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Our National DWI New Links page features articles relating to driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving under the influence (DUI) and drunk driving across the United States.

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February 10, 2007 (Phoenix, AZ)

US Airways CEO Arrested on DUI Charge, US Airways Chief Executive Doug Parker was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving just hours after his airline's $9.8 billion bid for Delta Air Lines was rejected, Scottsdale police confirmed Friday. Meanwhile, a newspaper reported that Parker had a previous DUI conviction in 1991 when he worked for American Airlines in Dallas, and Parker admitted to two other alcohol-related incidents.

February 3, 2007 (Washington, D.C.)

Motorists Told to Call 911 to Report Drunken Drivers, Driving home one night, Caroline Cash spotted a black Honda swaying in and out of its lane on a busy Interstate in suburban Washington. Cash was concerned that the driver might be drunk. So she used a tactic being pushed by many states -- she picked up her cell phone and dialed 911. "The public is starting to understand ... the tragedies that can occur if no one reports that person," said Cash, executive director of the Maryland and Delaware chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "There is no way that law enforcement can do it alone."

February 1, 2007 (New York, NY)

Musselman Suspended 2 Games after DUI Arrest, Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman was suspended two games without pay by the NBA on Thursday for driving under the influence. Musselman was pulled over Oct. 21 while driving after an exhibition game. He registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent, above the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to the arrest report.

January 29, 2007 (Madison, WI)

Embarrassed Lawyer for Drunk Driver Arrested for DWI / DUI, Attorney Rick Petry can really empathize with his client. Police arrested the lawyer for drunken driving after he went to the station to pick up Patrick DePula -- who had been arrested for the same offense. "I can't tell you how humbled I am, how embarrassed I am," said Petri, who once prosecuted drunken drivers for the Madison city attorney's office. DePula, 34, was arrested early Thursday for drunken driving, police spokesman Mike Hanson said. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.08 percent.

January 22, 2007 (Los Angeles, CA)

Paris Hilton Pleads No Contest to DUI Charge, Paris Hilton was placed on 36 months probation and ordered to pay fines after pleading no contest Monday to alcohol-related reckless driving, a reduction of an original charge of driving under the influence. Hilton, 25, did not appear in court. The plea was entered by her attorneys Howard Weitzman and Shawn Chapman Holley, the city attorney’s office said.

January 11, 2007 (Albuquerque, NM)

Narcotics Agent Faces DWI Charge, A New Mexico State Police undercover narcotics agent has been reassigned to administrative duties following his arrest Wednesday night for aggravated DWI.

January 10, 2007 (St. Paul, MN)

Over 3,000 Arrested In Minnesota for DWI in December, The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reported that over 3,000 drivers across Minnesota were arrested for driving while intoxicated during December. The department was conducting a "Safe & Sober" campaign during the month, which wrapped up a record year for DWI arrests. State estimates put the 2006 tally at more than 40,000 arrested.

December 30, 2006 (Syracuse, NY)

One Traffic Stop Leads to Three DWI Arrests, Potsdam village police first pulled over a man driving around with a flat tire and was allegedly drunk behind the wheel. When questioning the man, police learned a backseat passenger had actually been driving the car earlier and hit a curb causing the tire to go flat. Police say that passenger was also intoxicated beyond the legal limit. Meanwhile a third man drove up to the scene. Police say he too was drunk. All three were arrested and charged with DWI.

December 29, 2006 (Scottsdale, AZ)

Tyson Arrested in Arizona on DUI Charges, Mike Tyson was arrested early Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) and possession of cocaine. Sgt. Larry Hall said the boxer was stopped after his car almost struck a sheriff's vehicle. "He showed signs of impairment and voluntarily submitted to a field sobriety tests," said Hall, a member of the Buckeye Police Department who was working in the area as part of a holiday DUI task force. Hall said Tyson was placed under arrest for DUI after "showing more signs of impairment" during the field sobriety tests.

December 22, 2006 (Miami, FL)

Marlins Pitcher Dontrelle Willis Arrested on DUI Charge,was arrested early Monday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol, authorities said. California Highway Patrol officers took Nicole Richie, 25, into custody without incident after she failed a field sobriety test, CHP Officer Todd Workman said.

December 11, 2006 (Burbank, CA)

Nicole Richie Arrested for Drunken Driving in LA,Nicole Richie was arrested early Monday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol, authorities said. California Highway Patrol officers took Nicole Richie, 25, into custody without incident after she failed a field sobriety test, CHP Officer Todd Workman said.

November 20, 2006 (Washington, D.C.)

New Tactic Planned Against Drunken Driving, Deterrence, the tactic of choice against drunken drivers for two decades, is no longer working in the struggle to reduce the death toll, private and government experts say. Today, they will propose moving toward alcohol detection in every vehicle. In the first phase, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, backed by a national association of state highway officials and car manufacturers, plans to campaign to change drunken driving laws in 49 states to require that even first offenders be required to install a device that tests drivers and shuts down the car if it detects alcohol.

October 27, 2006 (Salisbury, NC)

Police Officer Charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), An officer with the Salisbury, NC Police Department is on administrative leave after being charged with driving while impaired. The officer not on duty at the time. He will remain on administrative leave pending an internal investigation of the DWI arrest.

October 17, 2006 (Mineola, NY)

New York Jury Convicts Man of Murder in Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Case, A jury in New York convicted a man on Tuesday of murder for driving drunk the wrong way on a highway, slamming head-on into a wedding limousine and killing the chauffeur and a 7-year-old flower girl. The man had at least 14 drinks before getting behind the wheel; his blood-alcohol level, 0.28, was more than three times the 0.08 legal limit in New York state, prosecutors said.

October 6, 2006 (Ozark, AK)

County Judge Charged with DWI / DUI, OZARK — Franklin County Judge Joe Powell was arrested early Sunday morning on a charge of driving while intoxicated. He was driving a county owned vehicle when he was stopped, the Arkansas State Police reported. Powell, 57, was cited for driving while intoxicated at 12: 45 a. m. Sunday at a state police sobriety checkpoint on U. S. 64 east of Ozark, Capt. Steve Coleman, Troop H commander, said Thursday.

September 21, 2006 (Browns town, IN)

Tougher Drunken Driving Charge Filed Against Bus Driver, A school bus driver accused of being drunk while transporting 13 high school cheerleaders and their coach has been charged with felony drunken driving. Sylvia Cooke, 60, resigned from her job with the New Albany-Floyd County schools following her arrest Sept. 1. Jackson County Prosecutor Stephen this week withdrew a misdemeanor charge against Cooke and replaced it with a felony charge of drunken driving with a passenger under the age of 18.

September 19, 2006 (Newton, MA)

Middle School Principal Arrested for Drunken Driving, Officials are mostly tight-lipped about the arrest of a middle school principal on drunken driving charges. Sanborn Middle School principal Kathleen Laureti, 54, of 36 Raymond Road, Deerfield, was arrested Aug. 25 for driving while intoxicated (DWI), Raymond police Chief David Salois said. An officer pulled Laureti over after seeing the principal driving erratically, Salois said. Laureti failed a field sobriety test, but she refused to take a Breathalyzer test.

September 12, 2006 (San Diego, CA)

Driver Arrested For DWI / DUI After Freeway Wreck That Killed Teen, A San Bernardino County man was under arrest Tuesday for DWI / DUI on suspicion of crashing an SUV while drunk on Interstate 5 near Oceanside, leaving an 18-year-old passenger dead and injuring two others. Greg Maynard, 30, remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon with injuries he suffered in Monday night's crash, which killed fellow Rancho Cucamonga resident Mary Lu Vasquez.

September 7, 2006 (Hollywood, CA)

Paris Hilton Arrested in Hollywood on Suspicion of Drunken Driving, Paris Hilton was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Hollywood today, police said. The 25-year-old socialite was pulled over near Selma and Wilcox avenues just before 12:30 a.m., said Lt. Russell Wong of the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Station. LAPD Officer Martha Garcia of the Media Relations office said motorcycle officers saw a Mercedes-Benz being driven "erratically" and stopped the vehicle, which was being driven by Hilton.

August 25 , 2006 (Olympia, WA)

Washington GOP Candidate Reveals 1993 DWI, Republican Senate challenger Mike McGavick revealed a drunken driving incident and discussed his divorce and other past missteps, saying, "It's true I've made mistakes." In his remarkable confession Thursday, McGavick said he had no indication that opponents were about to divulge the 1993 DUI case when he decided to reveal it himself. He is the favorite in the Sept. 19 GOP primary for the nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell.

