News

DUI and DWI

• One State Struggles to Handle Repeat DUI Offenders
  Feb 13, 2010

  
  
  Missouri authorities are trying to figure out how to handle repeat drunk drivers.  By one estimate, one-third of DWI arrests are repeat offenders; some of the suspects have been convicted of DWI over five times. 
  
  Missouri's Supreme Court Chief Justice has said suspending drivers' licenses isn't enough -- the offenders continue to drive, and drive drunk.  A Missouri prosecutor has suggested creating a consolidated database authorities could consult (within and outside of the state) to track drunk driving arrests, and the governor is encouraging lawmakers to approve a better tracking system for the state's Highway Patrol.  Other authorities suggest mandatory substance abuse treatment.
  
  Please click here to read Fairfax DWI Lawyer Paul McGlone's blog post on this subject.
  
  - 31 - 40

• Drunk Driver Runs from Crash, Leaving Seriously Injured Passenger
  Feb 13, 2010

  
  
  A 22 year-old crashed his vehicle early Friday.  A deputy witnessed the accident, and saw the driver run away, abandoning his seriously injured passenger.  The young suspect was arrested twice before on DWI-related charges. - 32 - 40

• Alleged Drunk Driver Kills Two in Maryland
  Feb 02, 2010

  
  
  Two young men in Adelphi lost their lives Monday night after what started out as a minor fender bender.  They were exchanging insurance information when a woman, reported to have a blood alcohol level around twice the legal limit, crashed her vehicle into them, killing them both.  The woman allegedly has multiple DUI convictions and may have been driving on a suspended license. - 33 - 40

• Naked DUI Suspect Runs from Police
  Feb 02, 2010

  
  When Arizona police arrested a 41 year-old man on suspicion of DUI, the man insisted he was having medical problems and needed to go to the hospital.  
  
  After being treated, the suspect tried walking out of the hospital in his hospital gown.  The officer attempted to stop him, and the suspect ran away, into a barbed wire fence.  His gown got caught on the fence, but that didn't stop him.  He stood up and ran again, this time fully naked.
  
  He was caught shortly thereafter and booked on DUI charges.  - 34 - 40

• Drunk Man Driving Wrong Way on Beltway Gets 9 Years for Fatal Crash
  Jan 31, 2010

  
  
  A 26 year-old man was sentenced earlier this month to 9 years in prison after crashing into and killing a young mother of 2 as he drove his vehicle the wrong way on the Beltway last March.  His blood alcohol level was .16, twice the legal limit in Virginia.  The 28 year-old woman was killed instantly; the drunk driver suffered broken bones but survived.
  
  The defense attorney tried to raise doubt by suggesting it was the victim, not his client, who was driving on the wrong side of the highway.  However, he was not successful.  
  
  Please click here to read the full article in The Washington Post. 
  
  
  To read about another fatal drunk driving accident, please click here.
  
  
  
  - 35 - 40

• Teen Gets Harsh Sentence Because of Drunk Facebook Picture
  Jan 29, 2010

  
  A 17 year-old girl was sentenced to 6 months in jail and five years of probation after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide and misdemeanor DWI.   The charges stem from an incident last May when the underaged teen crashed her car, killing her boyfriend.  Her blood alcohol level was .13 (the legal limit is .08).
  
  About a month after that accident, the girl allegedly went to Florida and posted a picture of herself on her Facebook page, calling it "Drunk in Florida."
  
  The judge made it clear when he sentenced the teen that the Facebook photo influenced the sentence, saying, "I'm troubled by your conduct since the crash, and that's the reason for the jail sentence."
  
  To read about another DWI crash, this one in our area, please click here.  - 36 - 40

• Police Admit Mistake with Dozens of Blood Tests
  Jan 10, 2010

  
  The Colorado Springs Police Department recently issued a press release regarding mistakes with dozens of blood tests -- blood alcohol content results were erroneously identified as higher than the true result.  Although this occurred in Colorado, DFS in Virginia performs the same exact tests in Richmond for Fairfax DUI cases.
    - 37 - 40

• Fairfax DWI Lawyer Paul McGlone Quoted in Wash. Post about Melendez-Diaz Decision
  Dec 20, 2009

  
  In June, 2009, the US Supreme Court gave it's long-awaited opinion in the case called "Melendez-Diaz".
  
  This new case has changed the way that the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states have to prepare evidence in cases where clients are accused of drug cases, DUI/DWI and other types of cases involving scientific evidence.     No longer will the government be allowed to simply send in and affidavit or signed statement by forensic witnesses.  
  
  Open this link to see Tom Workman's coverage of the new case in the Washington Post, from July, 2009.  
  
  Fairfax DUI Lawyer Paul McGlone quoted in Washington Post
  
    - 38 - 40

• Fairfax County DWI Police often use Pretext Stops Just Like the DUI SuperCop in this Article
  Nov 18, 2009

  This article documents the exploits of a typical "Super-Cop".    Numerous jurisdictions around the country have celebrated cops like this with a great arrest record for DWI's until the city realizes that the cops aren't playing by the rules. - 39 - 40

Traffic Violations--Reckess Driving and other Serious Traffic Offenses

• Fewer Traffic Tickets Issued in Fairfax County
  Jun 10, 2010

  
  Fairfax County police have written fewer traffic tickets (nearly 30% fewer) in the period from January through mid-May compared with the same time period last year.  The decrease is attributed to a new computer system launched in January.  Officials said they expected the drop as officers get used to the new system.
  
    - 40 - 40


Since graduating from George Mason University School of Law in 1988, I have had over 20 years of trial experience, defending citizens accused of a wide variety of misdemeanor and felony offenses in Northern Virginia.   Since 1999, my practice has been almost exclusively focused on the Fairfax County Courts, allowing me to gain an increasing familiarity with the Courts, Prosecutors and Judges here in Fairfax County, Virginia.  


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