Jaguars' Reggie Williams Arrested (DWI)

Jaguars' Reggie Williams Arrested in Houston

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Reggie Williams, expected to leave the team as a free agent, faces DWI and marijuana possession charges. 

A Houston police department spokesman says the 25-year-old Williams was arrested early Friday after he was pulled over during a routine traffic stop and officers smelled marijuana. Both charges are Class B misdemeanors.

Williams was the ninth player selected in the 2004 draft. He has caught 189 passes for 2,322 yards and 18 touchdowns in his NFL career. He had 37 receptions for 364 yards and three touchdowns last season.

The Jaguars' media relations office and Williams' agent did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.

The arrest was first reported by Houston television station KRIV.

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Family of basketball star injured in DWI crash

Family of basketball star injured in DWI crash 

A DWI crash last week has left a star high school athlete with serious head injuries. Tonight, Austin White's basketball team will play for the first time without him.

The Honeoye community is coming together after three high school seniors were involved in a drunk-driving crash last Tuesday night.

White has serious head injuries. He is still in the intensive care unit in guarded condition. His girlfriend, Kelly Hoertz, is now home recovering from a fractured skull. The alleged drunk driver, Dylan Jobson, had minor injuries.

Austin is the co-captain of the Honeoye basketball team. His family calls the 17-year-old's life a fairy tale. His girlfriend, Kelly is a captain of the cheerleading squad. His best friend, Dylan, is also a star athlete but everything changed last Tuesday night.

All three were in a car that lost control on Sunset Drive in Canadice right near Jobson's home. The car slammed into a tree. Austin wasn't wearing a seat belt and suffered the worst injury but the high school and entire Honeoye community has been showing its support.

Students are wearing Austin and Kelly shirts. Everyone, including his parents, are hoping for the best. They spoke exclusively with News 10NBC. His mother, Cathy White-Barber said, "I won't leave the bedside. I'm right there and we're going to be there for him and he looks great."

Austin's father Roy said, "I've never seen so many young people actually pray and it's big support, it's huge and we feel that some of that strength that Austin has gained and the good news is because of the energy that's been around us."

It will be an emotional basketball game for Honeoye tonight. They're playing at Bloomfield to start the sectionals without their star player.

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Sparta woman hurt in head-on DWI collision

Cops: Sparta woman hurt in head-on DWI collision


19-year-old township resident in other car faces several charges

SPARTA -- A 58-year-old Sparta woman was hospitalized with head injuries after the car she was driving collided head-on with a car being driven by a 19-year-old Sparta man who allegedly was driving while intoxicated, police said.

Police responded to the accident on Lafayette Road on Friday at 3:52 p.m. and found a red Saab 9-3 in the southbound lane with extensive damage to the driver's side of the vehicle.

Linda McDonald, the driver of the Saab, was taken to Newton Hospital for head injuries by the Sparta First Aid Squad, police said.

The second vehicle involved, a silver Subaru, was about 100 yards north of the accident scene. The driver, David Warrington, 19, of Sparta, was arrested for underage DWI.

Warrington was additionally issued motor vehicle summonses for careless driving, failing to keep right, failing to maintain lane and failing to produce a valid insurance card.

He was released pending a required court appearance.

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Hamburg Police Officer Vindicated in DWI Case Against Lawyer

Hamburg Police Officer Vindicated in DWI Case Against Lawyer

For the past six months, Hamburg Police Officer Vince Pupo has heard the whispers; whispers that he may have tried to frame attorney Anne Adams on a trumped up DWI charge. 

Last September second, Pupo was on patrol when he got a call about a car weaving down Route Five.

He caught up with the car, saw a woman driving and at one point, he says the driver almost hit the guardrail. Pupo pulled the driver over. 

"It was a convertible, there was an odor of alcohol coming from the car with the top down when I approached her," Pupo remembered.

"The driver had glassy eyes and slurred speech."

Scott Brown: "When you put her through the sobriety tests, how did she do?"

Pupo: "She failed all of them."

Pupo arrested Anne Adams, who admitted she had had a few drinks downtown with Supreme Court Judge Joseph Makowski, but denied she was drunk.

When Adams was given a breathalyzer test, it showed her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.

So you can imagine Pupo's shock when in the days after the arrest, Adams, in an attempt to get her case dismissed, submitted a blood test showing that she had just a trace amount of alcohol in her system.

Meanwhile, Judge Makowski submitted a sworn statement saying he had been following Adams in his car, and that Adams' driving was perfectly normal.

That's when the whispers started about Vince Pupo and his arrest. 

"I was upset, these are things that we take to heart as police officers, my job is what I do for a living, I wouldn't jeopardize it for anybody," said Pupo.

Last Friday, Adams admitted that she'd had her blood drawn the day after her arrest, and Makowski recanted his sworn statement about Adams' driving. 

