DWI Hit Parade!

From The Roanoke Times
Paul Anthony Harris faces the prospect of 38 years in prison and a $2,500 fine after being convicted Friday on four charges related to the Aug. 9, 2010, car crash that killed two people on U.S. 460 near Bonsack.
Harris, 41, displayed little emotion as the verdicts and recommended sentence were read, but earlier Friday afternoon he had broken down sobbing just as his lawyer was finishing closing arguments before the jury retired to consider the evidence.
Roanoke County Circuit Court Judge James Swanson immediately called a recess to allow Harris to leave the room to compose himself.
Emotions ran high through much of the final session of the four-day trial.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Brian Holohan apologized to the jury for becoming emotional early in his closing arguments, recounting the deaths of 41-year-old Jill Jones and her 16-year-old son, Nicholas, and the maiming of Melanie Lynn Rice. …..MORE

From Chicago Sun Times
A noted Lake County restaurateur took the wheel of his GMC Hummer while he was drunk and taking prescription pain-killers, then texted on his cell phone as he drove, authorities said.That drive ended in the death of a pedestrian, 40-year-old Santiago Balderas, allegedly run down in north suburban Antioch, Lake County authorities said Friday, a day after the chef owner of David’s Bistro was hit with felony DUI charges stemming from the collision Feb. 6.The 9 p.m. crash instantly killed Balderas as he walked along Route 59 in Antioch — the suburb where longtime restaurateur David Maish has run his newest upscale restaurant since 2009.Tests after the collision showed Maish’s blood-alcohol level was .14 — nearly twice the .08 legal limit, Lake County prosecutor Suzanne Willett said.   ….MORE

From MySanAntonio
After more than nine hours of deliberation over two days and a note stating they were deadlocked 3-3, jurors returned a guilty verdict Friday in the drunken driving trial of former San Antonio Police Officer Winder Morales.
He is now set to be sentenced in about a month by County Court-at-Law No. 9 Judge Walden Shelton.
Morales, 34, resigned from the police department in January 2010, two months after he flipped an unmarked police vehicle along U.S. 90 West near South Gen. McMullen Drive. The officer had recently left an early morning barbecue with other officers when the wreck occurred at about 4 a.m., prosecutors Katie Magee and Sergio Ybarra told jurors.   ……MORE

Injuries and deaths resulting from people operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs are one of the most preventable tragedies in our society today. In Florida alone, 1,169 people were killed in 2008 due to alcohol-related traffic crashes, which was 42 percent of all accidents.  Nationwide, more than 11,773 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes in 2008, 31 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year.
 This is unacceptable. Although drinking and driving is a societal problem, law enforcement agencies are often the last line of defense when it comes to preventing the worst from happening. We, however, cannot do it alone. It is not possible to catch every driver under the influence who may be on the road at any given moment. The Florida Legislature has toughened DUI laws over the years, which has helped to reduce the number of first-time and repeat offenders. Cultural awareness of the problem has also helped. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving have helped to spread the word about lives ended too soon due to someone’s decision to get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office works with students in schools to understand the consequences of making bad decisions, including drinking and driving.   … MORE

The following persons were booked into the jail of Pasco County Florida Sheriff Bob White on charges of DUI:

David Lee Fink, 28, on 4/8/2011 at 4:34 pm by Pasco County Sheriff’s Office

Thomas Fitzgerald, 56, on 4/8/2011 at 9:11 pm committed by Court for manslaughter DUI

Laura E. Allison, 23, of Palm Harbor, Fl., on 4/8/2011 at 8:51 am by Florida Hwy. Patrol

Douglas Plummer Knight, 28, of New Port Richey, Fl., on 4/8/2011 at 7:51 am by Pasco Co. Sheriff’s Office

Tiffany Armstrong Pizzo, 35, of New Port Richey, Fl., on 4/7/2011 at 10:46 am by Florida Hwy. Patrol

ORLANDO, Fla. -The Florida Highway Patrol awarded Trooper Ronald Evans Jr. the Hurd-Smith award for 2011. The award recognizes the trooper who leads FHP in Driving Under the Influence apprehensions for the year. Evans, stationed in Land O’Lakes, made 238 DUI arrests last year.
“Trooper Evans did an outstanding job protecting motorists in Florida from drunk drivers,” said Colonel David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Removing impaired drivers from our roadways will continue to be a priority for our Department, and we are proud to honor him with this well deserved award.”
The Florida Highway Patrol named the Hurd-Smith award, which distinguishes the trooper who makes the most DUI arrests for the year, in honor of two troopers who were killed in the line of duty by drunk drivers. Trooper Kimberly Hurd served the people of Florida for six years. On July 16, 1992, Hurd was conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Fort Lauderdale when a passing van struck and killed her. The intoxicated driver fled the scene, but was later apprehended and convicted. At the time of her death, Hurd was 26 years old. Trooper Robbie Smith served the people of Florida for four years. On July 26, 1997, Smith was in his patrol car in the emergency lane of I-95 in Miami after completing a traffic stop when a drunk driver travelling at an excessive speed struck his car from behind. At the time of his death, he was 34 years old.
The Florida Highway Patrol recognized 10 other troopers from across the state for their efforts to remove impaired drivers from the roadways by making more than 100 DUI arrests in 2010:
Trooper Gabriel “Steven” Keyes, Pensacola District
Trooper Chester T. Everett, Jacksonville District
Trooper Bobby Hartzig, Pinellas Park District
Trooper Deborah Hawkins, Orlando District
Trooper Gregory B. Healy, Jacksonville District
Trooper Corey Lee, Lake Worth District
Trooper Deanna D. Martinez, Lake Worth District
Trooper David Meyer, Brooksville District
Trooper Jose Ramirez, Orlando District
Trooper David “Chris” Roper, Pensacola District
Mothers Against Drunk Driving named Trooper Evans as the MADD Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and honored all 11 troopers recently at a ceremony held in Orlando. The troopers were among law enforcement officers from across the state recognized by MADD for their efforts to detect and apprehend impaired drivers. The Florida Highway Patrol reminds motorists to dial *FHP (*347) on your cell phone to report an impaired driver. Motorists can also request roadside assistance at that number. To learn more about the Florida Highway Patrol, visit www.flhsmv.gov/fhp.

From KLEWTV.com
LEWISTON – Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Deputy Jay Colvin appeared in Nez Perce County Magistrate Court Thursday for sentencing on a DUI charge.
Lewiston Police arrested Colvin January 17 on a charge of Driving Under the Influence. He refused a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer test.
Colvin reached a plea agreement with prosecutors last month, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge.
He was demoted to deputy from the rank of sergeant, was suspended for 10 days without pay and lost his place on the department’s boat patrol.    ….MORE