August 15, 2006 (Covington, LA)

State Investigator Arrested for Third DWI, A private investigator for the State of Louisiana has been arrested for a third offense driving under the influence of narcotics after a fireman pulled her over on Friday, Covington police said.

August 15, 2006 (Charlotte, NC)

Nearly 100 DWI Arrests Made Last Week During Drunk DDriv ing Crackdown, State troopers made nearly 100 DWI arrests in the Mecklenburg-Union-Cabarrus area last week during a crackdown aimed against drunk drivers. Operation Summer Heat was a statewide effort aimed at areas that traditionally have high numbers of DWI arrests, said Lt. Everett Clendenin of the N.C. Highway Patrol. Across the state, about 750 arrests were made on DWI charges. The largest number came in the highway patrol’s Raleigh district, where 169 DWI arrests were made.

August 1, 2006 (Houston, TX)

Mayor's daughter arrested for alleged DWI, One bad thing about being an elected official's kid is that, if you screw up, everyone finds out about it. The Mayor's daudghter should know: She was arrested early this morning for allegedly driving while intoxicated

July 4, 2006 (Concord, NH)

DWI ruling may be flipped, The constitutionality of five drunken driving arrests made at Portsmouth "sobriety checkpoints" last summer will be tested in the N.H. Supreme Court. The state's highest court is expected to decide whether Portsmouth District Court Judge Sharon DeVries erred when she dismissed the five driving while under the influence cases on Nov. 28, 2005, calling the local roadblocks unconstitutional. DeVries cited case law and state attorney general guidelines recommending "an aggressive program of advanced publicity" prior to establishing DWI checkpoints.

July 2, 2006 (New York)

Cops arrest 22 in DWI crackdown, Nassau and Suffolk County police, cracking down on drunken driving and speeding during the holiday weekend, arrested 22 people on DWI charges late Friday night and early yesterday morning, authorities said. Fourteen people were arrested throughout Nassau County during that period, and officers will continue to patrol high-risk areas for accidents during the extended Fourth of July weekend, Nassau police said.

June 29, 2006, (Minnesota)

State's DWI arrests reach all-time high, lower DWI threshold, As Minnesota became the last state in the nation to lower its drunken driving threshold last year, the number of DWI arrests reached an all-time high. Law enforcement officers caught 36,870 people driving while intoxicated (DWI) in 2005, and they're arresting drunken drivers at a pace that could top that this year, said Jean Ryan, the impaired-driving program coordinator at the Department of Public Safety. As of June 1, the department had recorded 15,343 DWI arrests this year.

June 29, 2006 (Houston, TX)

DWI / DUI Patrols Increase During Holiday Weekend, Harris County Leads Nation In DWI Deaths, Houston police will have more officers out on the streets this weekend to look for drivers under the influence, KPRC Local 2 reported. Officials said they decided to increase patrols because of the holiday weekend and because Harris County leads the nation with the most deaths involving DWI. "We are focusing on this right now because of the holiday," Chief Harold Hurtt said. "Let there be no mistake about it, we concentrate on this type of enforcement 365 days of the year. It is important for us to make our streets safer and, of course, get impaired drivers off the streets."

June 23, 2006 (Raleigh, NC)

N.C. Senate Committee Approves DWI / DUI Changes, The state Senate is considering a proposal to overhaul the state's drunken driving laws.  Intent on keeping drunken drivers off the road, a Senate committee approved a bill this week that would make dozens of changes to existing laws. Those changes include increasing the likelihood of conviction for drivers caught with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent, the legal limit in North Carolina. The bill would also allow judges to levy stiffer penalties on offenders and allow expert testimony during court hearings.

June 20, 2006 (New Orleans, LA)

Driver faces 10 years for 5th DWI / DUI, A Metairie man has been convicted of his fifth DWI offense and faces at least 10 years in prison on top of the sentence he's already serving, the St. Tammany Parish district attorney's office said Monday.  Jim Thoman, already serving a 10-year sentence for his fourth DWI, was returned to police custody and incarcerated Thursday after a 12-person jury found him guilty as charged.  Thoman, 39, faces a minimum of another 10 years in prison for his fifth offense.

June 20, 2006 (Albany, NY)

Tougher drunken driving laws OK'd, Legislators and Gov. George E. Pataki have agreed to toughen the state's drunken driving laws but remained apart on a number of criminal justice, health care, environmental and fiscal issues as the sprint to end the 2006 session began in earnest Monday.

June 18, 2006 (Charlotte, NC)

Police officer arrested for DWI / DUI on boat, A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer has a July court date for boating under the influence on Lake Norman.  Officer John Fowler had a .09 blood alcohol content after officers stopped the pontoon boat he was driving about 11:30 p.m. Friday, Wildlife Enforcement Officer W.A. Carlisle said. It is illegal to drive a boat or car with a .08 BAC or higher.

May 13, 2006 (Mentor, OH)

State representative pleads no contest to DWI / DUI charge, An Ohio state representative pleaded no contest to a drunken driving charge on Friday after his car rear-ended another car, injuring the other driver.  State Rep. Timothy Cassell was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to serve two days of community service and fined about $1,000. His driver's license was suspended for six months, with work privileges after 15 days.  Cassell, 36, who faces re-election in November, apologized in a statement.  "I made a big error in judgment, and I am taking responsibility for my actions," he said.

May 13, 2006 (Osceola County , FL)

Deputy Arrested On DWI / DUI Charges, An Osceola County deputy is under investigation, following his arrest on DWI / DUI charges. Deputy Steven Wysong works at the courthouse as a court deputy. Troopers arrested him after he crashed his car.
Wysong has been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation. He's been with the Osceola County Sheriff's Office for 29 years.

May 12, 2006 (Albany, NY)

New York Governor Pataki Aide Faces DWI / DUI Charge With State Vehicle,The former press secretary of Gov. George E. Pataki was charged Thursday night with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, both misdemeanors.

May 10, 2006 (Vermilon, OH)

Man Arrested for Drunken Mower Driving, Police have arrested a man accused of operating lawnmower while drunk. Dondi Bowles, 50, was arrested for DWI / DUI about 9:45 p.m. Friday as he drove the mower on a sidewalk. Police said he had used the mower to drive drunk to a store about a mile from his home and was arrested on his way back. Police had the lawn mower towed.  Police said a breath test showed that Bowles' blood alcohol level was 0.144 percent, above Ohio's limit of 0.08 percent.

April 29, 2006 (Benton, AR)

Benton, Arkansas attorney receives jail time for fourth DWI / DUI, Attorney J. Stewart was sentenced today to two years in prison. Stewart, 59, pleaded guilty this morning to fourth-offense driving while intoxicated in front of special Circuit Judge W.H. “Dub” Arnold, former Arkansas Supreme Court chief justice.

April 27, 2006 (Portland, OR)

Head of Ordegon Liquor Control Comission Charged with DWI Resigns, The head of Oregon's Liquor Control Commission has resigned -- after being charged with drunken driving. Teresa Kaiser was stopped Saturday night in Portland. Police say she had a blood-alcohol level of point-16 percent. That's twice the legal limit. Her resignation was confirmed today by a spokesman for Oregon's governor.

April 26, 2006 (Honoluu, HI)

'Lost' Star Doing Jail Time for DWI, Chooses 5 Days in Jail Rather Than 240 Hours Community Service for DUI / DWI,  "Lost" star Michelle Rodriguez has surrendered to begin a five-day jail sentence for drunken driving.  Rodriguez, who portrays police officer Ana Lucia, opted for jail time and a $500 fine rather than 240 hours of community service.

April 13, 2006 (Shreveport, LA)

Judge's sentence in latest drunken-driving case draws scrutiny, Local family concerned of possible leniency in upcoming DWI sentencing. A Caddo district judge who is under public scrutiny for recently handing down the minimum sentence in a DWI fatality case must decide sentencing in a similar accident. Judge Leon Emanuel convicted William Gourdine of vehicular homicide in December for the accident that claimed the life of 17-year-old Amanda Laurenson, and in February ordered him to spend eight years in prison, with seven years suspended. Now Emanuel must decide punishment for 49-year-old Richard Lane, the man determined to be responsible for the DWI drunken-driving accident that killed Joyce Williams in March 2004.

April 13, 2006 (St. Johnsbury, VT)

Judge Rejects Plea Agreement In Repeat Offender DWI Case, Judge Howard VanBenthuysen rejected a plea agreement in a repeat offender drunken driving case this week where the suspect is accused of nearly ramming a police cruiser.

April 11, 2006 (Shreveport, LA)

DWI Plates for Drunk Drivers, In Baton Rouge, a bill passed by the senate could make it easy to recognize drunk drivers.

