Planning on taking advantage of the gorgeous weather and throwing a backyard celebration? If your celebration will include alcohol, read on for important tips on how you can help curb drinking and driving on Virginia roadways.

Nationally, there are over one million DUI arrests every year, with approximately 30,000 of these DUI arrests in Virginia alone. In the event that you are charged with a DUI, you should contact a Fairfax DUI Lawyer or a Manasses DUI Lawyer. While impaired driving and drunk driving may coincide, they aren’t necessarily the same thing. A person is considered to be driving under the influence in Virginia, or driving drunk, when their blood alcohol content (BAC) is at or above 0.08. However, even with a BAC lower than 0.08 a person’s coordination, judgment, and reflexes can be impaired and Virginia police have the right to issue a DUI to anyone whose driving appears to be impaired, regardless of BAC.

Ensure that your guests don’t drink and drive by arranging in advance for some guests to remain sober and function as designated drivers. Some may not wish to or may not be able to drink and might therefore welcome the opportunity to volunteer for sober driver duty. Collect car keys from the rest of your guests and hang on to them if their owners are intoxicated.

Make sure that these volunteers, and other party goers, have plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options. If you’re hiring a bartender or asking a friend to handle the duties, explain that it’s important to you that guests are not over-served. As with all things, moderation is key. Additionally, arrange for “last call” in advance of the party’s end. Give about an hour of breathing room for guests to unwind, have some additional bites to eat, and sip some alternate beverages before they start heading home. Remember that hot weather can be dehydrating—and alcoholic drinks may thus affect those drinking more severely than usual.

There has already been one Sarasota DUI dismissed due to this ruling and more could be coming stemming from these unconstitutional DUI checkpoints. The DUI checkpoint stops that could be in jeopardy are all those conducted in May and December, and September of 2009. The DUI checkpoint plans are required so the discretion of deputies and their ability to conduct unlawful search and seizures is controlled protecting driver’s rights. An alcohol breath test is legally a search and detaining a driver a seizure.
The sheriff’s office, through its attorney, said the plan was designed to protect the public according to the Herald Tribune. The attorney for the sheriff’s department claimed that drivers who had been drinking could still be a danger on the roads even if deputies were unable to collect enough evidence to make an arrest. The plan called for drivers to be detained even if they provided a breath sample below the 0.08 that is considered to be legally under the influence in Florida.
The original plan was changed after a ruling in 2009 allowed 13 DUI cases to be thrown out. The judges at that time ruled the sheriff’s plan gave deputies too much discretion.

Hillsborough County prosecutors are trying James Braley for DUI manslaughter claiming if he wasn’t driving drunk and rear-ended that Jeep Sarhaddi would never have stopped to help out at the accident site and hence never been hit by the third driver. According to the story on TampaBay.com the prosecutors contend that his intoxication at least contributed to the death of Sarhaddi, which is exactly what the law states is needed to convict someone of DUI manslaughter.
The woman who has already been convicted for DUI manslaughter and was sentenced to five-years in jail will testify in the trial. She took a plea deal in January. Sarhaddi’s wife will also testify about the last moments she spent with her husband before the crash. The defense lawyer in the case tried to get evidence admitted that Sarhaddi was drunk as well at the time this all happened but that request was denied by the judge in the case.

The new radar device is different than most units because it can specifically target a car, determine its speed and allow the officers to possibly issue a speeding ticket on a more frequent and accurate basis. Older versions of radar send out a beam that then measures anything that comes into its field but the Kustom Signals Pro Laser III emits a beam of light right at the target measuring speed and distance. The drawback of the newest technology is that it can only be used by stationary officers. Police will not be able to use the unit while in motion in their cruisers. Due to that fact, the police department in High Springs will not retire their old laser equipment any time soon.
The laser unit also can be used to enforce other laws according to the story in the North Florida Herald. With its capabilities to measure distances, the officers can determine when alcohol laws that are based on distance go into effect and how far registered sex offenders are from places like schools.

