Archive for January, 2010

Carlos Dunlap, a former Florida Gator defensive star, pleaded no contest to a DUI charge from December 1, 2009.  His plea was entered in Gainsville Court earlier today. He was sentenced to 1-year of probation, 50 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine.  The court is also requiring that he attend a victim’s impact panel.  Also, as result of his no contest plea, Dunlap’s driver’s license will be suspended for 6 months.

On December 1^st, several days before the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta, Dunlap was arrested after police found him sleeping at the wheel at an intersection.  Our Seattle DUI lawyers recently reviewed a similar fact pattern involving a man in Greenwood who was literally passed out behind the wheel at an intersection.

Dunlap was suspended for the championship game, but was re-instated 3 weeks later.  He recorded 2 sacks versus Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.  The Gators easily won the game.  Dunlap is currently awaiting the NFL draft in April, where he is expected to be a 1^st or 2^nd round pick.  If you have recently been arrested for drunk driving here in King County, WA, we invite you to call our offices and speak to one of our experienced Seattle DUI attorneys.

Here’ another horribly sad story that we recently related to one of our Seattle DUI lawyers.  Former Lance Cpl. Elijah Ferguson, who is 22 years-old, was sentenced today for his conviction of 2^nd degree murder and driving under the influence causing injury, for a February 2008 accident that killed an Orange County, CA, doctor, and injured the doctor’s wife.  He was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Ironically, the accident occurred several hours after Ferguson attended a driving safety briefing at Camp Pendleton, which specifically addressed the dangers of driving under the influence.  Under Washington drunk driving law, if you kill someone while driving under the influence, you will be charged with one or more very serious felonies.

Dr. Michael Stein, a radiologist, was killed, and his wife injured, when Ferguson’s car rear-ended their car in the coastal town of Newport Beach.  If you are currently facing a WA drunk driving charge, we can help.  Please call our offices to speak with one of our knowledgeable Washington DUI attorneys.

The Oprah Show is offering a stream of their Monday, Jan. 18th show entitled, “This Show Could Save Your Life: America’s New Deadly Obsession.” 

Here is the show description:

Would you get in your car and drive after having four drinks?  Statistics show that talking on the phone or texting while driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk.  It is Oprah’s hope that seeing this show will be a seminal moment in your life and that you will be inspired to make your car a no phone zone.  Throughout the show, courageous families shared personal stories of how they’ve paid the ultimate price for America’s deadly habit when they lost loved ones because of distracted drivers.  And, three people who all thought they could multi-task while driving were put to the ultimate road test by the experts at Car and Driver Magazine.  The results were shocking!  The members of our audience all pledged to make their car a no phone zone. Will you?

The Senate Transportation Committee held a meeting on Monday, January 17, 2010. One of the debates revolves around toughening the Washington state’s traffic laws as they relate to using cell phones while driving. Specifically, the new law would allow WA state law enforcement officers to pull over drivers that they observe holding a cell phone to their ear while driving.  The fine for this violation would be $124.

Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, is the leading proponent for this bill and is sponsoring it.  In addition to the above change of the law, this bill would also prohibit drivers under the age of 18 from talking on cell phones entirely while driving, including phones that are equipped with “hands-free” devices.

Debate is expected from both sides of each of these proposed new WA traffic laws.  One side believes it would overburden already stretched police officers and the other believes that it is a public safety issue warranting immediate action.

Sen. Eide believes this issue to be in the same category as a DUI.

“It’s the equivalent to drunk driving. We don’t tolerate drunks in Washington State,” she said. “It’s time to say, ‘Hang up and drive.’”  Many believe, however, that her comparison to Washington DUI law is a stretch.

January 15, 2010

Utah state senator Sheldon Killpack was arrested Friday in Salt Lake City on suspicion of DUI.  The Utah highway patrol pulled the senate majority leader over after a police officer noticed that his vehicle was exhibiting a “poor driving pattern”.  Many Washington DUI cases begin with a similar traffic stop.