The letters DWI on an orange background would appear on the license plates of drivers convicted multiple times of driving while intoxicated.

April 7, 2006 (Albany, NY)

Proposed bill would toughen penalties for repeat D.W.I. offenders, Two local deaths have prompted a proposed drunk driving law. It's called the Bill Leaf-Brandi Woods law. The proposed legislation would crack down on repeat drunk drivers.

15-year-old Brandi Woods was hit and killed by a repeat drunk driver in Skaneatles last year. That driver is serving time in state prison

March 31, 2006 (Lakeaway, TX)

Lakeway Police Officer Charged With DWI, A Lakeway police officer remains on restricted duty after being charged with a DWI. The off-duty officer failed a field sobriety test after he was involved in a wreck in northern Travis County. He allegedly admitted to drinking six beers.

March 21, 2006 (Minnetonka, MN)

NFL Hall of Famer Eller guilty of DWI, NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller has pleaded guilty to drunken driving as part of a deal that calls for a $1,000 fine, probation and community service.  City Attorney Frank Rondoni said the former Minnesota Vikings' great pleaded guilty Monday to fourth-degree drunken driving (DWI / DUI), a misdemeanor, in a branch office of the Hennepin County District Court.

March 21, 2006 (Fort Wayne, IN)

5 felonies dismissed in fatal DWI / DIU case, A magistrate dismissed five felony charges Monday against a 46-year-old Fort Wayne man after he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of DWI / DUI drunken driving in a July fatal crash.  Kenneth Guy entered his guilty plea to one misdemeanor count of DWI / DUI drunken driving under an agreement calling for the dismissal of the other charges. Guy was to a one-year suspended jail term and one year on probation.  Guy had been charged with five felony charges, including drunken driving causing death, punishable by six to 20 years in prison, in a July 2 crash on Paulding Road at Turtle Creek Drive. The other driver, Chantelle Malone, 22, died as a result.

March 18, 2006 (Trenton, NJ)

New Jersey Supreme Court Suspends New Alcohol Breath Test, Plans to expand the use of a new breath test for people suspected of drunken driving (DWI / DUI) should be put on hold until the test's reliability is determined, according to the state Supreme Court. Supreme Court Clerk Stephen Townsend said counties planning to use the Alcotest should first obtain approval from the court, and added that it is unlikely such a request would be granted.  Townsend issued the directive in a letter Tuesday to Michael Patrick King, the special master who was appointed by the court to determine whether the Alcotest — a replacement to the older Breathalyzer tests — is reliable. Defense lawyers have questioned the tests' accuracy.

March 17, 2006 (Albuquerque, NM)

Cop accused of DWI quits, another faces discipline, An Albuquerque Police Department Officer who wrecked his police cruiser while allegedly driving drunk resigned Thursday, moments before being fired. Another officer faces disciplinary action for allegedly helping him flee the scene of the accident.
Police says 25-year-old Brandon Wilcox wrecked his patrol car after having drinks at two local bars last Thursday. While on the way home the off-duty Police Officer lost control of his police cruiser, hopped a curb, and slid to a stop. Wilcox then left the scene of the accident and went home where he passed out. When Wilcox was arrested his alcohol level was twice the legal limit.

March 15, 2006 (Belen, NM)

'You don't want to be in my shoes,' DWI defendant tells students, More than a dozen teenagers and their parents got a first-hand glimpse at the consequences of drinking and driving this week as they sat in a courtroom watching four men sentenced to time behind bars.

March 14, 2006 (Tucson, AZ)

Man gets 16-year prison sentence for fatal DUI / DWI accident, A man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a fatal automobile accident last year has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.  Twenty-four-year-old Charles Reece was charged in the March, 2005 accident that killed Powell Williams.

March 11, 2006 (Tioga County, NY)

The Tioga County, N.Y. assistant district attorney charged with drunk driving has pleaded not guilty, and remains on a leave of absence without pay. Second District Attorney Kirk O. Martin, 34, of East Main Street, Owego, is charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to keep right in connection with a one-car motor vehicle accident, which occurred Feb. 20 on state Route 17 in the Town of Owego

March 5, 2006 (Schnectady, NY)

GOP favorite faces DWI counts, Police accuse Schenectady County Republican James Walsh of two drunken-driving incidents -- James Walsh, a rising star in the Schenectady Republican Party, was arrested twice within 48 hours on charges of drunken driving, authorities said. Walsh, 38, of Glenwood Boulevard in Schenectady, was first arrested just after 3 a.m. Thursday.  Police charged him with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and driving with a blood-alcohol content above 0.08.  He was again charged with DWI at 10:35 p.m. Friday. He was charged with two misdemeanor DWI counts and single counts of speeding and failure to keep right.

March 8, 2006 (Wane, IN)

Bill Would Allow Vehicles to be Taken from Drunk Drivers, Lawmakers have given final legislative approval to a bill that will allow courts to take vehicles from some people convicted of drunken driving.

March 4, 2006 (Bismnarck, ND)

APPEALS COURT RULING: North Dakota (ND) driving while intoxicated (DWI) convictions can't be used in Minnesota (MN) DWI cases, North Dakota drunken driving convictions cannot be used against drivers in Minnesota cases, because North Dakota motorists may be ignorant of their rights before they are tested for alcohol, a Minnesota appeals court says.

March 3, 2006 (Albuquerque, NM)

Is shame an effective DWI policy? In Tennessee, they spend a day cleaning roads wearing a vest that says, "I am a drunk driver." In Maricopa County, Ariz., their faces stare back from a Web site that tells stories of mixed drinks, illegal blood-alcohol levels and tragic DWI / DUI drunk driving endings. In Albuquerque, their faces could be published in a newspaper or online.  City Council Michael Cadigan's proposal is part of an emerging trend in punishing drunken drivers by inducing an emotion that could change their behavior - shame.  But as the discussion heats up in Albuquerque, some wonder whether the idea will have the desired effect.

February 22, 2006 (Apalachin, NY)

Assistant DA charged with DUI / DWI drunk driving crash, Tioga County Second Assistant District Attorney Kirk O. Martin faces two charges related to a one-vehicle crash early Monday near Apalachin. Martin, 34, was injured in the crash and required treatment. Hospital officials would not release information Tuesday about his injuries. State police at Owego charged Martin with driving while intoxicated DWI) , a misdemeanor, and failure to keep right, a traffic violation, according to a press release issued by Troop C Zone III Headquarters in Ithaca.  Depending on an internal investigation and the outcome of the case, Martin will keep his job as an assistant district attorney with pay.

February 9, 2006 (Miami, FL)

Lawyer argues to dismiss DUI case against former Miramar commissioner, A judge is scheduled to consider a motion to dismiss a drunken-driving (DUI / DWI) charge against former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman this afternoon. 

Salesman, whose breath-test showed his blood-alcohol at twice the legal limit, is arguing that the test is faulty.  Already, hundreds of DUI cases have been thrown out across the state, or pleaded down to lesser offenses because of questions about the accuracy of the breath-test results. Similar cases are pending in Broward and Miami-Dade. The defense lawyers are arguing that the software ''source code'' in the Intoxilyzer 5000 breath-test device -- used by all Florida law enforcement agencies that do breath testing -- can incorrectly identify materials in the breath sample as alcohol when they are not.

February 9, 2006 (Durham, NC)

New DVD Spells Out DUI / DWI Rights To Hispanics, While Hispanics make up about 10 percent of Durham's population, they account for more than 40 percent of all drunken driving arrests. Like many law enforcement agencies, Durham police provide a copy of rights when it comes to taking a Breathalyzer test, and it's written in Spanish. But, many judges have found officers are not using it on a consistent basis.

February 8, 2006 (San Antonio, TX)

Man Gets Probation In DWI Crash That Killed 3, A jury sentenced a man to 10 years of probation Tuesday in connection with a 2003 crash that killed his wife, his brother and a friend.  Jurors deliberated for two hours before deciding punishment for Scott Birkholz, who was found guilty of three counts of intoxication manslaughter. Birkholz faced a maximum of 10 years in prison. Defense attorneys had argued for probation, saying that Birkholz had already lost enough

February 7, 2006 (Liberty, NY)

Councilman charged with DUI / DWI for second time in a month, A town councilman spent the past weekend in jail following his second arrest for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in less than a month. Sean Hanofee, a councilman in the Sullivan County town of Liberty, was charged Friday with DUI / DWI after he refused to take a breath test, authorities said.  Police stopped Hanofee after an officer - who suspected the councilman's license was suspended for a previous DUI / DWI charge - spotted him driving his pickup truck.

