Virginia DUI Lawyer
Former Heisman Trophy Runner-Up Charged with DUI, Hit-and-Run and Marijuana Possession
Category: Celebrity DUI
Before he deals with the players on the Georgia Tech football roster, he needs to settle some personal issues.
Former Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton was charged with marijuana possession, driving under the influence and hit-and-run by university police last week, days after being hired as the athletic department's assistant director of player personnel, according to the Associated Press.
"The matter is under investigation," Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich said. "An appropriate action will be taken upon completion of the investigation."
Hamilton, 31, also was charged with having an open bottle of beer in his vehicle when arrested by Georgia Tech police. He is in custody at the Fulton County jail. Police stopped Hamilton after his sport-utility vehicle matched the description of a car involved in an alleged hit-and-run. When apprehended, Hamilton told officers he hit another car from behind. He then failed field sobriety tests. At the precinct, Hamilton recorded blood-alcohol concentration levels of 0.193 and 0.199, according to the police. The legal limit in Georgia is 0.08, the AP reported.
Hamilton led the Yellow Jackets to the 1998 Atlantic Coast Conference championship and finished second in the 1999 Heisman Trophy voting. Hamilton's post at Tech includes the recruitment of high school athletes.
The alleged hit-and-run collision occurred near the Georgia Tech campus. Charles Curry Jr. of Decatur told police he was stopped at a red light when he was hit from behind. Curry said the motorist drove off. A witness of the accident noted the license plate number of the vehicle that fled the scene. Later, that vehicle turned out to bear Hamilton's license plate number, said the AP.
Hamilton earned a history, technology and society degree from Tech last year. He played briefly in the National Football League and the Arena Football League, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.
Police Officer Broadsides, Kills Motorist En Route to Shoplifting Call
Category: Virginia Reckless Driving/Speeding
Not even a police officer responding to call is exempt from road safety.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond Morrogh charged county police officer Amanda Perry, 22, with reckless driving after she broadsided and killed a motorist on Route 1 in south Alexandria, Va. Feb. 12, according to NBC4.com in Washington.
Killed was 33-year-old Ashley McIntosh, a Kindergarten teacher engaged to be married. The officer was traveling 50 miles an hour when she ran a red light at Boswell Drive and struck McIntosh's Toyota sedan, according to reports. McIntosh was pronounced dead at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Issued a summons at police headquarters, Perry remains on restricted duty pending an internal administrative review.
"We are disappointed in Mr. Morrogh's decision to charge our member with reckless driving," said Fairfax Coalition of Police President Marshall Thielen. "Based on our knowledge of the case, we believe our member did not operate her vehicle a reckless manner. We hope for a more appropriate adjudication of this case and will defend our client in court."
Bicyclist Dies; N.C. State Student Charged With DUI in Crash
North Carolina's WRAL reports that a student from N.C. State Univeristy who had apparently been celebrating his 21st birthday before striking a bicyclist near the college's campus late on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, according to investigators. The victim was transported to WakeMed, where she died later that day.
Raleigh police say that 21-year-old Graham, N.C. native Brian Reid reeked of alcohol, had glassy eyes and slurred speech, and admitted to having been drinking. He was given a breath test and registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.12, over the legal limit of 0.08.
Reid received one charge of driving under the influence, one charge of felony assault by motor vehicle, and one charge of failure to reduce speed.
According to police, shortly before 11 a.m., Reid's F-150 hit 60-year-old Nancy Leidy near the campus of N.C. State. Police said that she was riding on the right side of the road and wearing a helmet.
Leidy received transport to Raleigh's WakeMed for life-threatening injuries. According to a spokesperson from WakeMed, she died Wednesday evening.
Reid, an N.C. State junior, was released Wednesday on a $10,000 secured bond and could face more charges due to Leidy's death. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Thursday, April 24.
Actress Sandra Bullock and Husband In Crash With Drunk Driver But Unharmed
Category: Celebrity DUI
Yahoo! reports that according to police, neither actress Sandra Bullock nor her husband Jesse James were harmed in a head-on collision with a driver who was driving under the influence.
