Gainesville DUI Lawyers

A Gainesville man who has served at least seven prison terms was arrested Friday on several felonies after being accused of hitting a police dog in the head with a chair and then throwing punches at the animal.

Gainesville Police Department K9 Justice was not injured in the incident, officials said.

Police spelled out their case against Lester C., 45, of Gainesville, in a 10-page arrest report. The report shows that Lester was booked into the Alachua County jail on the following charges: aggravated fleeing and eluding, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, child abuse, resisting arrest with violence, striking a police animal, burglary of an occupied burglary, grand theft auto and two counts of DUI and then leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.

Lester also was wanted by the Florida Parole Commission for violating his parole in a grand theft auto case.

Lester’s latest problems began late Friday on Waldo Road, where witnesses said he punched a woman to end a dispute with her. The witnesses also said Lester fled the scene in a red pickup shortly before police arrived.
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Prosecutors and defense lawyers for Bruce Duncan differ widely on punishment for the Lake civic leader who was drunk the night he crashed his truck into a motorcycle, killing its driver.

Duncan, 48, a former assistant public defender and a former director of economic development known for charitable and civic works, could be sentenced Monday to as many as 15 years in prison in the death of Herbert “Steve” Muller, 61.

In a two-page sentencing memorandum, Assistant State Attorney Sue Purdy urged Circuit Judge Michael Takac to impose a 12 1/2-year sentence and to “not be swayed” by Duncan’s civic involvement. She said state law does not permit a judge to deviate from sentencing guidelines for “those acts.”

Duncan’s attorneys, however, recommend four years in prison and 10 years of probation, according to their memorandum, which lists a long string of the lawyer’s charitable activities. Four years is the statutory minimum prison sentence that can be imposed.

I’m not saying Bruce Duncan is guilty, but everyone should be treated the same in a court of law. This is ridiculous.

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Fans driving home after the UF football game against the University of Tennessee had best not drink a few beers before they get behind the wheel: Law enforcement agencies will have extra officers on the roads watching for drunken drivers.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies will join forces to beef up the night’s DUI patrol beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday and ending at 4 a.m. Sunday, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

The Gainesville Police Department, University Police, High Springs Police Department, Alachua Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol will also be involved in the nighttime patrol.

“We want to make sure everybody gets home from the game safely,” said Art Forgey, ASO public information officer.

With crowds of Gators and Volunteers fans coming to Gainesville for the UF football match against the University of Tennessee, people are more likely to engage in alcohol-related activities such as partying, he said.
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Sipping the occasional glass of wine may seem relatively harmless, and could even be beneficial to the drinker’s health. But for parents, even moderate drinking can result in one unintended consequence: an increased risk their children will drive under the influence as adults.

Writing in the current issue of the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, University of Florida researchers found that about 6 percent of adolescents whose parents drank even sporadically reported driving under the influence at age 21, compared with just 2 percent of those whose parents did not imbibe.

“The main idea is that parents’ alcohol use has an effect on their kids’ behavior,” said Mildred Maldonado-Molina, an associate professor of health outcomes and policy with the UF College of Medicine and the lead author of the paper. “It’s important for parents to know that their behavior has an effect not only at that developmental age when their kids are adolescents, but also on their future behavior as young adults.”
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The Gainesville Police Department made four DUI arrests and issued more than 100 traffic citations during a roadside safety/DUI checkpoint on Friday night and early Saturday morning, reported Cpl. Tscharna Senn.

The checkpoint was conducted at 3300 W. University Ave. from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and involved GPD’s traffic safety team and personnel from the Alachua County Sheriff’s office, Florida Highway Patrol, University of Florida Police and the

Alachua Police Department.

In addition to the DUI arrests, police made one drug arrest and one warrant arrest. They issued 88 non-moving traffic citations, 17 moving traffic citations and six criminal traffic citations. Police also issued four warnings.

“These results indicate that the checkpoint was successful in identifying violations both moving and non-moving,” Senn said in a press release. “In addition, arrests were made further indicating that drivers that shouldn’t have been driving were arrested and removed from driving, thus keeping our roadways and citizens safe.”

Usually, because DUI checkpoints surely can not be a justified practice according to The Constitution, a DUI arrest arising in this nature can be successfully challenged in court. However, anyone charged with DUI, whether or not the arrest happened at a DUI checkpoint, needs to contact a Gainesville DUI lawyer ASAP to discuss the legal process of saving your driver’s license and avoiding being convicted. Call 352-397-9915 for a free legal consultation.

