebrook Resort where she lives. According to the police report she smelled of alcohol and her eyes were bloodshot at 3:00 a.m. when she was stopped. Following her arrest Lemos-Soares was taken to Orient Road Jail where she was held on a $500 bond.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourtampadui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or visit him in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Denver Nuggets reserve forward Renaldo Balkman was arrested for suspicion of DUI by Temple Terrace officers this past weekend. Balkman was pulled over at 4:00 a.m. Saturday but there were no details as to why he was stopped. He was taken into custody following his refusal to take a breath test. (read more)

The Nugget reserve averaged 5 points and almost 4 boards per game. The Nuggets had no comment other than to say they were aware of the arrest. Balkman was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail where he was later released on a $500 bond.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourtampadui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or visit him in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

There were two arrests reported for DUI in Weeki Wachee on Wednesday night. One of the arrests involved a driver who rolled his Jeep. The accident was reported and when the deputy arrived on the scene the driver was standing inside the vehicle, which was on its side. The deputy said he immediately detected the odor of alcohol and then Bobby Ball admitted to having “a few”. Following medical clearance, Ball failed field sobriety tests. He was tested at the jail and his blood alcohol level was reported at .183 and .172. (read more)

Earlier that evening a Chevy Lumina was stopped for rolling through a stop sign. The officer followed the car and reported seeing erratic driving. Mary Nelson was eventually pulled over and showed signs of intoxication according to the deputy. She was arrested and then provided a BAC sample that registered at .194 and .196.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email .

Current Tennessee Titan and former Florida State wide receiver Chris Davis was arrested and charged with DUI. Davis was reportedly driving a white Cadillac Escalade in Nashville when he was pulled over for speeding around 2:00 a.m. The officer reported that Davis’ eyes were watery and bloodshot and his pupils were dilated. (read more)

Police said that Davis had a strong odor of alcohol and that he admitted to drinking. He allegedly registered a Blood Alcohol Content level of 0.11. Davis has not played since the opening game of the preseason due to a hamstring injury.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email.

The Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 have been at the heart of a lot of challenges from defense attorneys as of late with mixed results. In Sarasota and Manatee there have been over 100 breath tests thrown out by judges based on challenges to the equipment but that was not the case in Brevard County where a judge ruled against defense attorneys who looked to get 56 breath tests thrown out because they were collected by the controversial breath tester. (read more)

Fourteen lawyers filed the motion in the 18th Judicial Circuit claiming the readings were inaccurate. Eight judges ruled the Intoxilyzer 8000 was an instrument approved for evidentiary use in Florida. A ruling that is opposite to what four judges in Sarasota and Manatee Counties have ruled disqualifying 100’s of breath tests including some for clients represented by the Law Offices of Finebloom & Haenel.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Sarasota, Bradenton or Manatee County, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email.

Tiffany Davis was involved in a terrible car accident in March that killed two of her children and paralyzed a third. Five months after the horrific accident the Florida Highway Patrol took Davis into custody and brought her to the Marion County Jail on DUI charges. The woman is alleged to have had cocaine, Oxycodone and cannabis in her system at the time of the accident. (read more)

Three-year-old Owen Davis and nine-year-old Hailey Davis were killed in the crash and Hunter Davis, also nine, was paralyzed. Davis was the mother to Owen and Hunter and Hailey’s step mother. According to police neither of the children who died was properly restrained.

If you have been involved in an accident and charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Angela Gaskin’s death was one of the stranger stories in Tampa Bay recently. The 20-year-old stuck her head out of a moving truck and hit her head against numerous mailboxes. She was pronounced dead at Northside Hospital where the driver of the truck took Gaskin following the incident. (read more)

Police are now alleging that Karl Jeckel, the driver of the truck, was driving under the influence at the time of the accident. Jeckel has not been charged with any crime but Pinellas Park police say that there was a beer can inside the truck and Jeckel had an odor of consumed alcohol on top of slurred speech and watery eyes. He told police he had three to five drinks earlier that night. Jeckel has had his license suspended due to a DUI conviction in Colorado.

If you have been charged with a DUI in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

Ron Sansome and his wife Becky Algeri thought they were doing their civic duty when they spotted a possible DUI driver on the road in Pinellas County on their way to work. They called 911 and were sent to the Clearwater Police Department where they reported a driver who was weaving all over the road before dawn. They were told to stay a safe distance from the driver and an officer would be sent to investigate the situation. Moments later the couple saw not one but three Pinellas County Sheriff’s cars at a gas station but none of the cars pulled out to pursue the possible DUI driver. (read more)

The reason none of the sheriff’s deputies responded was simple, they never got the call. This was the result of a communication breakdown that is rather common. When calls come in to Pinellas’ 911 call center they are routed to one of many dispatch centers and with 24 different law enforcement agencies in the county the information doesn’t always make it to each jurisdiction’s officers. The fix is easy but would cost $1000 per patrol car and that price tag seemed too steep when first discussed in 2004. It might be time to address it again.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasarrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Clearwater office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.