The scariest part of the story was the fact that Ruzier had three minors in the car. Manatee Sheriffs report that none of the children were wearing seatbelts. So on top of getting a speeding ticket in Bradenton, the man was arrested on charges of child endangerment. He was taken to Manatee County Jail and released after posting $870 bond.
There was no information on the Bradenton Herald website of what the posted speed was on that road but if Ruzier was speeding 50 MPH over the limit he could be facing a civil penalty of $1000. There will also be a mandatory court date involved either way on the moving violation since he was for sure driving more than 30 miles faster than the posted speed limit.

Stanford moved to South Carolina where she got a license to ride a scooter and bought another one. Nick went back to her probation officer in Florida and a warrant for her extradition and arrest was issued. Before that warrant was served the charges were dropped since driving a scooter in South Carolina does not require a driver’s license so Stanford has not violated her lifetime driver’s license revocation. On top of that, Stanford admitted on her form in South Carolina that she had a lifetime suspended license.
Nick believes her leaving the state is just another example of Stanford ducking out on her responsibilities from the Florida DUI manslaughter conviction. He has even reported the woman for violating her homestead exemption on her home in Sarasota since she is living in South Carolina now. Stanford claims she is on an extended visit despite claiming to be living in South Carolina on her scooter license application. According to the Herald Tribune, she will face no punishment on the homestead exemption issue either.

According to the story, one of the reasons that careless driving tickets are dismissed or the drivers are found not guilty more often is that the driver is challenging an officer’s observation. They are fighting what the issuing officer saw or was told. That is different when people fight a speeding ticket. In those cases the recipient of the traffic citation is often challenging the accuracy of a radar gun or the timing system used by a plane that times cars on a highway between specified white lines.
None of the magistrates who were asked to go on the record on camera agreed to be interviewed for the story. NBC2 does talk to a Fort Myers traffic attorney about fighting traffic tickets in Lee County. The article also gives options for those who cannot afford to hire an attorney to fight their tickets on their behalf. The story also has suggestions for alternate penalties besides fines if you are found guilty of the traffic violation.

Martina did not wait around after she allegedly hit the 2005 motorcycle Pearson was traveling on. She was later found and arrested on U.S. 19 near Countryside Boulevard. Martina was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident, commonly referred to as hit and run. She was taken to Pinellas County jail and records indicate she was released after posting $10,000 bail.
Both of Martina’s previous DUI arrests came in Hillsborough County. There have been no details published about how the previous two DUI arrests Martina was involved in were resolved. ABC Action News is reporting that Martina refused field sobriety tests at the scene of her latest arrest. There was also no mention in any of the stories on whether or not Martina submitted to a breath test at the jail. If she did not, that would constitute a double refusal, which means declining both the field sobriety tests and the Intoxilyzer.

According to police reports Billitteri had a blood-alcohol level of 0.194, more than twice the legal limit. He was arrested on DUI charges and booked into the Pasco County jail where he was released on $10,300 bail. Billitteri was officially charged with DUI, DUI with property damage and DUI manslaughter.
After the crash took place April 30 Billitteri told the St. Petersburg Times that he had lost his soulmate. The newspaper attempted to contact the man after his arrest this week but was unable to get a comment. TampaBay.com did report that the blood-alcohol level was determined through a blood test that was sent to state labs to be analyzed. The process usually takes months, which was also the case in Billitteri’s arrest.

Elias did not perform field sobriety tests and allegedly also refused to even leave his vehicle when asked. He resisted being removed from the vehicle by an officer. Elias agreed to a breath test but later changed his mind and did not give a breath sample. According to reports he said he would only agree to a blood test.
Elias was booked on a Tampa DUI charge and was released from Land O’ Lakes Jail on $250 bail. TBO.com reports that Elias joined the Gulf High staff in 2008. He was at Wiregrass Ranch High prior to that where he served as the school’s athletic director. He also coached golf at the school. From 2003 to 2006 he worked at Land O’ Lakes High in exceptional student education. There was no information on Elias’ current status with the school district following his arrest.