Bullock and her husband James, the star of popular TV program "Monster Garage," were being driven in an SUV on April 18 when the vehicle was struck head-on by a station wagon that had crossed the center line, according to Gloucester, Massachusetts police Lt. Jerry Cook.
Both vehicles involved in the crash were totaled, but no injuries were reported. According to Cook, the vehicles were traveling at speeds of 15 to 20 mph.
The driver of the station wagon, Lucille Gatchell, registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.20, over twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to Cook. She was held overnight and released on a personal recognizance. Her arraignment was scheduled for April 22.
Cook said that 43-year-old was "gracious" and expressed concerns over the well-being of Gatchell.
Bullock, star of such films as "Speed" and "Miss Congeniality" is currently in Massachusetts to film the romantic comedy "The Proposal."
Report Says 15 Percent of Adult Drivers In US Have Driven Drunk
FOXNews.com reports that according to a recent government report, 15 percent of adult drivers across the U.S. report driving under the influence of alcohol within the past year. It also says that the upper Midwest states have the worst rate of drunken driving in the U.S.
Wisconsin was the state with the highest rate, with an estimated rate of over a quarter of adult drivers in the state having driven under the influence. North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota were the remaining "bottom five."
The state reported to have the lowest rate of DUI was Utah. Utah was the only state with less than 10 percent of adult drivers reported to have driven drunk. The remaining top five were a group of Southern states that typically fare poorly on government health statistics. West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina were all reported to have DUI rates of less than 11 percent.
The report relies on data taken from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. A total of 127,283 adults were asked in 2004, 2005, and 2006 whether or not they had driven drunk within the previous year. According to health experts, other surveys were supported by the state-by state breakdowns showing that residents of northern states are more likely to consume alcohol heavily.
Driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or over is illegal.
Smoking Bans in Bars Might Lead to More DUI Arrests
Category: DUI DUIrony
Virginia lawmakers may someday learn their efforts to taper one vice in public could lead to an increase in another - driving under the influence.
A recent study published in the Journal of Public Economics -- "Drunk driving after the passage of smoking bans in bars" - hints at an association between smoking and excessive drinking.
In addition, The Economist reports smoking bans have shown a correlation with an increase in DUI-related auto accidents. Supposedly, smokers will travel farther to bars which permit smoking. In turn, this leads to more DUI incidents since smokers have longer distances to drive home.
Scott Adams, PhD, assistant professor of the Economics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Chad Cotti, PhD, assistant clinical professor at the Department of Economics - Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina researched for two years and found smoking bans increased alcohol-related fatalities by 13% in a county of 680,000 people. That increase amounts to 2.5 fatal accidents and 6 deaths. Cotti found 90 percent of alcoholics smoke, they drink more if they can't smoke and smoking slows down alcohol's effect of on the body. Their study analyzed data in 2,400 counties, 100 of which had smoking bans
This data wasn't derived from behavior following recent smoking bans in bars across the country. Adams and Cotti found DUI-related fatalities rose 19% in venues where bans had been instituted for at least 18 months.
Adams and Cotti also found when one geographic location installed a smoking ban in bars, DUI-related accidents increased in neighboring locations. For instance, DUI-related accidents in Delaware County, Pennsylvania increased by 26% after neighboring Delaware implemented a smoking ban in 2002. After a ban went into place in Boulder County, Colorado, fatal accidents involving DUI cases rose by 40% in nearby Jefferson County.
East Carolina Running Back Williams Charged With DUI
Category: Celebrity DUI
North Carolina's The Daily Reflector reports that Jonathan Edward Williams, a sophomore running back for East Carolina University, has been charged with drunk driving (DUI), according to a report from the Greenville, N.C. Police Department.
Shortly before 11 p.m. on April 5, Williams was arrested on charges of DUI and driving after consumption of alcohol by a person under 21.
Williams refused to take a Breathalyzer test, so a warrant was obtained by the officer and blood was drawn at a lab in Pitt County Memorial Hospital. The result have not been reported.
Williams was confined to the Pitt County Detention Center on a $25,000 unsecured bond and is to appear in court on May 9. He will have an addition court date on April 21 on charges of driving with a revoked license.
Williams is the second Pirate football player to be arrested for DUI within the past year. On March 31, quarterback Rob Kass pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an August incident.
NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony Arrested for DUI
Category: Celebrity DUI
Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony scored only 11 points after missing 11 of 14 shots Saturday against a Houston Rockets team missing its best defensive player, Shane Battier.
But it got worse for the former Syracuse University letterman.
Hours after leaving the locker room, the NBA All-Star was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Denver Police pulled Anthony over on Interstate 25 after he was spotted with his high beams on and weaving in traffic.
After Anthony failed field sobriety tests, detective Sharon Hahn arrested Anthony, charged him with DUI and took him to police headquarters. He was later released to a "sober responsible party," according to ESPN.com. Anthony is due in court May 14.
Mark Warkentien, spokesman for the Nuggets, said the team had no comment. Anthony was unavailable for practice Monday, an off day for the team. He is expected to practice Tuesday.
Anthony's attorney, Dan Recht, confirmed Anthony agreed to a police-monitored blood test to determine blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level. Results won't be released for two weeks. "Carmelo apologizes to his fans, the Denver community, his teammates and the Nuggets organization for the distraction," Recht said.
Anthony made his first career start in this year's All-Star game. For the season, he ranks fourth in the league in scoring (25.8 ppg) and averages a career-best 7.4 rebounds, according to ESPN.com.
Richmond Braves release Scott Spiezio
Category: Celebrity DUI
The Richmond Braves, the AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, announced that they had released recently acquired veteran Scott Spiezio after he showed up late for a road game and was "not ready to play." The troubled Spiezio was recently charged with DUI in California.
Just last Monday, spiezio reached a plea bargain on the California charges. He was batting .333 for the Richmond Braves (7 for 21). The Braves declined to make further comment about the specifics of Spiezio's condition when he showed up late. For more on this story click here.
Bon Jovi Guitarist Richie Sambora Arrested for DUI Suspicion
Category: Celebrity DUI
Richie Sambora, lead guitarist for the rock band Bon Jovi, was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence in Laguna Beach Calif. on March 26. A woman and two girls were inside his vehicle when it was stopped after weaving in traffic lanes, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department. One of the girls in the vehicle was his daughter, according to entertainmentwise.com.
Sambora spent five hours in jail before being released. He has a court date May 7 on one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sambora failed verbal and manual sobriety tests before being arrested. The musician opted for a blood, rather than a Breathalyzer test at the police station.
Police said Sambora could face an additional charge of endangering the welfare of a child. But first, they want the results of his blood test, which could take a week to process.
The musician spent time at the Cirque Lodge in Utah after completing a 30-day detoxication program at the UCLA Medical Center in 2007. The 48-year-old is one of the founding members of Bon Jovi.
In April of 2007, Sambora ended his marriage with Heather Locklear, with whom they have a 10-year-old daughter, Ava. The marriage break-up followed the death of his father to lung cancer. Most recently, Sambora ended split from actress Denise Richards.
The band, Bon Jovi formed in New Jersey during the 1980s. Two of its' top-selling albums were "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey." Fronted by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, the group is known for hits "Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "I'll Be There for You," according to MTV.com.
Florida Senate Seeking Harsher Penalties For Certain First-Time DUI Offenders
The Bradenton Herald reports that drunk drivers in the state of Florida who have high blood alcohol levels could soon be facing a more severe punishment for their first offense, having to breathe into a device to start their vehicles.
On Tuesday, March 11, a bill was discussed in the state's Senate that targets first-time offenders of driving under the influence who are caught having a blood alcohol level over 0.15 percent, which is nearly twice the legal limit of .08. A proposed law would require such offenders to blow into a device similar to a breathalyzer to get their vehicle to start for a period of six months. If someone is caught drunk driving with a blood alcohol level over 0.2 percent, the device will be installed for nearly a year.
Under the current laws in Florida, the only first-time DUI offenders who are required to have the "ignition interlock" device installed are those who register a blood alcohol level of over 0.2 percent.
Senator Stephen Wise (R-Jacksonville), the bill's sponsor, believes that it and a similar bill in the Florida House will reduce the number of fatalities related to DUI crashes.
On Tuesday, the bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Transportation.