The police officer asked Senator Killpack to exit the vehicle and perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests, but Mr. Killpack appears to have refused.  He also refused to take a portable breath test.

He was booked into the Salt Lake county jail and was later released. According to the Utah Highway Patrol, Mr. Killpack’s blood test results will take two weeks to a month to be properly processed.

Utah Republican party chairman Dave Hansen said that this kind of incident is inexcusable for anyone, especially for those in a position of the public trust.

Hall of Famer, and 11 time Pro-Bowl NFL star, Bruce Smith, recently plead guilty to a DUI charge in Virginia Beach.  It was his third drunk driving charge in the last thirteen years.  He previously was acquitted of a charge in 2003 and had a 1997 DUI conviction dismissed at a later date.  Under Washington DUI law, the penalties for second and third DUI offenses within seven years increase dramatically.

Smith played 19 years in the NFL, mostly with the Buffalo Bills.  He was a major part of the teams that went to four straight Super Bowls.  He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past August.

Facing a Washington DUI charge is always a nightmare.  Fortunately, you don’t have to stand alone.  If you have questions about your WA DUI arrest or charge, we invite you to call our offices for a free consultation.  One of our experienced Washington attorneys can review your case in detail and then explain the DUI process here in WA State.

This is a tragic story one of our Washington DUI attorneys heard about last month.  Joseph Rouleau, a 35 year-old Readfield man, plead guilty to a DUI charge that resulted in the death of a 21 year-old Seattle woman.  He was recently sentenced in the Kennebec County Superior Court, to eight years in prison.

The July 27^th drunk driving related accident also resulted in injuries to a California woman.  Both women were summer counselors at Camp Laurel in Mount Vernon, WA.  The police report stated that the women were enjoying an evening walk, when Rouleau lost control of his vehicle, flipped it, and came in contact with the two women.

At his sentencing, the Kennebec Journal quoted the Mother of the deceased as commenting that “He (Rouleau) murdered her daughter with a 2,000 lbs. weapon.”  Under Washington DUI law, if you injure or kill someone while driving drunk, you will face felony charges that could send you to prison for many years.

If you or someone you know was recently stopped and arrested for driving under the influence, we encourage you to call our offices.  One of our Seattle DUI attorneys can review your case in detail and then explain how we can.

January 13, 2010

A Readfield man, whose car hit and killed a 21 year old camp counselor,  plead guilty to DUI charges and was sentenced to prison for eight years.            

He was sentenced Tuesday in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta. 

There were two victims of the July 27th crash. One was Corrie Lazar of Seattle, who was killed.  The second victim, counselor Mia Jessup of San Clemente, California, was seriously injured. 

Both were counselors at Camp Laurel in Mount Vernon. 

According to the police, Rouleau lost control of his vehicle, which went off the road and flipped, hitting Lazar and Jessup who were walking along the road.

January 12, 2010

Pittsburg State football coach Chuck Broyles got some good news and legal relief when his South Kansas prosecutor dropped the DUI charge against him.

This decision was announced by Galena City Attorney Kevin Cure on Tuesday.  The attorney says that the machine used to test Broyel’s blood-alcohol level had not been properly calibrated.

Coach Broyles was pulled over for speeding.  He was later given a blood-test and charged with misdemeanor DUI.

Broyel’s announced after his arrest that he was retiring after 20 years as the Gorilla’s head football coach.

January 11, 2010           

WARWICK , RI

A Rhode Island federal prosecutor arrest sparked an internal investigation into whether or not the local police treated him favorably, and the DUI charges against him have been dropped.

A Warwick judge dropped the charge against Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard Sullivan at the city lawyer’s request.

Robert Sgroi says he made the recommendation in part due to Sullivan admitting last week that there was sufficient evidence to prove that he refused a chemical breath test when he was pulled over early on Thanksgiving morning.  As a result, he lost his driver’s license for seven months.

Sullivan mentioned several times to the Warwick police that he was a federal prosecutor and knew their chief.  The chief has ordered an internal inquiry into why Sullivan was not initially charged with DUI.