Officer Pupo was in court when Adams pled guilty to three charges, including the DWI. 

"I felt vindicated when she admitted to all of the stuff she did do. She thought she could beat the system by who she was, but at the end of the day the facts tell the truth."

Adams faces a sentence of up to two years in prison when she's sentenced in April.

As part of a deal with the District Attorney's office, Joseph Makowski resigned his position as a judge.

Both Adams and Makowski face the possible revocation, or suspension, of their licenses to practice law.

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Drunken driver over twice legal limit

Prosecutors: Drunken driver over twice legal limit

Police Officer Glen Ciano who was killed after being hit by vehicle driven by Jose Borbon. Borbon was charged with DWI

The Plainview man accused of being drunk at the wheel when he collided with a police cruiser, killing a Suffolk officer, faces increasing legal peril after prosecutors said his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.

For the second day in a row, Jose Borbon, 23, stood in a Central Islip court Tuesday to face charges that he was drunk when he and Officer Glen Ciano collided before dawn Sunday in an intersection in Commack. Ciano, 45, a veteran Second Precinct officer, was killed when his cruiser hit a pole and burst into flames.

John Collins, Suffolk County's chief trial prosecutor, said a preliminary test of Borbon's blood showed an alcohol content of .19, far surpassing the legal limit of .08. Because the blood alcohol content exceeded a statutory limit of .18, prosecutors additionally charged Borbon - already charged with one count of misdemeanor drunken driving - with aggravated drunken driving.

However, based on a number of factors, such as the blood-alcohol content and the circumstances of the crash, it is likely he will face upgraded felony charges. Prosecutors this week said Borbon could face a homicide charge. This could include the crime of second-degree manslaughter, which is recklessly causing someone's death.

Collins noted that more than three hours passed between the crash and the drawing of the blood. "I think it follows logically and scientifically that that (the BAC) was well higher at the time of the crash," he said.

Borbon's attorney, William Petrillo of Rockville Centre, declined comment.

At the arraignment, Borbon, dressed in green jail scrubs and laceless black shoes, pleaded not guilty. His family again sat silently in a crowded audience dominated by dozens of Suffolk police officers.

While the new charge is also a misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of one year, the blood test result could be the critical factor in how a grand jury will perceive Borbon's actions, legal experts said.

Based on the "considerably high reading," Garden City attorney Stephen LaMagna said prosecutors would argue Borbon's alleged intoxication level was a "voluntary, reckless act" requiring a high-level felony charge.

"I think there is a high likelihood they will charge the defendant with the highest homicide they can . . . and that will be manslaughter two," LaMagna said.

The blood evidence prompted District Court Judge Patricia Filiberto to raise Borbon's bail from $75,000 to half a million dollars. Petrillo called the bail "perhaps the highest this court has ever set for a misdemeanor."

Petrillo asked prosecutors and the judge to ensure surveillance videos taken from a gas station near the crash site are "carefully preserved."

Borbon is scheduled to return to court on March 25.

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Man accused of DWI after car slams into minivan

Newton man accused of DWI after car slams into minivan

NEWTON -- A 24-year-old Newton resident is facing a variety of charges after he crashed into a minivan while allegedly driving drunk, police said.

Police were called to Sparta Avenue at 5:11 p.m. Friday to investigate a report of a traffic accident.

Responding officers determined that Raul Cinto had been driving a 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer east on Sparta Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle, entered the opposite lane of travel and struck a 2000 Ford Windstar head on, police said.

Debbie Desrivieres, of Hardwick, who was driving the minivan, was injured in crash. She was transported to Newton Hospital by Newton First Aid Squad for a complaint of neck pain.

Cinto exhibited signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests that were administered at the scene, police said.

He was arrested and cited on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, operating a motor vehicle within a school zone while under the influence, careless driving and being an unlicensed driver.

Cinto was processed and released pending an appearance in Newton Municipal Court

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Southampton Town DWI reports

Southampton Town DWI reports

Michael O’Connell, 49, of Hampton Bays was stopped by Southampton Town Police on February 17 at 12:36 a.m. on Flanders Road in Riverside and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, a felony. Police stopped Mr. O’Connell after receiving 911 calls about an erratic driver. Further investigation revealed that Mr. O’Connell was intoxicated and that his driver’s license had been revoked on three prior occasions for alcohol-related infractions. He was arrested and his vehicle was impounded by authorities.

Delfino Hernandez, 35, of Hampton Bays was stopped by Southampton Town Police on Sunday at 7:41 a.m. on Palo Alto Drive in Hampton Bays and charged with DWI. Police said they pulled Mr. Hernandez over after he strayed from his lane and crashed into two parked vehicles. He was taken into police custody after he refused to submit to a field sobriety test.