Ohio Police Officer Charged With Reckless Driving and DUI After Crashing Into Own Department
Category: DUI DUIrony
Here's another one for the "do as I say, not as I do" category:
Ohio's WKYC reported that a police officer in Parma Heights, Ohio has been charged with drunk driving after he crashed into his own police department's building.
According to court records, at 5:30 a.m. on December 8, Sgt. Jeff Krepina of the Parma Heights Police Department crashed his truck into the front of the police department's building. While he was driving, the truck jumped a curb and went towards the doors of the building. The truck apparently struck the building with some force, as witnesses inside the building described it as sounding like someone slamming a door.
The impact caused pieces of sandstone to be knocked from the outside of the building and smashed the fender, bumper, and grill of Krepina's truck.
According to the crash report, Krepina's blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, at 0.15. He was charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence.
The previous night, Krepina was working special duty at Knockouts, a sports bar. According to police records, after work he drank at least three shots and had been using the drug Ambien, a sleep aid.
Gilligan's Island Starlet Avoids DUI Trial with Plea Agreement
Category: Celebrity DUI
Dawn Wells, who played "Mary Ann" on the 1960s TV sit-com Gilligan's Island, made a 3 for 1 trade in a plea agreement that likely probably kept her from an extended prison term and saved her driver's license.
Wells, 69, was arrested last October in Driggs, Idaho and charged with DUI, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police found four half-smoked marijuana joints in her car. Wells was returning from a surprise birthday party when stopped.
Wells pleaded guilty to one count of reckless driving and must serve a six-month probation. She was fined $410 and sentenced to five days in jail. Wells' attorney said her friend testified he had left marijuana in Wells' car after using the vehicle that day.
Wells was stopped when a Teton County sheriff's deputy saw Wells' car swerve several times on Idaho State Highway 33.
Wells Stikes Gold on Beauty Pageant Circuit
The Nevada-born Wells played on Gilligan's Island from 1964-67, which ran on the CBS network. She earned a theatre degree from the University of Washington in 1960. A year earlier, she won the Miss Nevada 1959 and competed in the 1960 Miss America Pageant. Before winning the role of "Mary Ann," Wells starred in the television series 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick and Bonanza.
Wells now operates a business making clothing for people with limited mobility. She also acts in local theater and conducts an actors' workshop from her ranch in Driggs. Wells was married to talent agent Larry Rosen from 1962 to 1967.
Paris Hilton's Younger Brother Officially Charged with DUI
Category: Celebrity DUI
Drunk driving is becoming a family affair with the Hiltons.
Barron Hilton, the younger brother of Paris, officially was charged with four misdemeanor counts by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office after being arrested in Malibu, California in February.
Hilton was charged with DUI, unlawful use of a driver's license and unlicensed driving, March 7 according to the Yahoo entertainment web site. The arrest came only a month after the 18-year-old was arrested after allegedly running a man over at a gas station. He is scheduled to appear in court in April.
Teenager Tested Almost Twice the Legal Limit
After Paris refused to bail him out, three friends came to his aide and put down $20,000 to free the heir after he had spent nine hours in jail.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Hilton tested 0.14 on a breath machine. As in most states, .08 is considered legally drunk in California. The sheriff department also said Hilton had a fraudulent driver's license.
If convicted of the DUI charges, Barron faces a jail sentence and would lose his license for one year. His sister served 22 days in jail in 2007 after a conviction of driving on a suspended license. That followed a DUI conviction in 2006.
Pennsylvania Officer Charged With DUI
Category: DUI DUIrony
The Morning Call reports that a police officer from Freemansburg, Pennsylvania is to face charges of drunken driving in the court of Northampton Count, Pennsylvania. On Monday, March 3, 32-year-old Kevin Kovalovsky, waived his right to preliminary hearing before District Judge Adrianne Masut.
According to Pennsylvania state police, when he was found on December 15 in Bushkill Township, stopped on the side of the road, Kovalovsky's blood-alcohol content was over three times the legal limit. Borough officials said last month that Kovalovsky had been given a 25-day suspension without pay.
Police said that Kovalovsky, a native of Bethlehem Township, is facing two counts of drunken driving. Court documents say that his blood-alcohol content was 0.277 percent.