January 24, 2006 (Syracuse, NY)

Soldier faces charges after DWI crash, A Fort Drum soldier faces DWI and other charges after Lewis County Sheriff's Deputies say he crashed his car in the town of Denmark.

January 23, 2006 (Sugar Land, TX)

HFD Captain Sentenced In DWI Case, A Houston Fire Department captain was sentenced Monday afternoon after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated (DWI) and causing a serious accident. 

January 23, 2006 (New York,  NY)

'DWI' cop begs for delay, A Manhattan cop cried in court yesterday as he begged for more time to consider pleading guilty to a 2004 drunken-driving rampage that injured eight people in five separate accidents.

January 22, 2006 (Akron, OH)

LeBron's mother pleads not guilty to DWI, LeBron James' mother pleaded not guilty Monday to several charges, including drunken driving and disorderly conduct.

January 22, 2006 (Fayetteville, AK)

Razorback Arrested For DWI, Fayetteville police say Arkansas reserve linebacker Matt Stoltz faces a driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) charge.  Stoltz was arrested early Friday morning and then released on bond.  In addition to the DWI charge, Stoltz faces a charge of careless and prohibited driving. Both charges are misdemeanors.

January 17, 2006 (San Antonio, TX)

Elementary School Principal Arrested for DWI / DUI, An elementary school principal was arrested and charged with DWI / DUI Friday night after she allegedly slammed into another car. Officers say she turned hostile when they took her in for booking. "She said, 'I hope you don't call the cops cause I don't want to get a ticket for DUI.'"

January 16, 2006 (Columbia, MO)

Missouri Police sergeant accused of DWI / DUI, A Columbia police sergeant was arrested early yesterday by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and speeding in rural Audrain County.  Jerry Greene, 40, was pulled over after a patrolman clocked him driving 72 mph in a 55-mph zone, said Sgt. Doug McPike of the highway patrol. McPike said he didn’t know the results of a blood alcohol test conducted on Greene after the DWI / DUI stop.

January 16, 2006 (Alvarado, TX)

Nurse arrested for DWI / DUI after speeding through roadblock , An Alvarado nurse was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) after police said she sped through a roadblock set up by Burleson officers on Dec. 10.  Rita Marie Moreno, 29, was arrested at 2:20 a.m. after officers said she drove between two squad cars at a roadblock while traveling at a high rate of speed.

January 13, 2006 (Brownsville, TX)

DWI / DUI charge dismissal upheld by appellate court, A state appeals court on Jan. 3 upheld a Cameron County judge’s dismissal of a driving while intoxicated (DWI) case against former county attorney.  South Padre Island police arrested Doug Wright in Nov. 2004 and charged him for DWI and a weapons charge.  Judge Daniel Robles dismissed the DWI and weapons charge in March 2005.

January 13, 2006 (Lake George, NY)

Judge won't dismiss DWI / DUI charge against OB/GYN doctor - Hearing will determine whether car was on highway, A judge Thursday declined to dismiss a DWI / DUI drunken driving charge brought against a local doctor who was on his way to the hospital when arrested, instead directing a hearing be held to determine the legality of the charge against him.  Town Justice Michael Stafford said he could not determine whether Dr. Stephen Serlin's vehicle was on the public highway based on the affidavits and court papers submitted by lawyers in the case. So Stafford ordered a hearing the week of Jan. 23 to determine exactly where Serlin's car was when he was stopped by police and whether that is public highway or private property. "I would like to see some proof of where his property line is," the judge said.

January 13, 2006 (Lexington, KY)

TV reporter pleads guilty to assault and DWI / DUI charges, A television reporter accused of kicking a police officer during a December arrest pleaded guilty today to an amended assault charge and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).

January 12, 2006 (Anna, IL)

Man must get treatment in order to stand trial for crash deaths, A brain-injured man must undergo treatment in an attempt to make him ready to stand trial for DWI / DUI in the deaths of five people in a drunken-driving accident, a judge ruled.

January 11, 2006  (Trenton, NJ)

NJ Supreme Court orders judges to accept evidence from new DWI test - for now, NJ Supreme Court has ordered judges throughout NJ to accept results of new alcohol breath test as evidence in prosecuting DWI / DUI / drunk driving cases.  The order from the state's highest court lifts freezes on hundreds of DWI / DUI / drunken driver prosecutions that were put on hold last year by judges after defense lawyers raised concerns about the machine.  The Alcotest has replaced the Breathalyzer in 10 of the 21 counties and is to be in the others by November.

January 10, 2006 (Minneapolis, MN)

15% of new DWI / DUI drunken driving arrests below old limit, 15% percent of the people arrested for DWI / DUI drunken driving during two weeks in December had blood alcohol levels below .10%.  Minnesota's legal limit for DWI / DUI drunk driving dropped from .10% to .08% on August 1.

January 8, 2006 (Phoenix, AZ)

Fields arrested on drunken driving charge, Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Mark Fields was arrested late last month on DWI / DUI drunken driving charges after his car was seen drifting out of his lane of traffic, police said Sunday. Fields, 33, was pulled over Dec. 29 in suburban Scottsdale when driving 30 mph in a 25-mph zone. His car was drifting out of its lane and almost bumped a nearby police car, said Lt. Joe Ruet of the Gilbert Police Department.

January 6, 2006

New Missouri Beer Law Written by 5th-Graders, Clearly out of ideas on how to piss off responsible drinkers, Missouri is considering a law to curb DWI / DUI / drunk driving… suggested by the informed legislators at Jefferson Country elementary. Sploid has the best overview:  At the suggestion of a fifth-grader, Sen. Bill Alter has entered a bill that would ban the sale of beer at temperatures lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The dea is to lower the likelihood of folks cracking a “road brew” on the way home from the store, thus reducing DWI / DUI / drunk driving.

January 5, 2006 (Fairfax County, VA)

Virginia's DWI Law Is Constitutional, Fairfax Judge Rules Traffic Court Was Tossing Out Cases, A Fairfax County judge ruled yesterday that the state's drunken driving law is constitutional but agreed with a controversial lower-court ruling that juries and judges cannot automatically presume someone is intoxicated if their blood alcohol level is above the legal limit.

January 5, 2006 (Memphis, TN)

DWI / DUI Offenders to be Shamed as Punishment, Tennessee has come up with a novel approach to reduce drunken driving.  It will try to shame those arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) into changing their ways.  DWI / DUI first offenders will serve at least one day in jail, followed by three full days working to clean up along the state’s highways.

January 1, 2006 (Washington, MO)

Greatest drop in DWI / DUI fatalities since 1982 for 18-29 year-olds, The bottom line is that DWI / DUI fatalities since 1982 are down 56% among 16- to-20-year-olds. Among those ages 21 to 29, DWI / DUI deaths are down 47%. U.S. traffic deaths unrelated to drinking rose about 30 percent in the same period.

December 31, 2005 (Greenville, NC)

Blood tests sought in DWI / DUI refusal cases, Under a new program sponsored by the NHTSA, Pitt County police may order suspected drunk drivers who refuse an intoxilyzer test to submit a blood sample.  A few minutes of paperwork for a bodily fluids search warrant and a brief trip to the hospital is all that's needed to retrieve a blood sample from a driver suspected of DWI / DUI.  North Carolina law has allowed police to obtain a search warrant to draw blood in DWI / DUI refusal cases for years.  In the past, police only obtained a blood sample in cases of DWI / DUI related crashes with injuries or death. 

December 31, 2005 (Williamston, NC)

Families question DWI laws, punishment, An Ahoskie man previously jailed for a DWI / DUI related death recently was indicted for the November deaths of a Martin County couple.  He was under no special driving restrictions since being released from prison. 

December 28, 2005 (Columbus, OH)

Ohio Justice Reprimanded For Drunken Driving Conviction, A special panel of state appellate judges Wednesday publicly reprimanded Ohio Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick for a drunken driving conviction.

December 28, 2005 (Milwaukee, WI)

Assistant DA Accused Of Drunken Driving, An Assistant DA for Milwaukee County is accused of drunken driving.  Police said they pulled a woman over in Shorewood Christmas night after she hit a parked car and then kept going.  She blew a 0.28 during a sobriety test, more than three times the legal limit.

December 27, 2005 (Charlotte, NC)

New drunken driving campaign to target "buzzed" drivers too, A new TV ad campaign is set to launch with a warning that "buzzed" drinkers shouldn't be driving.  It's being called the biggest push against drunken driving, DWI & DUI in 20 years. This time of year drunken driving crashes historically increase. Many people drive home from holiday parties thinking they're not drunk, just buzzed.  Police set up DWI / DUI sobriety checkpoints to target drunk drivers.  More than 17,000 people have been killed in the U.S. last year in DWI, DUI & drunk driving crashes according to AAA.

