Jennifer Staebell was sentenced to the maximum prison sentence allowed under the law for hitting and killing a pedestrian. Staebell was driving under the influence of cocaine and a mix of prescription drugs when she killed Robert Hall in February, 2008. She was convicted of DUI Manslaughter by a central Florida jury in August of this year.
This was Staebell’s first DUI offense. Even though Staebell has two children and her attorney asked the judge to suspend the sentence, she was still sentenced to the maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment.
Don’t drink and drive. But if you do, and you’re charged with a DUI or a DUI Manslaughter case, make sure you get the assistance of an experienced central Florida DUI defense attorney.
Unless you’re a celebrity, a regular drunk driving case doesn’t usually make the news. Even if it’s a fender-bender type of accident, someone charged with driving under the influence (DUI) shouldn’t expect to see their name in the papers. Let’s face it — most drunk driving cases don’t make the headlines.
But if you’re the director of a program that supervises DUI offenders while they’re completing their DUI probation, your arrest for drunk driving is newsworthy.
Margot “Peggy” Cioffi, was arrested Monday on charges of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, resisting officers without violence, and disorderly conduct. Cioffi had been the guiding force behind the Comprehensive Offender Rehabilitation and Education Program, known as CORE, since it began nearly 30 years ago. She took the lead in expanding it to an organization that handles misdemeanor and DUI probation in St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties and DUI probation in Martin County.
She was arrested after allegedly rear-ending a car, and then trying to leave the scene of the accident. The crash occurred around 5:30 PM, and her breath alcohol level (BAC) was .34, which is more than 4x Florida’s legal breath alcohol limit of .08. Her arrest just goes to show… anyone can commit a DUI.
(Lake County) On February 23rd of last year, Scott Leland was enjoying drinks with friends. They hit two different bars and drank for several hours, enjoying a fun night out. At the end of the evening, his friends offered to give him a ride home, but he declined. They insisted that he get a ride home, but he said that he was “fine” and could make it home on his own.
He never made it.
While driving home, Leland struck and killed a 77 year old woman who was riding in an ambulance on her way to the hospital for cancer treatments. Leland’s breath alcohol level was .159, which is almost exactly twice the legal level at which someone is presumed to be a drunk driver here in Central Florida.
Leland had previous been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in Texas. He was convicted of drunk driving not once, not twice, but three times. Last Friday, he was convicted of DUI Manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Police have arrested a motorist they say had a 24-pack of beer strapped in with a seat belt but had a 16-month-old girl unrestrained in the back seat with the toddler’s mother.
Tina D. Williams was pulled over in St. Augustine on Sunday for allegedly running a red light.
A 24-pack of Busch beer was strapped in with the passenger-side seat belt, according to an arrest report. The girl was in the back seat with 20-year-old Amber Tedrick, who is the toddler’s mother.
Williams, 46, said she didn’t know why the child wasn’t restrained.
Williams refused to take a breath test and a deputy found two metal pipes commonly used to smoke drugs in her purse, authorities said.
Williams was charged with driving under the influence, child abuse, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license, a jail official said. She remained in the St. Johns County jail Tuesday after bail was set at $31,000.
The jail did not have the name of her attorney. It was not clear if Tedrick would face any charges, but the child was released to her care, according to The Florida Times-Union.
TAMPA - Ted DiBiase Jr., the 25-year-old son of former WWE wrestler “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, has been arrested in South Tampa early this morning. ‘Teddy’ was charged with driving under the influence.
Tampa police reportedly took DiBiase into custody around 3:30 a.m. after a crash on South West Shore Boulevard at Browning Avenue, according to TBO online.
DiBiase was reportedly in a Cadillac S.U.V. that was allegedly inolved in a crash with another vehicle.
Information about the other vehicle or the driver has not been made available at this time. According to police, no one was seriously injured and no one required hospitalization.
