The Minnesota Supreme Court decided an interesting, and likely important case earlier this week regarding the constitutionality of the state’s implied-consent law. The High Court ultimately decided that because the defendant, Wesley Brooks, consented to the having a chemical test performed following a drunk driving traffic stop there was no violation of the man’s Fourth Amendment rights.
An ongoing legal debacle in Tampa has resulted in 12 people having their drunk driving charges dropped. The cases were dropped because all relied on the same arresting officer as a critical component of the case. Because Tampa police DUI Sgt. Ray Fernandez had just been fired and accused of lying, destroying evidence and engaging in a DUI setup scheme, prosecutors felt they had no choice but to drop all the open cases involving Fernandez.
A recent article out of South Carolina raised an interesting question about whether something as strange as sucking on a penny can help drivers avoid a drunk driving bust. The case comes out of Eutawville, SC where a 30-year-old man was pulled over for speeding a little after 2 in the morning. The arresting officer said he smelled alcohol and noticed that the driver was slurring his words. As a result, the man performed and failed a series of field sobriety tests.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear an important case out of California in its upcoming term that could have an important impact on how cops apprehend some drunk driving suspects. The case deals with the ability of officers to stop a car after receiving an anonymous tip saying that the person behind the wheel had been driving recklessly. Such tips are frequently used to justify drunk driving arrests. Many attorneys challenge such traffic stops as part of their defense in DUI Cases and again are being called into question in this new case.
A recent article by a Las Vegas news station explored a push in the Nevada legislature that has some popular support and that would require drunk drivers receive a special, and eye catching license plate. The proposal is aimed to help reduce drunk driving by singling convicted drunk drivers out for public shaming, an embarrassing prospect that supporters hope would give people second thoughts before jumping behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Top 20 DWI Questions in MN