December 27, 2005 (San Jose, CA)

DWI Arrests Up, Timing and opportunity helped California Highway Patrol officers across the state nab nearly twice as many drunken drivers over the holiday weekend as they did the year before. CHP officers arrested 1,092 suspected drunken drivers between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday, compared with 622 drivers in 2004 during the same period.

December 19, 2005 (Fairfax, VA)

DWI / DUI squad keeping busy, 'Tis the season -- to bust drunken drivers.  That's what the Fairfax County Police Department's "Safe December" squad has been busy doing.
So far this month, they've made more than 500 traffic stops, resulting in about 60 D-W-I arrests. They've also been charging people with reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.

December 19, 2005 (Minneapolis, MN)

Two drivers revoked for multiple DWI convictions crash,  Roger C. Wigen lost his drivers license nearly a decade ago because of multiple drunk driving convictions. Police say the 46-year-old Woodbury man was sober, though driving illegally Sunday when he was involved in a crash with a drunken driver whose license also had been revoked for multiple DWI's.

December 17, 2005 (Atlanta, GA)

DUI Suspect Shot by Police, A man Clayton County police said a man who attempted to run down an officer was shot by the officer following the end of a police chase.  Police said they suspected the driver of driving under the influence (DUI).

December 17, 2005 (Raleigh, NC)

'Booze It & Lose It' campaign yield 986 DWI / DUI arrests from Dec 5-11, Statewide, law enforcement officers last week arrested 986 motorists for driving while impaired (DWI), including 131 underage drinking drivers. A total of 3,582 motorists have been arrested for DWI since “Booze It & Lose It” began on Nov. 17.

December 17, 2005 (Selden, NY)

Man arrested on DWI / DUI escapes in police cruiser, SELDEN, N.Y. - A Florida man arrested Saturday for alleged drunken driving slipped off his handcuffs, slid into the driver's seat of a police car and sped off, police said. He was captured a short time later. Just before the incident, Thomas Elflein, 26, was spotted trying to avoid a DWI checkpoint by pulling into a gas station around 12:30 a.m., said Suffolk County Police Detective Sgt. William Lamb.

December 11, 2005 (Carrollton, TX)

Carrollton Kicks Off Holiday DWI Task Force, One north Texas city is kicking up the fight against drunk drivers. The Carrollton P.D. has begun its 2005 Holiday DWI Task Force. Their purpose is to increase Driving While Intoxicated enforcement activities during the post-Thanksgiving and Pre-Christmas holiday period. Police say they are hoping to reduce deaths, increase arrests and educate the public about alcohol offenses. Officers will mainly focus on impaired drivers. Of 385 traffic stops, 100 field sobriety tests were administered, 62 arrests were made, and 39 people were charged with Driving While Intoxicated. During 2004 one of 10 traffic stops resulted in a DWI arrest.

December 10, 2005 (Raleigh, NC)

Party hosts can be responsible for drunk drivers, Almost 2,600 North Carolina drivers were pulled over and given DWI tickets during the first three weeks of the state’s “Booze It & Lose It” campaign this November and December. Drivers though aren’t the only ones that can be held responsible if an accident occurs.

December 9, 2005 (Pierre, S.D.)

Police target drunken drivers, Celebrating the holiday season makes November and December the two months that normally see the most driving while intoxicated arrests.  The Pierre Police Department wants motorists to remember that the best way of avoiding arrest for drunken driving is either not drinking or handing the keys to someone who hasn’t been drinking.  In support of 3D Month—Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month—the department is planning to hold a couple of checkpoints and some saturation patrols aimed at keeping drunken and drugged drivers off the street.

December 8, 2005 (Jersey CIty, New Jersey)

Cops: Found DWI suspect passed out with car still running, A Jersey City man was arrested Tuesday night on charges of drunken driving and aggravated assault after he crashed into a parked car, then sped away, nearly striking the car's owner, reports said.  A witness notified police Tuesday at 10:28 p.m. that a black 1995 Ford Escort had crashed into the rear bumper of his car, then sped off when he emerged from his house to confront the driver. The car nearly hit him as it sped off, the witness said.

December 6, 2005 (Austin, TX)

Officials Cracking Down On Drunk Driving, Some people use the holidays as an excuse to drink. Law enforcement officers know this only too well, and that's why officers and troopers in Travis County are cracking down on drunk driving.  Last holiday season, officers made 724 DWI arrests and responded to 170 drunk driving wrecks.

December 6, 2005 (McAllen, TX)

District clerk says police took his money after DWI and drug possession arrest, Hidalgo County District Clerk, Omar Guererro, says police took his money when he was arrested. 

McALLEN -- The Hidalgo County District Clerk wants his money back; but, police say they never took it.  Omar Guererro’s attorney is asking a judge to force McAllen police to return $6,800 dollars worth of Guererro’s money.  He says police took it when they arrested Guerrero for DWI and drug possession.

December 5, 2005 (Charlotte, NC)

Gastonia parade driver charged with DWI, A retired Gastonia fire captain driving in the city's annual Christmas parade Sunday was charged with driving while impaired (DWI) and carrying a concealed gun after he ran over a spectator's foot, police said.

December 4, 2005 (Sante Fe, NM)

Old New Mexico Woe, Drinking and Driving, Is Vexing State Anew, After pleading guilty to drunken driving, Joseph Tapia followed the judge's orders and showed up one night in November at a forum at Santa Fe Community College to hear from accident victims. The trouble was, Mr. Tapia appeared to be drunk.

December 3, 2005 (Gloucester County, NJ)

DWI testing device faces legal review, The device that replaced the Breathalyzer in drunk driving cases is being challenged in court. Cherry Hill lawyer Evan Levow says that prosecutions based on the Alcotest 7110 should be put on hold across New Jersey. Although a Superior Court judge in Camden County ruled in 2003 that the Alcotest computer-based device and its software are reliable, Levow argues that such a ruling should have been reviewed by an appellate court to become case law.

December 1, 2005 (Portsmouth, NH)

Portsmouth judge says checkpoints unconstitutional, throws out DWI charges, PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — A Portsmouth District Court judge dismissed driving while intoxicated charges against five people arrested at sobriety checkpoints, after finding the stops were unconstitutional.

December 1, 2005 (Trenton, NJ)

Panel orders new hearing on DWI test, With hundreds of DWI / DUI drunken driving cases in limbo-- including several in Morris County --a state appellate panel today ordered a new hearing to determine the reliability of the device that is replacing the Breathalyzer.  The ruling is a defeat for state prosecutors, who maintained that a 2003 lower court's ruling established the accuracy of the Alcotest 7110 MKIII-C.  The 2003 decision, by a trial judge in Camden County, was never reviewed by an appellate court. As a result, defense lawyers for accused drunken drivers contended the ruling was not binding on trial judges in the 20 other counties.

November 30, 2005 (Senatobia, MS)

DUI's Down in Mississippi... But so is the Number of Troopers, DUI Arrests Down... As are Trooper Ranks, Trooper Shortage, Senatobia, Miss - Good news and bad news about the recent Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Mississippi. First the good news: Drunk driving arrests were down... WAY down Only 49 this year, versus 116 last year. Now the bad news: the reason isn’t because people are drinking less... it’s because there aren’t enough troopers out there to catch them.

November 30, 2005 (McAllen, TX)

Hidalgo County clerk charged with DWI, McALLEN, Texas McAllen police today arrested Hidalgo County District Clerk Omar Guerrero on charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and drug possession. Guerrero was arraigned and released on a personal recognizance bond. Defense attorney Al Alvarez says his client had not been drinking when he was arrested.

November 29, 2005 (Nashville, TN)

Police sergeant charged with DUI, Badge taken after high-speed chase, By CHRIS JONES, A Metro police officer was decommissioned yesterday and charged with drunken driving after leading a high-speed chase and evading arrest, officials said. According to police, Sgt. Kurt Bartlett was off duty when Officer John Richards spotted him around 3 a.m. speeding on White Bridge Road in his GMC Yukon.

November 28, 2005 (Albuquerque, NM)

103 nabbed in DWI blitz, More than a third tested at or above legal blood-alcohol limit, By Maggie Shepard, Tribune Reporter, November 28, 2005, If their breath tests were accurate, about one-third of the people arrested Wednesday through Saturday on charges of drunken driving were really, really drunk.

For the last seven Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, state and local law enforcement officers have cracked down on drunken drivers. They call it the Superblitz. The first four days of the blitz nabbed 103 people on charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI).