On the day of the incident, Kovalovsky was found shortly after 2:30 a.m. alone in his car by police. He told a state trooper that he had hit a parked car and police said that there was front-end damage on his car. He was charged with hitting a parked car and leaving the scene hours before being found by state police.
Connecticut Drunk Driver Charged In Fatal Accident
On Thursday, February 28 the Hartford Courant reported that according to state police at Troop K in Colchester, Connecticut, a man was charged by police earlier that day in connection with a fatal accident that resulted in the death of a man from Franklin, Connecticut last June.
According to police, 39-year-old Moosup, Connecticut native Eric C. Holcomb Eric C. Holcomb was charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, failure to drive in the right lane, and driving while intoxicated.
On June 26 at approximately 6:00 p.m., Holcomb was driving in Bozrah, Connecticut when his vehicle struck the motorcycle of 59-year-old James R. Beebe. Police said that Beebe was pronounced dead at the scene.
Holcomb suffered minor injuries from the accident and was held on $100,000 bond in Superior Court in Norwich, Connecticut.
Seattle's King County Climbs Aboard "Bust the Breathalyzer" Bandwagon
Category: DUI DUIrony
In Seattle's King County last week, district court judges ruled due to excessive "ethical lapses" and errors from the state toxicology lab, breath tests should not be admitted as evidence in court. Similar judicial rulings have been made in Spokane and Snohomish counties, according to the web site, dui-defender.net.
State's Toxicology Lab Losing Credibility
The lab's credibility came into question when the manager of the Washington State Toxicology Lab resigned in the summer of 2007. The manager was accused of lying about checking the lab's breath-test solutions to ensure accuracy. To that end, DUI attorneys in the state are questioning the ethics of the Washington State Patrol's Toxicology Lab.
Basically, it's all in the details and DUI defense attorneys in Washington State can thank its Supreme Court for checking.
State Supreme Court Weighs In
The state's high court recently voted unanimously to outlaw breath-test machine results as evidence in court if those devices haven't been calibrated correctly so as to reduce inaccurate readings.
The State University of New York at Potsdam Sociology Department reported that the machine's thermometers -- which must be functional to record accurate readings -- weren't properly maintained and that led to false readings in breath test results. The site said to reduce this problem, Washington state officials set regulation standards that required periodic checks of the machines' thermometers. Apparently that hasn't been done for years.
One Washington State prosecutor even admitted, "the rules have become our own worst enemy."
Administrator Loses Influence after Drunk-Driving Arrest
Category: DUI DUIrony
One Florida DUI offender program calls its curriculum "comprehensive" and it isn't kidding.
Margot Cioffi, executive director of the Comprehensive Offender Rehabilitation and Education (CORE) program in Palm City, was suspended without pay after she received a DUI herself, according to dave'sdaily.com.
The nonprofit agency serves 5,000 clients per year in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties, providing educational services to people on probation for DUI and other misdemeanors, according to TCpalm.com.
"I feel bad for Peggy because this is very out of character for her," said State Attorney Bruce Colton, the president of CORE's board of directors. "It's bad for her and it's bad for the public perception of the program. She's brought this program from nothing to a very comprehensive program," he said.
Cioffi faces charges of DUI with property damage, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly intoxication. She is out of jail on bond.
She recorded a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.336. The legal driving limit in Florida is 0.08 percent. Cioffi has been CORE's executive director since 1989 and previously worked as an instructor, the TCpalm.com reported.
Washington Bill Looks To Make DUI Offenders Place Yellow Plates On Cars
Washington State Senator Mike Carell (R-Lakewood) wants everyone on the state's roads to be able to know which drivers have been caught driving drunk. He is sponsoring a bill which would require fluorescent-yellow license plates to be placed on the cars of convicted drunk drivers for a year, starting when their driving privileges are restored.
Carrell says that it could it could aid law-abiding drivers in giving a wider berth to drivers who could be a risk.
However, there is some disagreement that public designation is the best way to work towards cracking down on drunk drivers.
Senator Brian Weinstein (D-Mercer) said that the first thing he was reminded of was reading "The Scarlet Letter," a novel in which the protagonist was punished for adultery by being ordered to wear the letter "A" on her chest.
