Articles Posted in DUI Defense

Last week at a banquet held at the Montgomery Prattville Marriott in Alabama to benefit the Autauga Education Foundation, University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh announced that Jim Minick, associate athletic director at U-M, had returned to the program. Harbaugh had suspended Minick last month following his June 9 arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

Minick, who was suspended indefinitely by Harbaugh on May 13, is now back in the football program, although there are “unspecified” consequences that will continue, according to Harbaugh who said there is a plan in place, and that Minick is following through with that plan. Minick was hired as associate athletic director at U-M in January after retiring from an extensive military career in the Marines.

On May 9, Minick was involved in a single vehicle accident just outside Ann Arbor; he was arrested at approximately 2:30 in the morning for operating while intoxicated. Minick did not make any excuses after being arrested, commenting to Fox 2 that he would face the consequences of his actions. He also said in his brief statement that he regretted the difficult position he had put his family and employer in.

On Monday evening June 1st, a 47-year-old Janesville woman was arrested for drunken driving; it was her 10th DUI offense, according to a news article at the Gazette Extra. According to a Janesville police news release, Tracy L. Hatcher refused a breath test, and was so intoxicated that field sobriety tests could not be administered by officers.

The arrest took place at approximately 6:30 p.m. when officers responded to a report of a woman lying outside her vehicle who was described as “belligerent” and “intoxicated.” Hatcher was transported to a medical facility due to the level of intoxication, where a blood sample was taken for alcohol testing. The release did not reveal her blood alcohol concentration, saying only that the results of the tests were pending. Hatcher’s license was revoked at the time, and she was cited for operating after license revocation.

Officers were initially dispatched to the 2500 block of Riverview Drive after a call was received reporting an “unwanted intoxicated subject.” In the interim, Hatcher left the location before officers received a second call and found her outside the vehicle in the 1800 block of S. River Road.

Michigan DUI attorneys know that nearly every holiday results in an increase in intoxicated driving, whether Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, or New Year’s. While the long holiday weekend is just coming to an end, a news article at AZCentral.com indicates that so far, the number of DUI arrests in Arizona are down from the same time a year ago.

On Sunday, the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety announced that across the state, a total of 216 DUI arrests were made between Friday and Saturday; this is down by 100 arrests from the same time period in 2014, when 316 arrests had been made. Of the 216 individuals arrested, 69 were considered cases of DUI extreme in which those arrested had a BAC of 0.15 or higher, nearly double the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Arizona police did pull over more underage motorists suspected of drunk driving; in fact, there was a 55% increase in the number of minor consumption arrests and possession citations. During the two-day period, officers across Arizona made more than 6,100 traffic stops.

Recently, 31-year-old Jennifer Yi of Brandon, FL was arrested three times within a 6-day time period. According to a news report at WFLA.com, Yi was arrested on April 30, May 1, and again on May 5.

Yi would not submit to a blood alcohol test during the first two arrests, however she did take the test after being pulled over on Tuesday May 5, the last time she was arrested. Records show that Yi was first stopped on Thursday, April 30 in the area of Brandon Blvd. W. Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies arrested her and took her to jail, where she was released after posting $500 bond. The very next day (May 1), Yi was pulled over on Brandon Blvd. E. where deputies again arrested her after she refused to take a blood test, and took her to jail once more where she was released on a $500 bond.

The final arrest on May 5 resulted in Yi’s being arrested and booked into the county jail; this time she did take a blood alcohol test. Her bond was set at $100,000 for this third DUI arrest, although the results of the test were not revealed. Yi is reportedly employed by Coca Cola.

On Sunday morning, May 3, Seth Gilliam of ‘The Walking Dead’ hit AMC series was arrested in Peachtree City, GA when he was pulled over by police after driving 107 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gilliam plays Rev. Gabriel Stokes, a morally conflicted reverend, on the television show. The show is filmed in Senoia, GA according to CNN.

Gilliam admitted to having drank three beers and a shot after being pulled over when the officer noticed an odor of alcohol on the actor and asked if he had been drinking. A police report also indicates that the officer found a marijuana joint in the vehicle after detecting the smell of marijuana.

The actor has had recurring roles on Teen Wolf and The Good Wife; he was charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, DUI, reckless driving, and speeding. Gilliam was booked into the Fayette County Jail and later released. A breath test revealed Gilliam’s BAC (blood alcohol content) was .107, slightly higher than the legal limit of .08 percent.

Recently, Lt. Edward Zadroga of the Millville, New Jersey Police Department was arrested for driving under the influence. Zadroga, a top ranking officer in charge at the station, was pulling out of a driveway at a popular sports bar when he sideswiped another vehicle. According to news reports, Zadroga was arrested by officers who were under his command. He was charged with reckless driving and DWI, however he will keep his job.

Mayor Michael Santiago appointed Zadroga to the temporary supervisory position in early April, and said that “We’re all human. We make mistakes.” Santiago says that Zadroga will keep his position for now, however some residents feel that the Millville police lieutenant should be held accountable for his actions, just as civilians would. Zadroga was arrested by officer Ralph Satero after he failed a field sobriety test on Sunday evening, April 19 following the crash. No one was injured.

According to a news article at The Daily Journal, two other Millville officers were charged with drunken driving in September of last year, after the Corvette they were driving left the roadway and crashed into a Catholic church on Carmel Road.

Recently, Jon Riki Karamatsu resigned his position as deputy prosecutor after he was arrested for DUI for the second time. Karamatsu was arrested for driving under the influence in 2007 after he slammed into a concrete median on the Moanalua Freeway. At that time, he was serving as a state representative for the 41st District, according to news sources.

In the most recent incident which occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. on April 4, Karamatsu was arrested after being stopped at a DUI checkpoint. At the time of news reports, it was not clear whether Karamatsu was under the influence of alcohol or something else, however he refused a blood alcohol or breathalyzer test. Karamatsu resigned as deputy prosecutor saying that he did not want his DUI case to distract from the work of the Honolulu City Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

In Hawaii, a second DUI offense outside of five years of the first offense is considered another first offense. Ultimately Karamatsu will be subject to the same penalties as a first-time DUI offender, which include a fine, community service, possible jail time, and attendance of an alcohol class. Additionally, Karamatsu’s drivers license was revoked for two years.

At approximately 1 a.m. on April 5, a high-speed chase resulted in a two car crash on the 520 Bridge in Seattle, according to news reports at the Seattle Times. One person is in custody after being arrested on charges of DUI with assault; that individual is also likely to face charges of eluding police, according to the report.

Washington State Trooper Chris Webb said that the person who was arrested was driving his BMW at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour in an effort to flee from police. The BMW eventually crashed into another car, with both vehicles being totaled. The crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of the 520 Bridge, causing those lanes to be closed for several hours.

Reports claim the driver of the BMW and an occupant of the vehicle that was struck during the chase sustained minor injuries, and were treated at Harborview Medical Center.