November 23, 2005 (Dallas, TX)

Deputy alleges bias by DWI task force, Dallas County: Hispanic motorists targeted, he asserts; inquiry ordered. 
A 25-year veteran of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department has asked the FBI to review information that he says shows that the department's DWI / DUI task force has been engaged in illegal racial profiling by targeting Hispanic drivers.

November 23, 2005

Busch DWI Puts Spotlight on NASCAR Alcohol Sponsors,
NASCAR has tried to balance its decision to accept sponsorships from the liquor industry with "responsible drinking" messages, but still faced questions about the deals after a prominent race-car driver was arrested for DWI / DUI.  Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch was charged with reckless driving in Florida after being pulled over by police and failing a field sobriety test. Busch was not charged with DUI; a second test was not completed because of an equipment problem.

November 21, 2005 (Wilmington, DE)

DUI / DWI checkpoints increasing for holiday season, On Saturday night, Wilmington Police set up the first of many DUI / DWI checkpoints to come. They joined forces at the DUI / DWI checkpoint on Sixth and Market Streets to get drunken drivers off the road. "I think it's great. I think it needs to be done more often," said one driver. "Someone has to do it." Those drivers weren't drinking, but another driver wasn't as smart. He's one of the first to get arrested for DUI / DWI on this Saturday night. His passenger, who's also drunk, stands on the sidelines with no way to get home. We asked what they were thinking before they drove off with a drunk driver at the wheel.

November 19, 2005 (Wausau, WI)

Wisconsin sets record for DWI arrests - 43,202 DWI arrests in 2004, A record 43,202 motorists were booked for drunken driving in Wisconsin during 2004, a 10.7 percent increase over the previous year. Authorities attribute the increase primarily to growing vigilance by people who use their cell phones to alert officials and to more aggressive law enforcement.

November 18, 2005 (Raleigh, NC)

Troopers on DWI alert during holiday season, The holiday travel season kicks off Friday and Highway Patrol troopers are ready to keep you safe. The winter Booze It & Lose It campaign also starts Friday.  AAA of the Carolina estimates more than 1.5 million North Carolinians will drive somewhere for Thanksgiving.  It's the start of a busy travel period and a time when officials say the rate of DUI / DWI arrests and alcohol related traffic fatalities go up.

November 17, 2005 (Little Rock, Arkansas)

DWI conviction sans car keys heard by AK Court of Appeals, LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Court of Appeals on Wednesday was given a riddle to ponder: If a car engine is running but the vehicle is inoperable, can the drunk man in the driver's seat be convicted of DWI?  The attorney for the man convicted of DWI argued to the court that his client's DWI conviction should be overturned because his client was not in "actual physical control" of his vehicle when he was found asleep behind the steering wheel.  The man was arrested for DWI after police officers found him asleep in his car. His blood alcohol level was .145%. The limit for motorists to be charged with DWI is .08%.

November 16, 2005 (Dallas, TX)

Police Beef Up Holiday DUI / DWI Patrols, DALLAS -- Two organizations will work to curtail drunken driving during the holidays, but the two groups will take different approaches to clearing roads of intoxicated drivers.  The Dallas Police Department will assign more officers to patrol area streets in search of drunken drivers.  "Were going to use our entire DWI squad, (and) we're also going to support that squad with 12 additional officers," Deputy Chief Shirley Gray said. Last year, Dallas officers arrested more than 350 people for suspicion of drunken driving during its campaign. Mothers Again Drunk Driving wants people to tie one on for safety during the holidays.  The organization will launch its annual Red Ribbon Campaign to remind people to be safe and sober during the holidays.

November 15, 2005 (Austin, TX)

The Cost of DWI / DUI, By: Crestina Chavez, Cpl. David Daniels escorts a driver suspected of DWI. One out of every five drivers on the road after midnight is under the influence of something, according to MADD TEXAS. Perhaps you've been one of them. That drive home will get so much more expensive if you're caught drunk driving. Corporal David Daniels is assigned to the Austin PD's DWI Task Force. On a recent Saturday night, he combed through the streets of downtown looking for drunk drivers.  A DWI charge usually starts off as a routine traffic stop.

November 13, 2005 (Greenville, NC)

Specialized court sessions help alleviate DWI backlog, By Erin Rickert, Each of the 38 names recorded on the Court calender had something in common. The people all were facing some type of driving while impaired charge – scheduled to be heard by the court during a specialized session meant only for DWI offenses.  The specialized court sessions, which meet one to four times a week, began in May to help alleviate the county's troubling backlog of DWI cases and more quickly dispose of incoming cases.  Tonya Oliver, assistant district attorney prosecuting DWI court cases, said statistics released earlier this year revealed the county's backlog of DWI cases was one of the worst in the state, second only to Cumberland County.

November 11, 2005 (Minneapolis, MN)

MN judge strikes down part of drunken-driving law, A driver can't be hauled into both civil and criminal courts on the same issue, he ruled.  Goodhue County District Judge Kevin Mark has struck down part of the state's drunken-driving law on license revocation as unconstitutional. He ruled that if a driver successfully challenges revocation of a driver's license in civil court, the state can't criminally prosecute the drunken-driving charge.  He also issued a permanent, statewide injunction to keep that part of the drunken-driving law from being enforced.

November 10, 2005 (Richmond, VA)

State Crime Commission recommends bill to get around DWI ruling, AP - The Virginia State Crime Commission recommended legislation Thursday to get around a judge's ruling that a key component of the state's drunken driving law is unconstitutional.  Judge Ian O'Flaherty ruled in July that the DWI law violates the U.S. Constitution because it presumes a person with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher is drunk, denying the defendant's right to presumption of innocence.

November 10, 2005 (Columbus, OH)

Mayor's wife says she's guilty of DUI, The wife of Columbus mayor and gubernatorial candidate Mike Coleman yesterday pleaded guilty to drunken driving, but she is fighting jail time by challenging the qualifications of the officer who administered the breath alcohol test showing her at more than three times the legal limit for DWI.

November 10, 2005 (Nashville, TN)

McCready DUI case goes to grand jury, (UPI) -- A judge in Nashville has sent the drunken driving case of country singer Mindy McCready to the Davidson County (Tenn.) grand jury. 

McCready was cited for driving with a suspended license and DUI May 6 after being pulled over for speeding.

November 8, 2005 (Roseville, CA)

DUI's spike, checkpoint scheduled, The Roseville Police Department will conduct a DUI and driver's license checkpoint on Friday, November 11, in a location with a history of DUI traffic collisions and DUI arrests.  There has been a sharp increase in the number of people arrested for DUI in Roseville over the past few months. Roseville Police officers arrested 60 people on suspicion of DUI in July, 76 people in August, 76 again in September, and 107 people in October. Year to date, DUI arrests in Roseville are up 21 percent over last year.

November 8, 2005 (Hawkins County, TN)

Garbage truck driver arrested on DUI charges, A garbage truck driver in Hawkins County has resigned after being arrested on a charge of drunken driving while behind the wheel of the 36-thousand-pound vehicle.

November 8, 2005 (Durham County, North Carolina)

Professor arrested, cited with DWI, An assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry was arrested Thursday on a charge of driving while impaired. Don Coltart, 36, was arrested at about 3 a.m. in the Levine Science Research Center parking lot and taken to the Durham County Jail, according to a police report.

November 2, 2005 (Farmington, New Mexico)

Well-known defense attorney arrested for DWI Blood alcohol level one-fourth that of legal limit, A prominent Farmington attorney and former Democratic party chairman was arrested Monday on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

November 1, 2005 (Strongsville, Ohio)

Browns' Droughns arrested on DUI charge, (AP) - Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns was arrested and charged with drunken driving early Tuesday. The State Highway Patrol said Droughns was pulled over at 1:09 a.m. after a trooper spotted the 27-year-old speeding and weaving in northbound traffic on U.S. 42 in suburban Cleveland. Droughns failed a field sobriety test, and after agreeing to take a blood-alcohol test at the patrol's Medina post, he registered a .08 - the state's legal limit. He was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence and speeding.  If convicted of the DUI charge, Droughns faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

November 1, 2005 (Hoboken, NJ)

Her birthday's happy, then off to jail for DWI, HOBOKEN - A Jersey City woman was arrested yesterday morning and charged with drunk driving hours after celebrating her 18th birthday, said Police Sgt. Mike Costello.  According to Costello, Elijah Castro, of Jewett Avenue, was pulled over for running two stop signs at 2:03 a.m.  She was issued two tickets for the stop signs and one ticket for driving while intoxicated (DWI).