Weinstein said he is obviously opposed to drunk driving, but he doesn't think the bill would solve anything and would only serve to public embarrass many people.
The bill received approval last week from the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now before the Transportation Committee.
DUI offenders would incur charges of $10 for each plate for cars and $2 for motorcycles and mopeds.
There are similar requirements for DUI offenders in the states of Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oregon.
Wyoming Congress Hoping to Crack Down On Repeat Drunk Driving
In Wyoming, a bill with hopes of cracking down on repeat offenses of drunk driving received the unanimous support of a state Senate committee on Wednesday, February 27.
The bill would make the third DUI in a seven-year period or the fifth lifetime DUI a felony. The current law makes it a felony to be convicted of four DUIs in five years.
Rep. Erin Mercer (R-Gillette), the bill's sponsor, said that the state has been living up to its hard-drinking reputation, which is contributing to more drunk drivers on the roads. She noted that between 2002 and 2007, the number of convictions for drunk driving in Wyoming jumped from 3,480 to 4,400.
The bill also received the support of the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Prosecutors Association. Michael Blonigen, the Association president, said that there was a significant problem with repeat drunk drivers in the state and drivers would be made more accountable by the bill.
According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the number of drivers convicted of three DUIs within a year nearly doubled between 2006 and 2007, going from 12 to 22.
Parents of Teens Slain By Drunk Driver Settle Case Against Liquor Store
A settlement has been reached in the case the parents of two Westfield, Indiana teenagers who were killed by a drunk driver filed against the liquor-store chain the driver purchased the alcohol from.
In the December of 2005, the parents of Kristin Rice and Travis Woerner filed a lawsuit alleging that the operators of a 21st Amendment store in Westfield share responsibility for the November 2004 death of the teenagers.
According to court documents, the case was originally scheduled to go to trial in Hamilton Superior Court on February 25, but on January 17, was sent to mediation where a settlement was reached by January 24. The terms of the settlement have not been divulged.
According to the Rice and Woerner families, Westfield native Nicholas Gaunt, who was 17 at the time of the accident, purchased beer and vodka from the store. According to the suit, on November 13, 2004, Gaunt and his friends drank the alcohol before starting to drive to Chicago, Illinois. Gaunt crashed the vehicle into the back of a steamroller on an Interstate exit ramp close to Gary, Indiana. According to court documents, his blood-alcohol content was 0.14, well above Indiana's threshold of 0.08.
Rice and Woerner, both 16, were in the back seat, not wearing seat belts. The impact caused both to be ejected from the vehicle. Rice died at the scene and Woerner died at Methodist Hospital Northlake Campus five days later. The passenger in the front seat, Laura Wilcox, was wearing her seat belt and survived the crash.
Rice's father, Jeff Rice, said that all parties involved were satisfied with the outcome of the suit.
Scott Montross, the attorney for the Rice family, said the family hoped that 21st Amendment's practice of checking identification of buyers before the sale of alcoholic beverages would improve.
In August 2007, Gaunt, who is now 21, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and causing death. He received a six year prison sentence.
Federal Judge Benched after "DUI-Dress" Debacle
Category: DUI DUIrony
It has been said that the difference between God and a federal judge is that God doesn't think he is a federal judge! For at least one federal bankruptcy judge, the problem seems to be that he liked to think he is a woman. The man with the black robe also had a "little black dress" tucked away in his closet.
Federal judge Robert Somma resigned after being arrested on drunk driving charges when he rear-ended a pickup truck with his Mercedes-Benz February 6 in Newbury, Mass. Neither the judge or the truck driver sustained injury. Offucials believe Somma drove from his home in Boston to New Hampshire since no one knew him in that state.
Case of Missing Identity
But that wasn't all she wrote.
When officers approached the vehicle, they witnessed "hizzoner" powdering his nose while gussied up in a black cocktail dress, fishnet hose and high heels but holding no gavel. The "chamber maiden" kept officers waiting while he fumbled through his purse, pushing aside the lipstick and mascara to find his official picture - the one without the makeup - on his driver's license.
Authorities would not say if there was a precedent in this case. No state "penal code" forbids a man to wear a dress in New England. You just can't be drunk and ram another vehicle in the process.