Patrick Gannon, 46, of Middle Island was stopped by Southampton Town Police on Saturday at 7:19 p.m. on Mill Road in Westhampton and charged with DWI. Police pulled Mr. Gannon over after they observed him failing to maintain his lane. He was taken into police custody and held for arraignment.

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Plaquemines Parish Deputy Charged With DWI

Plaquemines Parish Deputy Charged With DWI
10-Year Veteran Off-Duty, Driving Patrol Car

NEW ORLEANS - A Plaquemines Parish sheriff's deputy has been suspended indefinitely without pay after being arrested and charged with DWI Saturday night.

Police said Jamar Thomas was off-duty when he crashed his patrol car on a curb in Lakeview at Pontchartrain Boulevard and 12th Street at about 6 p.m.

The 10-year veteran has been suspended without pay by Sheriff I.F. "Jiff" Hingle. Authorities said he has been out on extended sick leave and should not have been driving the patrol car off-duty.

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Accused Drunk Driver Kills Suffolk County Cop

Accused Drunk Driver Kills Suffolk County Cop

SUFFOLK COUNTY—Suffolk County Police have arrested a Plainview man for driving while intoxicated after he was involved in a fiery motor vehicle crash that killed an on-duty Suffolk County police officer. 

Police Officer Glen Ciano, 45, has been identified as the Second Precinct officer who was killed in the line of duty which his police vehicle was involved in a crash at the intersection of Vanderbilt Motor Parkway and Commack Road in Commack Sunday morning.

Ciano was a 22-year veteran of the Suffolk County Police Department.

He was responding to a call to assist another officer at approximately 4:15 a.m. Sunday when his vehicle was involved in a crash with a 2007 Dodge Magnum, driven by Jose Borbon, 23, of 178 Morton Blvd.

Police said that the patrol car went spinning into a pole and erupted into flames after being struck by Borbon’s car. Borbon was not injured in the crash.

Borbon was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Police say he had also been arrested last month on drunk driving charges.

“The Suffolk County Police Department is mourning the loss of one of our own,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer. “It’s a sad reminder of the dangers police officers face each and every day.”

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Daily Crime Blotter - DWI Accident in Arlington

DWI Accident in Arlington

A toddler remains in the hospital after an overnight crash in Arlington. Police say the driver of a pick-up rear-ended a car at a traffic light in the 4600 block of Cooper Street. A 2-year-old inside the car was taken to the hospital in critical condition, two adults suffered minor injuries. The driver of the pick-up faces intoxication assault charges.

Truck Runs into House in Fort Worth

Fort Worth police are searching for a man who ran a truck into a house overnight. Police received a call from a person inside the home in the 3700 block of Sierra Court around 2:30 this morning. The driver fled the scene after crashing the truck through a bedroom. No one was injured.

635 Accident Downs Power Lines

An accident on westbound 635 sent one person to the hospital, and did damage to the guardrail and a power pole. Reportedly, the accident knocked out power lines around 7:00 a.m. this morning and caught the vehicle in the downed lines. Injuries to the drive are not expected to be life-treatening.

Dallas Fatal Accident Victim Still Unidentified

One person is dead after a vehicle went out of control and hit a telephone pole this morning in Dallas. One person was transported to Parkland after the accident, while another was pronounced dead ont es scene. The Dallas medical examiner has no ID info at this time on the victim that passed away.

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New Castle man held for DWI after vehicle pursuit

New Castle man held for DWI after vehicle pursuit

NEW CASTLE — A New Castle man with a history of driving-related convictions was arrested Saturday after leading police on a vehicle pursuit.

Police reports indicate officers began chasing a car driven by John E. Bowsman at 14th and G streets about 2:30 a.m.

Bowsman was pulled over in the 1800 block of Thornburg Street after running several stops signs and a red light, the reports said.

He was preliminarily charged with driving while intoxicated, resisting law enforcement with a motor vehicle, driving after a lifetime suspension and public intoxication.

Court records reflect Bowsman, who turns 44 on Wednesday, was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 2001 and 1996, driving as a habitual traffic violator in 2001 and 1999, and driving while suspended and public intoxication in 1996.

He was being held in the Henry County jail on Sunday under a $13,900 bond.

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Suspect in fatal crash with cop had conditional license

Suspect in fatal crash with cop had conditional license

Jose Borbon, the Plainview man who is accused of causing a drunken driving accident that killed Suffolk police Officer Glen Ciano early yesterday, was driving on a conditional driver's license issued after he was charged last month with a DWI in Nassau County.

After Borbon, 23, was charged with DWI and his license was suspended, he petitioned the state Department of Motor Vehicles for a conditional license for those charged with drunken driving offenses, said Eric Phillips, spokesman for Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice. The DMV on Feb. 5 approved Borbon for the conditional license, which allows users to drive in six distinct circumstances.