According to a recent story from Fox Orlando, Knight Library near the University of Central Florida campus is a popular place for underage drinkers. But a recent drunk driving accident outside the bar threatens to put pressure on the bar’s policy of allowing non-drinking 18-20 year old’s enter the bar. Last Friday, around 2:30 in the morning, an 18 year old student claimed she drank about 4-5 drinks before leaving the bar. She then crashed into a fire truck parked outside the bar. Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested the young girl for driving under the influence (DUI).
“Keep in mind she’s 18,” Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Kim Miller said, “That is why we are so concerned; because of how much we see in this area. Drivers by their own admission tell us they get it at Knight Library. There is a connection where these kids are getting this alcohol.”
ST. PETERSBURG - The driver’s blood-alcohol level alone would have made the arrest stand out.
Terry Lee Andrews, 57, who was taken to the Bayfront Medical Center after crashing into another vehicle, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.376, more than four times the level at which a driver is presumed impaired. He had been drinking at a club before he made a U-turn into traffic.
For Officer Robbie Arkovich, the arrest marked a personal milestone. It was his 1,000th DUI arrest, the most department veterans can remember by an officer.
Arkovich joined the department’s driving-under-the-influence unit about nine years ago. It didn’t take long for him to log his first drunken driving arrest….
Here’s another guy who’s going to be needing an Orlando DUI defense attorney.
Emilio Chavez is charged with taking a corner too fast and crashing into three cars (one of them occupied by a mother and her two young children), then trying to leave the scene. Police say that Chavez was driving under the influence (DUI) and they creit some good Samaritans for helping them catch the drunk driver.
18 year old Yasmany Mendez and his two friends saw the crash and they tracked down Chavez and put him in a wrestling hold until police arrived. He tried to run away,” Mendez said. “I run to the back and cross my arms around his back. He tried to get up from me, so I picked him up.”
Police say Chavez admitted to driving drunk. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI), leaving the scene of an accident, and driving without a valid license.
This drunk driver wasn’t arrested in Orlando, but it’s funny nonetheless. Do you think he needs a DUI defense attorney, or should he just go ahead and try to plea his case out?
One of the most common questions asked by anyone charged with driving under the influence (DUI) is, “What will happen to me if I’m convicted?”
Usually, if you’re not a jerk to the police officer and don’t hurt anyone else, you can expect to have your case resolved with the “standard minimums.” The standard 1st time penalties for someone convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in Orlando, Florida are as follows:
1 year probation
Adjudication of guilt
6 month - 12 month driver license suspension
50 hours of community service (sometimes this can be bought out at a rate of $10/hour)
Victim awareness program (usually it’s presented by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers)
DUI counter-attack program
$250 - $500 fine
10 day car immobilization
If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence, you’d obviously want the help of an experienced Orlando DUI defense attorney before deciding whether or not to fight your case. DUI defense attorneys typically specialize exclusively in DUI and traffic related crimes, so they can give you a better idea of how strong your case is and whether the judge is likely to impose a jail sentence. As I commented earlier, most people arrested for DUI in Orlando never have to spend another night in jail. However, depending on the exact circumstances of your case and whether you decide to go to trial or resolve your case by a plea agreement, a judge may decide to sentence you to jail for a first time DUI. If that happens, the maximum sentence they can impose for a first time DUI may vary:
1st time DUI (no accident, breath alcohol level < .20): maximum 6 months jail
1st time DUI (no accident, breath alcohol level > .20): maximum 9 months jail
1st time DUI (accident, no serious injuries): maximum 12 months jail
Unless you’re a celebrity, a regular drunk driving case doesn’t usually make the news. Even if it’s a fender-bender type of accident, someone charged with driving under the influence (DUI) shouldn’t expect to see their name in the papers. Let’s face it — most drunk driving cases don’t make the headlines.
According to a recent story from 
ST. PETERSBURG - The driver’s blood-alcohol level alone would have made the arrest stand out.