Was this "honorable" behavior? Apparently the judge-gone-wild didn't think so.
Appointed to the bench by President Bush in 2004, Somma placed himself on immediate leave. The First District Bankruptcy Court announced he will resign on April Fool's Day. That would be April 1, 2008, according to The Daily Press of Newburyport. Mass.
Before trying to drive himself home that night, Somma danced the night away at the Breezeway Pub, known as New Hampshire's "favorite gay and alternative bar," according to the Manchester Union Leader.
Prestigious 31-Year Career Tossed Aside
The judge accepted a plea deal and was given a 12-month driver's license suspension, which could be reduced to six months upon completion of an alcohol awareness program. He paid $600 in fines and penalties but was allowed to keep his party dress and cosmetic accessories.
Gary Wente, the chief administrator of the U.S. First Circuit Courts, said Somma faced no disciplinary action for the incident." We are greatly disappointed at losing him as a judge," he said. "He was a first-class lawyer, a first-class judge and a quality human being." The First Circuit courts comprise Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico.
Before being named judge, Somma had specialized in the areas of bankruptcy and insolvency in private practice for 27 years and served as special assistant attorney general for bankruptcy matters in Massachusetts for 10 years. He taught at Boston University and is a fellow of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the American College of bankruptcy.
Oscar-winning Screenwriter of Movie, "Pulp Fiction" Charged with DUI
Category: Celebrity DUI
Roger Avary, Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Pulp Fiction," was arrested and charged with suspicion of manslaughter and DUI in a January 15 accident that killed his friend, Andreas Zini, who was visiting from Italy.
Avary's wife, Gretchen was thrown from the car, admitted to a hospital and listed in stable condition. The driver's car spun out of control in Ventura County, Calif. and struck a telephone pole. Roger Avary was released from custody on $50,000 bail.
"Roger wishes to publicly convey his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased," said a statement read by publicist Julie Polkes. "Words cannot express how sorry he is. This tragic accident will always haunt him."
Zini died seven hours later on an operation room table at Ventura County Medical Center. Deputy Medical Examiner Shasta Gainer said an autopsy revealed he died of blunt force chest and abdominal injuries.
Avary won an Academy Award along with Quentin Tarantino for writing "Pulp Fiction," and is a co-writer of the recent film, "Beowulf." Nominated for Best Picture in 1995, Pulp Fiction starred John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and Rosanna Arquette.
Drunk Driver Collides With Daughter of John Edwards in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Category: DUI DUIrony
As if things weren't going badly enough for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, there was more bad news last weekend, this time, on the home front.
On January 11, his oldest daughter, Cate, was struck from behind in her vehicle by an alleged drunk driver in Chapel Hill, N.C. She suffered no injuries but her Ford sedan sustained $2,000 in damage from the rear-end hit, according to ABC News.
"I talked to Cate," Edwards said from Michigan, where he was campaigning in the Michigan primary. "She was hit from behind, I think, by a drunk driver... I don't know much more beyond than that, but she's doing fine."
The Edwards Lost a Son in a Vehicle Accident in 1996
Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth lost their son, Wade in a 1996 accident when strong winds swept his vehicle off a North Carolina highway. Weeks before the accident, Wade was honored by then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for an essay he wrote on entering the voting booth with his father.
ABC affiliate WTVD in Raleigh Durham reported the car Cate was driving was struck as she approached a red light. The station said Chapel Hill Police charged 45-year-old Carol Small with driving while intoxicated.
Edwards is a former U.S. Senator from North Carolina who sponsored over 200 bills while serving in the U.S. Senate, according to Wikipedia. His family is based in Chapel Hill. Following the New Hampshire primary in early January, Cate, 25, returned home to North Carolina. She is a Harvard Law School student but campaigned for her father in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Harrisonburg Virginia DUI lawyer educates drivers about their rights.
HARRISONBURG, VA-Harrisonburg, Virginia DUI lawyer Robert Keefer was frustrated and concerned that aggressive law enforcement tactics were intimidating many young citizens into forfeiting their Constitutional Rights. The blog for the national www.DUIAnswer.com website has written an interesting article about the "Keefer card," which was designed by Keefer to ensure that his clients knew their legal rights in an encounter with the police.