The conditional license allows those facing DWI charges to drive to and from work, rehabilitation centers, school or their children's school, a doctor's office and the DMV. It also gives the motorist a weekly three-hour window in which to drive to conduct errands like grocery shopping, according to the DMV's Web site. 

The conditional license is issued solely at the discretion of the DMV in Albany, which does not conduct in-person interviews before deciding whether to approve such a request.

The Suffolk district attorney's office could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Through Phillips, Rice said local prosecutors should have a say in who is issued a conditional license. Phillips said Rice has lobbied to make obtaining a conditional license more difficult. The DMV is reviewing the matter and will issue a report in May, Phillips said. "District Attorney Rice is hopeful that the report will include the types of changes that will keep licenses out of the hands of our community's most dangerous drivers," Phillips said in an e-mail. 

DMV officials did not immediately respond to messages yesterday. 

Borbon's Nassau DWI charge stems from Jan. 4, when he was pulled over at 4:25 a.m. in Plainview after he failed to signal and ignored a no-turn-on-red sign while making a right turn, Phillips said. Borbon's blood-alcohol level was measured at .17 percent, more than twice the legal limit to drive in New York, Phillips said. 

According to court records, Borbon was charged with drunken driving, as well as holding more than one license, criminal possession of a weapon, not signaling and failure to obey a traffic device. His next court date in that case is in April.

Nassau officers said they also found a switchblade in Borbon's pocket during that arrest, which led to a charge of criminal possession of a weapon. 

Drivers who are convicted of drunken driving charges in New York may enter the DMV's Drinking Driver rehabilitation program. But because Borbon's case was still pending, he had not yet entered that program. 

Borbon also was involved in four separate accidents in 2006, records show, and his license had been suspended three times, including once this year.

Also in 2007, Borbon was convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in Hillsborough County, Fla.

Borbon's attorney, William Petrillo of Rockville Centre, wouldn't comment on Borbon's criminal history or driving record.

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Boy critically injured in crash involving man with DWI history

A 2 year Boy, critically injured in crash involving man with DWI history

Arlington police officers arrested a man who they say has a history of DWI arrests after his pickup slammed into a car and critically injured a 2-year-old boy late Friday, police said. 

Officers arrested Stewart Richardson, 44, of Davenport, Iowa, on a charge of intoxication assault with serious bodily injury. He was taken to Medical Center of Arlington, police said. Later Saturday, he was being held at the Arlington Jail, where his bail had not been set. 

The incident happened about 10:45 p.m. Friday when a Honda Accord carrying three people was stopped at a red light in the 4900 block of South Cooper Street at Oak Village Boulevard in south Arlington, spokesman Lt. Blake Miller said in a news release. While the car was stopped, a Ford pickup hit the back of the Honda. The force of impact pushed the car into the intersection, where it struck another car, Miller said. 

Paramedics took 2-year-old Abdallah Khader of Arlington, who was sitting in the Honda’s back seat, to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth in critical condition, police said. 

Paramedics also took the driver of the Honda, 43-year-old Fahad Khader of Arlington, to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth in an unknown condition, police said. The Honda’s other passenger and the driver of the other car weren’t taken to the hospital, police said. 

“We need to continue to get the message out about the dangers of drinking and driving,” Miller wrote in an e-mail. “We have a 2-year-old fighting for his life.” 

Last month, the Arlington Police Department announced that it would start a 60-day plan to try to reduce the city’s increase in major traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. Under the two-month plan, police are targeting aggressive and speeding drivers or drivers who appear to be under the influence, police said. Officers are also joining Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials in checking bars.

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On-duty L.I. police officer killed in fiery car crash

On-duty L.I. police officer killed in fiery car crash; DWI arrest at the scene

Police investigate the scene where an on-duty officer was killed in a fiery crash caused by a drunk driver.

A drunken driver who had been busted for DWI just last month broadsided a veteran Long Island cop's car early Sunday, killing the 45-year-old officer in a fiery crash, cops said.

Suffolk County Officer Glen Ciano was on duty and en route to help his partner when he died - leaving cops and advocates asking how the reckless motorist still had a license. 

Jose Borbon of Plainview plowed his 2007 Dodge Magnum into the squad car at Vanderbilt Motor Parkway and Commack Road in Commack about 4:15 a.m., police said. 

Borbon, who was not injured, stayed at the scene and was charged with DWI - his second DWI rap in less than two months. 

"Somebody with a DWI under their belt clearly doesn't belong on our streets," said Wiley Norvell, spokesman for Transportation Alternatives. 

"It's clear that when people drive drunk they give up their privilege to drive, and we should have the guts to enforce it." 

Ciano, a father of two who lived in Bayport, was making a left-hand turn when his car was struck, sending it spinning into a utility pole. The car caught fire and quickly exploded, witnesses and cops said. 