October 30, 2005 (Salt Lake City, UT)

UHP Keeping Eye Out for Drunk Drivers on Halloween, October 30th, 2005 @ 1:52pm, SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- UHP troopers were on increased lookout for drunken drivers celebrating Halloween. The UHP was running a statewide DUI blitz over the weekend and through Monday night.  "It's one of the heaviest DUI nights of the entire year," patrol Sgt. Larry Mower said.  Over the past three years, money donated to combat drunken driving has resulted in 385 extra UHP shifts and 350 DUI arrests.

October 30, 2005 (Washington, D.C.)

Forum: Lower DWI / DUI threshold more dangerous?, Kudos to the D.C. Council, which recently voted in favor of a resolution by Carol Schwartz, at-large Republican, to nix the District's unjust "zero tolerance" policy of allowing police to arrest motorists who register any alcohol at all after stopping them for other offenses.

October 30, 2005 (St. Paul, MN)

St. Paul Officer Accused Of Drunk Driving, A St. Paul police officer was arrested early Friday on suspicion of drunk driving, authorities said. Thaddeus Schmidt, 32, was arrested after allegedly rolling over a GMC Jimmy around 12:20 a.m., said Kevin Smith, communications director for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.  Minnesota State Patrol officers suspected Schmidt had been drinking and arrested him on suspicion of fourth-degree DWI, a misdemeanor.

October 27, 2005 (Wichita, KS)

Police focus on DUI enforcement, BY DEB GRUVER, The Wichita Eagle, Wichita police plan to step up DUI enforcement in east Wichita starting this weekend. Police project that DUI-related accidents this year will exceed last year's numbers in that part of the city. During the first nine months of this year, officers logged about 75 DUI-related accidents, 285 DUI arrests and two DUI-related fatalities. The police department's east patrol will make DUI enforcement a priority the rest of this year and next year, police say. Starting Friday, a group of police officers will patrol specifically for DUIs. They will not have to respond to 911 calls during their "DUI saturation patrol," allowing them to focus solely on drunken drivers.

October 27, 2005 ( Rochester, NY)

Judge considering ruling on DWI / DUI breath alcohol test evidence, (October 27, 2005) — A judge reserved decision today on a request by an Irondequoit Town Court justice to dismiss a challenge of his ruling on evidence in driving hwile intoxicated (DWI) and driving under the influence (DUI) cases.

State Supreme Court Justice K. R. Fisher said he expects to rule by the end of Thursday in the highly unusual case, which pits Justice John L. DeMarco against the Monroe County District Attorney's Office.  Citing a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in an unrelated case, DeMarco has barred prosecutors from using evidence of illegal alcohol levels gathered by alcohol breath-testing devices unless the prosecution could also present testimony by a witness that devices used to gather the alcohol samples were properly calibrated. District Attorney Michael C. Green, who said DeMarco's ruling endangers the prosecution of 1,800 cases of driving while intoxicated annually in the county.

October 27, 2005 (Harrisburg, PA)

State to use more roadblocks to target drunken driving, HARRISBURG - State police plan to set up weekly roadblocks across the state for the next year as part of an unprecedented crackdown on drunken driving, officials said. The first "sobriety checkpoints" of the state police's Checkpoint Strike Force Initiative will be established this weekend in areas that have had large numbers of crashes involving drunken drivers. Each of the 15 regional state police troops will be required to set up a similar checkpoint somewhere in its area at some point every weekend. "Driving under the influence [DUI] is not acceptable behavior - it's a crime," said Gov. Rendell, who announced the initiative. Last year, 542 people were killed in DUI-related crashes, state police said.

October 27, 2005 (Fairfax, VA)

Judge Dismissing Drunken Driving Cases, Fairfax, Va (AP) - A Fairfax County (website - news) judge who has called Virginia's drunken driving law unconstitutional has begun dismissing cases. Critics say Judge Ian O'Flaherty is endangering public safety by returning drunken drivers to the roads. But O'Flaherty is adamant that the law deprives defendants of their rights by presuming that anyone with a blood-alcohol level of .08 is under the influence of alcohol.

He tells The Washington Post that the burden of proof is unfairly put on defendants to show they were not intoxicated.

October 27, 2005 (San Antonio, TX)

Saints Linebacker Arrested on DWI Charge, By Associated Press, New Orleans Saints linebacker Courtney Watson was charged with drunken driving.  Police said the 25-year-old Watson was driving on Interstate 10 when he was pulled over early Wednesday for erratic driving. They said an open bottle of beer was found in the front cup holder of the car.  He was "combative" and failed a field sobriety test but refused a breathalyzer sample, their report said. Watson was released on $1,000 bond pending arraignment Dec. 5

October 24, 2005 (Wahsington, D.C.)

D.C. Police Will Continue to Make DUI Arrests, WASHINGTON - District of Columbia Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey asked the D.C. Council on Monday to clarify drunken driving legislation passed last week. Police will continue to exercise discretion when deciding whether arrest people on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, Ramsey said. But he wants to know how to handle people who are suspected of being impaired by other substances. "The issue is impairment, and impairment occurs in different people at different points in time," said Ramsey.

October 22, 2005 (Columbus, Ohio)

Will Mayor's Bid for Governor be Affected by Wife's Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Charge?, Reported by Kevin Landers,What effect, if any, will Frankie Coleman's drunk driving charges impact her husbands run for Ohio governor? On Thursday night, the wife of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman was arrested by police and charged with driving under the influence, and the incident was caught on tape from inside a Bexley police cruiser.

October 22, 2005 (Chicago, IL)

Ex-cop admits to DUI crash in which 2 teens died, A former Chicago Police officer pleaded guilty Friday to five drunken driving charges stemming from a February crash that killed two south suburban teens.  Jason Casper, 25, admitted he caused a three-car accident.  He pleaded guilty to five felony charges of aggravated driving under the influence (DUI), four of them related to the fatalities. The fifth stemmed from serious injuries suffered by driver Ramzi Dar-Hussein, Assistant State's Attorney Peter Troy said. Nine charges were dropped in exchange for Casper's plea.

October 21, 2005 (Rochester, NY)

Man sentenced to 21.3 to 24 years for DUI / DWI police injury, Jeffrey Blackwell, Staff writer, (October 21, 2005) — A Rochester man, convicted of running down and injuring a city police officer while driving drunk, was sentenced this morning to up to 24 years in prison on first-degree assault charges. James E. Extale admitted in court that he was driving drunk and without a license when he struck Rochester Police Officer Nicole Cookinham Nov. 6 on Galusha Street. He was convicted in August of first-degree vehicular assault, two counts of felony driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and second-degree harassment. He was sentenced this morning to a prison term of 21 1/3 to 24 years.

October 19, 2005 (Duluth, MN)

No prison for man's 6th DWI offense, PUBLIC SAFETY: Official says there are reasons he can't comment on what led to a plea agreement and probation. BY MARK STODGHILL, NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER, A Brookston man who allegedly told a sheriff's deputy that he wouldn't take an alcohol breath test because he needed another drink was sentenced Tuesday for his sixth drunken-driving conviction -- but he won't go to prison.

October 19, 2005 (Fort Worth, Texas)

Ex-police chief's DWI case set Jan. 26, BY BEN TINSLEY,

Star-Telegram Staff Writer, FORT WORTH - Turns out the third time wasn't the charm for retired North Richland Hills Police Chief Tom Shockley. On Wednesday, Shockley had his drunken driving hearing postponed once again, the third time since August. Unlike the other times, however, he waited in court for two hours before an attorney arrived to tell him.

October 19, 2005 (Farmingdale, NJ)

DWI custody is topic of discussion in Marlboro, BY TALI ISRAELI, Staff Writer, MARLBORO — The Township Council has introduced an amendment to an ordinance stating that the Marlboro Police Department has the right to hold in protective custody any person who has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence. According to the proposed law, the individual may be held at an appropriate police unit or other facility where his condition may be monitored until he is no longer a danger to himself or others. Other conditions of release from custody include the individual’s blood alcohol content being less than .05 percent and if he is no longer under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit-forming drug to the extent that his abilities are impaired.

October 18, 2005 (Atlantic City, New Jersey)

State initiative leads to 1,583 DWI arrests, Tuesday, October 18, 2005, By TRISH GRABER, Staff Writer, Drunk-driving arrests hit a record high during this year's "You Drink and Drive, You Lose" campaign, a two-week state-wide crackdown on drunk drivers, the state attorney general's office announced Monday. Six local police departments joined 376 departments across the state in the 2005 campaign held between Aug. 19 and Sept. 5. Police checkpoints and additional patrols aided police in arresting and charging 1,583 people for Driving While Intoxicated.

