Tony La Russa Charged With DUI

Tony La Russa was charged with DUI in Arizona a day before his hiring by the Chicago Whitesox was announced. La Russa, who has been around MLB for the past 40 years, was announced to be the next manager of the Chicago Whitesox. The Whitesox, who took a chance on hiring La Russa, told the press they were aware of the incident.

The incident occurred in February. La Russa told a police officer that he had been to dinner with friends. At the time, La Russa was working for the Angels. The officer found La Russa after he’d driven his vehicle up on a curb and blown out one of his tires. La Russa refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test but failed a field sobriety test before being taken into custody. The police withdrew his blood and charged La Russa with misdemeanor DUI.

The Lookback Period 

In this case, La Russa is lucky that he didn’t qualify for a second DUI within the lookback period. Had he, the charges would have been twice as severe as the ones he faces now. La Russa embarrassed himself after an officer asked him to recite the alphabet and he couldn’t do it. That was in 2007. In Arizona, where La Russa faces charges, the lookback period is seven years. In Florida, the lookback period is five years.

What does that mean?

The law punishes second offenses much more harshly than they do first offenses. They figure that their message isn’t getting through to a recidivist defendant who puts other people’s lives at risk. In fact, many of these folks are good people who simply struggle with alcohol addiction. But good people also take lives when they operate vehicles when they’re not safe to do so. So families that lose members demand justice in the form of jail time. It’s for that reason that Florida sentences DUI offenders who take life to over ten years in prison when they have a prior offense on their record.

Those who are convicted of multiple DUIs within the lookback period face enhanced penalties that are roughly double those of a simple DUI offense. In Florida, a simple DUI could put you in jail for six months. That almost never happens on a first offense, but it is possible. Those who are convicted of a second DUI within five years face 9 months in prison or 12 months if their BAC was over .15. License suspensions, fines, and other penalties are also doubled for a second DUI.

Tony La Russa is a member of the A’s and Cardinal’s Hall of Fame having won a World Series with each team. He started his managerial career as a member of the White Sox in 1979.

Talk to a Florida DUI Attorney 

If you’re facing DUI charges in Orlando or the surrounding area, call the Florida DUI defense attorneys at the FL DUI Group today and let us help you resolve the issue with as little difficulty as possible.

Resource:

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