Borbon was busted in Nassau County on Jan. 4 on charges of drunken driving, holding more than one license, criminal possession of a gun and various moving violations, court documents show. 

He still held a conditional license that allowed him to drive to specific locations set by the state's drunken driver rehab program. 

Borbon's license had also been suspended in 2007 after he was involved in four crashes in one year, records show. It was reinstated two months later. 

Chief Dominic Varrone of the Suffolk County police said Ciano was a highly regarded veteran with 22 years on the force. 

A steady stream of mourners and well-wishers brought flowers to the scene of the crash, and flags hung at half-staff at the 2nd Precinct stationhouse in Huntington as officers mourned the loss of one of their own. 

Ciano's neighbors described him as a devoted husband and father who went out of his way to help friends repair cars, fix lawn mowers - and even hang holiday lights. 

"He always helped," said neighbor Ina Scotto, 69. "He was a very good man. He was a very good father." 

Witnesses heard the crash from the McDonald's across the street. 

"There was an explosion, and I saw a lot of fire," said Daisy Ramirez, 37. "I went outside and saw a mangled wreck of steel and rubber." 

The flames erupted so rapidly there was no chance of rescuing Ciano from the car, cops said. 

According to Borbon's MySpace page, he is a father of twins and has a young wife. 

Next-door neighbors on Borbon's block say he comes from a good family and that he liked to work on his car in the driveway of the home where he lived with his parents. He was often seen on weekends washing and waxing the Dodge Magnum without a shirt, neighbors said. 

Borbon's family was huddled Sunday in their tidy home, but his mother said they would not comment until they had spoken to a lawyer.

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Six arrested for DWI in GF overnight

MORNING UPDATE -- Six arrested for DWI in GF overnight

GLENS FALLS -- Six people were arrested by Glens Falls Police for driving while intoxicated in a 10-hour period Thursday and Friday, including a man who hit another vehicle and tried to flee, police said.

The driver in that case, James V. Rispoli, 34, of Queensbury hit another vehicle from behind a Bay and Lexington streets at 7:12 p.m., then drove off, said Glens Falls Police Sgt. John Winchell. The other driver was not hurt.

A witness who saw the crash followed him, and he drove north to Quaker Road, headed east and then came back into Glens Falls and parked his car in a driveway on Ridge Street, Winchell said. The witness followed him there, and police took Rispoli into custody without incident, according to Winchell.

Rispoli refused to take a breath test, and was charged with misdemeanor DWI and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He was arraigned in City Court and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail.

According to police, arrested later in the night were;

* Michael F. Smith, 34, of Queen Ann Way, Queensbury, who was charged with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor, after he was pulled over at 4:44 a.m. for going through a red light at the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Glen Street, Winchell said. His blood-alcohol content was found to be 0.20 percent, more than double the 0.08 percent threshold for DWI. He was released pending prosecution in City Court. 

* Ryan V. Ross, 24, of Glens Falls, who was also charged with aggravated DWI after he was pulled over for speeding 52 mph in a 30 mph zone on Warren Street at 12:30 a.m. His BAC was found to be 0.19 percent, and he was released pending prosecution in City Court.

* Wesley C. Garnsey, 25, of South Glens Falls was charged with misdemeanor DWI after he was seen driving out of his lane in Centennial Circle and speeding 47 mph in a 30 mph zone on Glen Street. His BAC was found to be 0.17 percent and was released.

* Danielle R. Nassivera, 30, of Moreau was arrested at 3:58 a.m. when she was seen driving without headlights on Elm Street. Her BAC was found to be 0.15 percent and she was charged with misdemeanor DWI and released.

* Matthew T. Burke, 24, of Saratoga Springs was charged at 3:32 a.m. after he was seen going through a red light on Broad Street. His BAC was found to be 0.12 percent and he was also charged with misdemeanor DWI and released. 

The arrests were made by Winchell and Glens Falls Police officers Joe Boisclair, Dan Habshi, Tony Lydon and Shawn Lovelace.

Winchell said police have had other overnight periods with six or more DWI arrests, though it has been a while since they had a night wth that many arrests.

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Legislator pushes for tougher DWI laws

Legislator pushes for tougher DWI laws

A state senator whose family was touched by a fatal DWI accident is continuing his fight against drunk drivers by pushing for tougher laws.

Sen. Kent Cravens (R-Albuquerque) is on a crusade that would put more ignition interlocks into cars of drunk drivers and put them in earlier.

"If a person is caught driving a car without an ignition interlock - and they don't have an ignition interlock license - in other words they're just completely driving on a revoked license - that vehicle would be immobilized and actually subject to forfeiture," he said.

Ken Cravens is the brother of Paul Cravens, whose family was killed by Gordon House in a DWI crash in 1992.

Another Cravens bill would require an interlock during the time between a DWI arrest and the trial or guilty plea.