October 17, 2005 (Fairfax County, VA)

Va. Judge Dismisses Drunk Driving Cases as Unconstitutional, By Associated Press, October 17, 2005,

A Fairfax County judge who believes Virginia's drunken driving laws are unconstitutional has resumed his practice of dismissing all DWI cases brought into his court, leaving prosecutors unable to appeal his rulings.

October 17, 2005 (Phoenix, AZ)

Fewer DUI arrests this year, By Catherine Junia, Independent Newspapers, Added police presence and better traffic enforcement seem to have a sobering effect on Northeast Phoenix streets. Fewer drunk-driving related arrests were made within the boundaries of Northeast Phoenix’s Desert Horizon Precinct from January to August this year compared to the same period in 2004. In the eight-month period, the precinct logged 1,072 DUI-related arrests, 10 percent less than the 1,193 arrests made in 2004.

October 17, 2005 (Albequerque, NM)

Albuquerque firefighter arrested for DWI, ALBUQUERQUE -- His job is to save lives, not jeopardize them. However, that is exactly what an Albuquerque firefighter is accused of doing over the weekend.  Albuquerque Police say they pulled over 27-year-old Damion Jenkins at Central and Cornell early Sunday morning, believing him to be intoxicated.

The Albuquerque firefighter allegedly failed a field sobriety test and told police he had “a lot to drink.” He was booked into the Metro Detention Center on aggravated DWI charges after he blew at least twice the legal limit.

October 13, 2005 (McLean, VA)

Judge Continues Dismissals of DWI Cases, October 13, 2005 6:30pm, McLean, Va. (AP) - A Fairfax County judge who believes Virginia's drunken driving laws are unconstitutional has resumed his practice of dismissing all DWI cases brought into his court, leaving prosecutors unable to appeal his rulings. 

General District Judge Ian M. O'Flaherty dismissed two drunken driving cases back in July after a defense attorney successfully argued that the Virginia law presuming intoxication at blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 or higher violates an obscure 1985 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

October 11, 2005 (Dallas, TX)

Texas republican congressman arrested for DUI, Pulled over in South Dakota during homecoming weekend, Tuesday, October 11, 2005, DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady was arrested and charged with driving under the influence while in South Dakota, according to a published report. The Texas Republican was pulled over by a state trooper Friday night for a problem with the tail lights of his vehicle, The Dallas Morning News reported.

October 10, 2005 (Oneida, NY)

Candidate for Common Council seat charged twice within hours of DWI, ONEIDA, N.Y. A candidate running for a Common Council seat in the city of Oneida was charged twice within three hours Friday of driving while intoxicated (DWI).  Police say 34-year-old Brian Karst was released to a third party after initially being charged with DWI. But they say that less than three hours later, Karst was found behind the wheel again and pulled over after failing to signal a turn and charged again with driving while intoxicated (DWI).

October 10, 2005 (Anchorage, AK)

DWI / DUI Arrest, Officers with the Anchorage Police Department and the Alaska State Trooper DUI Enforcement Team from Palmer arrested 15 people on drunk driving charges as part of this weekend's federally funded "You Drink and Drive, You Lose" campaign. APD also wrote 11 citations--two for not wearing seat belts and two for speeding.

October 10, 2005 (Alamogordo, NM)

Police on the prowl for drunk drivers, By Michael Shinabery, Staff Writer, Oct 10, 2005, 09:49 am, Those who drink and drive tend to be afflicted with a common malady. They break out in handcuffs. To keep drunk drivers off the roads, Alamogordo Department of Public Safety officers are participating in Superblitz this month and in November, the sixth such statewide effort for 2005. Superblitz is a two-pronged approach. First, according to ADPS Capt. Jim Bird, checkpoints are set up “to keep families safe and roadways clear of drunk drivers.”

October 9, 2005 (National DWI / DUI Opinion)

When Drunk Driving Deterrence Becomes Neo-Prohibition, by Radley Balko, Radley Balko is a policy analyst for the Cato Institute. This fall Mothers Against Drunk Driving marks its 25th anniversary. The organization certainly has much to celebrate: Deaths from drunk driving are down more than 35 percent since the early 1980s. We no longer chuckle at the bumbling drunk who can barely get his key into the ignition — we scorn him. Hopefully, we arrest him, too. Unfortunately, MADD has come to outlive and outgrow its original mission. By the mid-1990s, deaths from drunk driving began to level off, after 15 years of progress. The sensible conclusion to draw from this was that the occasional drunk driver had all but been eradicated. MADD's successes had boiled the problem down to a small group of hard-core alcoholics.

October 8, 2005 (Kingston, NY)

Kingston police officer to be charged with DWI /DUI, vehicular assault, A Kingston police officer injured in a car crash a week ago faces charges of misdemeanor drunk driving and felony vehicular assault.

October 7, 2005 (Johnstown, NY)

Woman charged with murder in fatal DWI / DUI drunken-driving accident, October 7, 2005, 9:05 PM EDT, JOHNSTOWN, N.Y. -- A grand jury indicted a woman for second-degree murder Thursday in a drunken-driving accident that killed a 21-year-old man.  Jennifer Cossart, 29, of Tribes Hill, had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit at 0.16 following the July 28 crash that left Daniel Call Jr. of Amsterdam dead, the prosecutor said.

October 6, 2004 (Boston, MA)

Editorial: Emotional DWI / DUI legislation, Thursday, October 6, 2005, During debate last week on proposed legislation to toughen DWI / DUI drunken driving laws, one lawmaker cautioned against decisions based on emotion. But emotion may be part of what's needed to combat the ever-growing problem of DWI / DUI drunken driving. Of course, there must be "constitutional drafting" of the legislation, and "evidentiary standards" and "due process" must be followed, as Rep. Eugene O'Flaherty, D-Chelsea, advises.

October 6, 2005 (Davenport, IA)

Drinking, driving and ‘surprises', By Barb Ickes, Before you believe a man who says he’s changed, smell his breath. Bruce Fish says he’s changed. The Sherrard, Ill., man was drunk when he plowed into the back of a car carrying 6-year-old Cole Matkovic and his Grandma Shirley, 62. Both died in the wreck, which happened seven years ago this Saturday. “I’m a different man because of it,” Fish said of the reckless homicides. The problem is he made the statement as he left court Tuesday in yet another drunken-driving arrest. This time, police say he had two children with him as he drove “erratically” in Cable, Ill., with an open container of alcohol in the car

October 5, 2005 (Rapid City, SD)

Repeat drunken driver pleads guilty but mentally ill, Associated Press, RAPID CITY, S.D. - The Rapid City man known as "Mr. DWI" could get up to another three years behind bars. Jerry R. Zeller, 64, already had 17 drunken driving arrests on his record and nine convictions dating back to the 1970s when he was picked up last October and again in February for driving under the influence.

October 4, 2005 (Goshen, NY)

DWI conviction could lead to life in prison, 'Persistent felon' status sought, By Oliver Mackson, Times Herald-Record, Goshen – Frederick Travis just got tagged with his fifth felony DWI. That usually means a prison sentence. For Travis, it could be a life sentence. Orange County prosecutors want Judge Nicholas DeRosa to send Travis to prison for up to 25 years to life, the same sentence a murderer gets in New York. An Orange County Court jury convicted the 42-year-old Travis on Friday. "Based on the criminal history, he's not going to stop. The only way to protect other drivers on the streets is to keep this guy in prison," said Senior Assistant District Attorney John Geidel.

October 4, 2005 (Travis County, TX)

Videotape released of judge's arrest, 11:30 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 4, 2005, By KEVIN PETERS / KVUE News
A videotape of Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe was released Monday, showing his arrest.  A special prosecutor dropped a charge of drunk driving against Biscoe Friday.

October 4, 2005 (Syracuse, NY)

Teenager sentenced in DWI crash that killed friend, SYRACUSE, N.Y. A 17-year-old girl will spend six months in jail for driving drunk in an accident in suburban Syracuse that killed her 16-year-old friend.

October 4, 2005 (Atlanta, GA)

Ga. Court Upholds DUI Law, ATLANTA (AP) -- The implied consent law which gives law enforcement officers power to require chemical tests of suspected drunken drivers in certain circumstances survived a challenge Monday before the Georgia Supreme Court.

October 3, 2005 (Buffalo, NY)

HARD LAW, SOFT JUSTICE, Most drivers charged under tougher DWI standards still manage to avoid criminal charges, Armed with a tougher drunken-driving law, some area police departments are arresting more drivers for barely crossing the new driving-while-intoxicated threshold.  The arrests of drivers with blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 percent or 0.09 percent rose at least 45 percent since the state toughened the penalties for these readings in July 2003, a Buffalo News analysis of DWI cases shows.

October 3, 2005 (Dover, DE)

28 Arrested for DUI in Del. Duri