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Five people were injured in a two-vehicle crash in Dunnellon Friday afternoon, according to Florida Highway Patrol officials.

Authorities say a Chevrolet pickup was heading north on U.S. 41, while a Chevy Camero was in the opposite direction in the same roadway.

The driver of the Camero lost control of the vehicle, which officials said rotated in the northbound lane, and the front of the pickup slammed into the right side of the car.

Both drivers of the vehicles — a man in the pickup and a woman in the car — were transported to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Three passengers from the pickup were taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center.

Officials said the driver of the Camero was in critical condition, and the driver of the pickup was in serious condition.

The three occupants from the pickup had non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

It was raining at the time of the crash, which occurred on U.S. 41 near Southwest 36th Street, officials said. The rain may have been a contributing factor in the accident, they said. Police continue to investigate.

It’s not uncommon for police to charge you with DUI on a later date. For this reason, anyone who suspects they could be charged with DUI would be wise in contacting a Gainesville DUI defense lawyer at Musca Law to discuss their unique circumstances. Call 352-397-9915 right now for a free consultation.

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A driver with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit was arrested early Wednesday after a police officer reported seeing him street racing on University Avenue.

The other driver involved — who was driving a Cadillac SUV — was not stopped by police during the three-block-long race.

An officer with the University of Florida Police Department was conducting a security check shortly after 1 a.m. on the Human Resources Building at 903 W. University Ave. when she noticed a Mitsubishi being driven by Terrance L., 24.
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A Florida man was taken to jail on charges of DUI and habitually driving while his license was suspended over the weekend. According to a story from the Gainesville Sun, Carl B. was pulled over by police at 2 a.m. Saturday morning for changing lanes within 100 feet of an intersection. Carl then attempted to pull over several times and hit a curb when he was able to stop the car. Carl then asked police while pulled over if being a member of the Florida Gators football team would affect the outcome of his situation.

It didn’t, and Carl isn’t really part of the Florida Gators.

And, considering the recent illegal substance “issue” in Gainesville, now may not be the best time to create that new alias.

When in the face of a DUI charge, it’s always best to follow suit and then contact a Gainesville DUI defense lawyer if you are charged. Lying, fleeing, etc. will usually only lead to further criminal charges.

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A 34-year-old Gainesville woman offered an officer $50 if he would let her go from a DUI arrest Monday evening, police said.

The officer stopped the woman’s car after he saw her driving erratically in Gainesville at about 7:30 p.m.

The woman burst into tears after the handcuffs were slapped on her wrist, then offered the money, according to police.

She was charged with DUI, driving on a suspended license, driving an uninsured vehicle and failure to maintain lane, police said.

If you’ve too been charged with DUI Gainesville or elsewhere in Alachua County, it’s very important that you contact an attorney to discuss the retention of your driver’s license and, more importantly, your legal defense in criminal court. Contact a Gainesville DUI attorney at Musca Law today.

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A Gainesville man was arrested over the weekend after a deputy reported spotting him asleep at the wheel of a car that had crashed near the intersection of Tower and Archer roads.

Brittan M., 32, was charged with DUI involving property damage following the incident shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday.

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Daniel Qualman found Brittan asleep at the wheel of the car, which appeared to have gone through the intersection, over a curb and then through some bushes before hitting a parked car.

Brittan refused to submit a breath sample. He was arrested for DUI on the basis of his poor performance on field sobriety tests, his inability to stand without swaying and the smell of alcohol coming from his mouth when he spoke, Qualman wrote in the arrest report.

Alachua County School District spokeswoman Jackie Johnson said Brittan has been a volunteer offensive coordinator for the Gainesville High School football team. His status as a volunteer is under review, Johnson said, and will be determined as other cases have been in the past — on a case-by-case basis.

DUI is never a charge, whatever the circumstances, to be taken lightly, but something such as property damage could mean a lot worse penalties if you are convicted. For this reason, Brittan would be well advised in contacting a Gainesville DUI attorney at Musca Law. Our team of experienced lawyers specializes in successfully defending the legal rights of people accused of DUI throughout Alachua County. Call us at 352-397-9915 right now.

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