About 1,000 people a year in New Mexico are arrested for DWI during that period. 

Opponents of the measure said it would be unfair--that the law would punish people before they are convicted.

The Cravens bills are scheduled for a crucial hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Saturday.

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Cazenovia woman charged with DWI

Cazenovia woman charged with DWI

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. -- A Cazenovia woman who first made news three years ago for providing alcohol to high schoolers now faces charges of driving drunk.

State Police stopped Kelly Lobrutto, 47, Friday night for a traffic violation and then arrested her for DWI. 

Lobrutto was arrested back in 2006 for buying alcohol for an underage party at her house attended by more than 20 Cazenovia High School students. She was sentenced to probation in that case.

State Police say she will be back in court in a couple weeks to answer to the DWI charge.

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Interlock pics catch DWI cheats

Interlock pics catch DWI cheats

Photos show who blows into mouthpiece

Convicted drunk drivers will find beating the system to be more difficult now that ignition interlocks come equipped with cameras.

Judges in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque will now start ordering some drunk drivers to use the camera-equipped devices.

The devices require someone convicted of DWI to blow into a mouthpiece to confirm they have not consumed alcohol before the ignition can be started.

Traditional interlock devices have been successful in ensuring most people with a history of DWI don't get behind the wheel drunk again, according to the state. However many of them have found ways around it often getting friends or family to blow into the interlock.

The camera device doesn't allow that. It takes a picture of the person who blows into it and then downloads the picture and information on blood alcohol level, so that judges, attorneys and others can see it.

That assures the correct person is behind the wheel.

Metro Court Chief Judge Judith Nakamura said the interlock cameras will not be required for everyone. A judge will have the discretion in which cases to order them, she said.

Unfortunately, Nakamura added, the cameras are necessary for many defendants.

"There are always people who are going to try and beat the system, and it's certainly important to use this tool with those folks," she said. "Ideally it would be great to have a police officer or probation officer following people convicted of crimes around.

"That's not possible, so for those who are trying to cheat in this manner, this is a great tool to have."

At this point the state is against making the cameras mandatory. State officials said in most cases the current interlocks are efficient, which is why they are leaving the decision up to a judge. 

Using the camera interlock costs the driver an extra $1 a day. Offenders are responsible for paying for the device, but if they can't afford it there are state funds to help.

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Pivotal DWI figure set for parole

Pivotal DWI figure set for parole

Christmas Eve crash killed mother, daughters.

The drunken driver who wiped out most of a family 16 years ago and spurred the cause of DWI reform in New Mexico will soon be back on the streets.

Gordon House of Thoreau, convicted of four counts of vehicular homicide, has now served 11 years of his 22-year sentence. The state Parole Board meeting Friday is expected to set the conditions for his release next month.

"Gordon House could spend the rest of his life in jail," Paul Cravens told KRQE News 13 Thursday. "It wouldn't bring Mel and the girls back to me."

On Christmas Eve 1992 an intoxicated House driving his pickup truck east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 40 slammed head-on into the Cravens' family on Albuquerque's West Side. Melanie Cravens and her daughters Kandyce, 9, Erin, 8, and Kacee Woodard, 5, died at the scene.

Husband and father Paul Cravens survived with serious injuries.

"I always miss Melanie and the girls," Cravens said Thursday. "It's been 16 years since they got killed.

"I pray a lot. I spend a lot of time talking to the Lord."

House's blood-alcohol level was reported to be 0.18, more than twice the current legal limit for presumed intoxication. After two mistrials, a Taos jury convicted him in 1994.

He has now served his time.

"It's completely out of our control that the state of New Mexico has laws that apply to the length of the sentence and the application of good time," Parole Board Director Ella Frank said. "We must follow the law."

Cravens said he's forgiven House and takes some comfort that his family's death may have saved countless other lives.

"If he's done his time then he really needs to get a chance to get out, live his life, enjoy his family united and move forward," Cravens said.

After the tragedy Cravens' mother in law Nadine Milford became a tireless activist fighting for and achieving tougher DWI laws. Those included lowering the legal level of intoxication and requiring ignition interlocks for first-time offenders.

Contacted by News 13 she said she was emotional to talk saying didn't expect House to be released this soon.

Cravens said he is grateful for Milford and her work but added the time is right.

"And I just think about Mel and the girls and how much fun we had to together, and I kind of think that they're up there looking at this and enjoying themselves walking with the Lord."

Frank said the parole board on Friday will order the strictest terms of release for House in the beginning for the safety of the community and to help him readjust to life on the outside.

House is expected to be on parole for two years and probation for three more.

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5 years in prison for DWI crash

5 years in prison for DWI crash

The 2006 hit-run accident maimed a woman.  Her family said the sentence was too light.

