Jury Convicts Repeat DUI Offender of Injuring Two Children
An Orange County jury recently convicted a 44-year-old defendant of DUI causing property damage or personal injury. According to prosecutors, the defendant was in a gas station when he backed his pickup truck into the passenger side door of another vehicle causing injury to two children, ages 7 and 12. The 7-year-old was attempting to get into the vehicle at the time of the collision. The ensuing accident caused him to become pinned between the door and the vehicle.
When Orange County deputies arrived at the scene, they said the defendant was unable to maintain his balance, had watery and glassy eyes, and smelled strongly of alcohol. The Florida Highway Patrol was called to investigate the incident. The defendant agreed to perform a field sobriety test. According to the officers, he showed multiple signs of impairment while being tested. They promptly arrested him and took him back to the station where they performed a breathalyzer test. He blew more than twice the legal limit even five hours after he had been initially arrested.
The defendant will face jail time for these charges
The defendant was convicted of DUI causing property damage or personal injury following a two-day trial in Orange County. The jury found that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time he caused the accident. This is his fourth DUI arrest in the past three years. He was previously convicted of DUI causing property damage or personal injury in 2021. He was out on bond from a 2023 charge at the time of his most recent arrest. He was also arrested for DUI in 2022.
The prosecutor asked the judge to sentence the defendant to the maximum penalty of 365 days in jail for DUI causing property damage or personal injury, a first-degree misdemeanor. Due to his prior criminal history and the facts of the case, the judge sentenced the defendant to 360 days in jail. He will also be required to complete a DUI Counterattack School, seek counseling, pay a $4,000 fine, and face a 5-year license suspension. He will need to make restitution to the victims and the state as part of his sentence.
At trial, prosecutors called one of the injured children as a witness. They also had an officer testify as to the results of the breathalyzer test.
Repeated DUI offenses can result in jail time
Prosecutors will seek jail time for repeat DUI offenders. This is especially true in cases where they have multiple DUIs in a short span of time. DUI causing property damage or personal injury is a level up from a standard DUI charge. It is charged as a first-degree misdemeanor as opposed to a second-degree misdemeanor. The fact that children were injured as a result of the defendant’s actions didn’t help his case one bit.
Talk to an Orlando DUI Attorney Today
FL DUI Group represents the interests of Orlando residents facing DUI charges in Florida. If you have been charged with DUI, call our Florida DUI defense lawyers today to schedule an appointment. We can help you raise a vigorous defense to the charges and help ensure an outcome you can live with.
Source:
westorlandonews.com/jury-decides-case-of-repeat-dui-offender-who-injured-two-kids/