MAYS LANDING, N.J. - A postal worker lost both her legs, her eyesight and normal brain function 21/2 years ago when a drunken driver slammed into her, pinning her between her mail truck and his vehicle. 

Maureen DePrince's independence was gone. Not long afterward, so was her marriage. 

Yesterday, the man who admitted driving while drunk and sleepy before he smashed into her was sentenced in Superior Court to five years in prison, although he could be released sooner for good behavior. 

Allen Henry Miller, 31, of Schenectady, N.Y., pleaded guilty in December to aggravated assault and drunken driving in connection with the July 2006 crash in Ventnor. 

Miller had been out partying and drinking at nightclubs on July 23. The next morning, he sluggishly got into a car to drive a friend home. His blood alcohol level at the time was 0.083, just above New Jersey's legal definition of drunken driving of 0.08. 

"I was getting tired, fatigued," he said. "I should have pulled over, but I didn't. I said to myself, 'I can make it.' " 

The crash pinned DePrince, then 38, severing one of her legs; the other had to be amputated at a hospital. The Buena Vista Township resident also lost her eyesight due to shock and severe blood loss. 

Miller ran from the scene but was apprehended soon afterward. Authorities say a passing volunteer firefighter spotted DePrince's crumpled, bleeding body and started first aid, probably saving her life. 

Before he was sentenced, Miller apologized to DePrince, who sat in a wheelchair surrounded by sobbing family members. 

"I never meant for this to happen," he said. "If I could change places with her, yes, I would. I hope one day she forgives me. I'm very sorry. I wish I could change it, but I can't." 

A member of the prosecutor's office read a statement on DePrince's behalf just before Miller was sentenced. 

"I will never be able to see my loved ones again, never feel the sand on my feet as I walk along the beach, hand in hand with my husband, watching our dog frolic in the water, chasing his stick," DePrince wrote. "My memories are all I have left, but sometimes they appear cloudy due to the brain trauma I suffered. 

"How do you go on with your life? I have been robbed of everything I held dear," she wrote. "Now I must face the future knowing that my marriage has failed, and I didn't want to become a burden to my family and everyone I love.

" . . . I hope you never have to feel the pain and suffering I have to endure each day of my life." 

The plea agreement Miller reached with prosecutors calls for him to receive credit for the 21/2 years he has spent in jail since the crash. He could be released in about two years. 

DePrince's family was infuriated by the sentence. 

"Five years in jail, and my daughter's life is totally destroyed," DePrince's father, Joe Buscher, said. "She'll never have some of the things he'll be enjoying in jail. The courts and laws of this state have to do more to make this more of a punishment." 

Judge Michael Donio said the crash was "the most horrific" he had ever seen that did not involve a death. 

"People who get behind the wheel of an automobile after drinking, they have to know it's like having a gun in your hand," he said. "It could go off."

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Teen charged with DWI

Teen charged with DWI in crash seriously injuring one

A 17-year-old is facing DWI charges and another teen has serious head injuries after a crash in Ontario County. Ontario County Sheriffs said 17-year-old Dylan Jobson from Honeoye was driving on County Road 36 in Canadice around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when he lost control on the ice-covered road.

Jobson's car went off the road and hit a tree along the passenger side. Jobson suffered cuts to his hands and was taken toF.F. Thompson Hospitalin Canandaigua where he was treated and released. Jobson had two passengers and both were taken toStrong Hospitalfor head injuries.

Police said 17-year-old Austin White, from Hemlock, was riding in the front seat. He was not wearing his seatbelt and suffered a serious head injury. Police said he was unconscious when they arrived on scene. He is in the Intensive Care Unit at Strong.

Kelly Hoertz, 17 from Honeoye, was riding in the backseat. She had face and head injuries. Police are not sure if she was wearing her seatbelt. Hoertz was taken to F.F. Thompson and then transferred to Strong for treatment of her head injury.

Jobson was charged with driving while intoxicated, unsafe speed and driving after 9 p.m. on a DJ license.

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Williamson County jailers trained to draw blood in DWI cases

Williamson County jailers trained to draw blood in DWI cases

At midnight Wednesday morning, Williamson County jailers got the power to draw blood. It's been nearly two years since the county started drawing blood in felony DWI arrests. 

"We're not talking about your first offenders -- these are serious repeat offenders for DWI," said John Foster, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. 

Repeat offenders include the drunk driver who killed Justin Teague, 19, in 2003. His mother, Terri, now fights for victims' rights. 

"It infuriates me that people think it's all right to get behind the wheel and drink and drive and that there's no consequences to their actions," said Terri Teague. 

Teague supports any method of catching a drunk driver. 

Until Wednesday morning, deputies had to wait for nurses at nearby hospitals to draw a blood sample. The policy sometimes meant a long delay and inaccurate blood alcohol readings. Some hospitals in the Austin area have recently refused to perform the blood draws. 

"It's become apparent that hospitals really don't want to become involved in these types of blood draws. In respect to that, we went out and we're going to do it ourselves," said Foster. 

The county sent three of its EMT jailers through at least four weeks of training to become certified phlebotomists. The jailers -- one for each shift -- will now draw blood from suspected felony drunk drivers directly from the Williamson County Jail infirmary. 

Williamson County isn't the first jurisdiction to take emergency rooms out of the equation. Several states, including Arizona and Utah, already have officers drawing blood. 

"There's been a gradual erosion of people's rights to privacy," said Jerry Smith, criminal defense lawyer. 

Smith believes the new policy is trouble. 

"The blood tests themselves are going to come under closer scrutiny in the courtroom procedures now. (The county required) minimal training though for these (jailers) and jail settings are notoriously unsanitary," said Smith. 

For victims of drunk drivers like Teague, it's a risk worth taking. 

"I would rather see a nurse do it, but I also know that time is of an essence and it needs to be done as soon as possible," said Teague. 

The county expects to train more jailers in the future.

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Canandaigua supervisor 'fell down to the ground'

DWI hearing: Canandaigua supervisor 'fell down to the ground'

The officer who arrested Canandaigua Town Supervisor Lloyd Kinnear for driving while intoxicated testified in court this morning that when he arrived on the scene Sept. 5 he smelled alcohol on Kinnear’s breath and that when Kinnear got out of his vehicle he had trouble keeping his balance.

“He fell down to the ground and got back up,” said Ontario County Deputy Sheriff Stanley Sutton in state Supreme Court.

Kinnear was subsequently indicted on charges of felony DWI. Since Kinnear had an earlier DWI conviction within 10 years of his latest arrest, state law requires that he automatically be charged with a felony. If convicted, Kinnear would have to step down from his supervisor job.

Sutton described what happened about 11:30 p.m. Sept. 5 when he was called to the scene and found Kinnear’s Mazda off the road.

During a pretrial hearing about whether there was probable cause to make an arrest, Sutton told how Kinnear had slurred speech and how Kinnear was given various sobriety tests on the scene. 

“He swayed throughout (one) test,” Sutton said. 

Justice Thomas Van Strydonck found that there was probable cause for arrest.

The trial is slated for April 20.

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DWI luncheon salutes officers

DWI luncheon salutes officers      

WAMPSVILLE — On Wednesday, area law enforcement officers were celebrated for their 2008 DWI arrests at the 21st Annual STOP DWI luncheon at New Beginnings Church.

A number of officers from several local agencies received plaques for the amount of DWI arrests they made in their respective jurisdictions. George Cameron, a State Trooper who works out of the Sullivan Field Office, won the prestigious Karl Taylor award for his 38 DWI arrests in 2008, the most for one officer in Madison County.

“It’s an honor,” Cameron said of receiving the award named for a Madison County Deputy Sheriff who was responsible for making 950 DWI arrests during his 21 year career. Taylor passed away in March 2000 and since that year, the award has been given out to honor his legacy.

Cameron is a first-time winner of the award. In a year’s time, Cameron said that he made 28 arrests in Madison County and 10 others in Oneida and Onondaga Counties. He has been on the force for four years and thinks that holding the luncheon is a good idea.

“I think it’s important, if nothing else, to just remind us why we’re out there, making DWI arrests and the importance of it,” Cameron said.

A number of important people in the community also came out for the event, including Board of Supervisors member Paul Miller, Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Telecommunications Committee Chair Darrin Ball, Madison County Court Judge Dennis McDermott, Susan Jenkins of BRiDGES/MCCASA and James Yonai of Madison County Mental Health Department.

Madison County District Attorney Bill Gabor spoke at the event, recalling his stint as a STOP DWI prosecutor in Madison County from 1985 to 1989. He noted that there were 383 DWI arrests and no fatal DWI accidents in Madison County last year, the latter of which he called a “tremendous statistic.”

“It’s an unbelievable job that you do,” he told those in attendance.

The keynote speaker was retired Madison County STOP DWI Coordinator Doug Lippert, who reflected on his experience with the program, as well as his past career as a State Trooper and the DWI arrests he made at that time.

“DWI is definitely not an enjoyable arrest to make,” Lippert said, which is why the luncheon was started 21 years ago, to thank law enforcement for their commitment to safety in the community.

Lippert said that since 1982, when the program began, that the DWI problem has been “partially solved,” as roads in this county and throughout New York have become statistically safer to drive. He also thanked law enforcers, educators and others in the community for the progress that has been made.

“We have given a unified message to the public that DWI is not acceptable,” he said.

Steve Goodfriend has replaced Lippert as the STOP DWI coordinator, but the two stay in contact, Lippert said. He now serves as public safety commissioner of Oneida.

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