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Tampa Criminal Defense
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Recent Posts in DUI manslaughter Category

November 9, 2010

Florida DUI News – Tampa Man Pleads Guilty To DUI Manslaughter Charges Now Awaiting DUI Sentence

Florida DUI Penalty

A series of car crashes that led to multiple DUI charges in Tampa including DUI manslaughter against an Army veteran has led to the man pleading guilty after claiming his innocence for more than a year. Randy Archiquette is waiting to be sentenced now on two counts of DUI manslaughter, three counts of DUI with property damage and leaving the scene of numerous accidents.

Archiquette could be looking at life in prison for killing two women in a series of crashes. According to TampaBay.com on April 13, 2009 Archiquette caused five crashes in a 30-minute period while driving his Chevrolet Yukon with a 0.147 blood alcohol level. He was driving near Hillsborough and Florida Avenues when his truck finally flipped ending his rampage. Following the crashes Archiquette learned that 20-year-old Brittany McFarland and 69-year-old Betty Williams were both dead. He steadfastly denied he could have killed the two women. Prosecutors contend that Archiquette was not only drunk but under the influence of prescription drugs as well at the time of the car crashes.

The families who lost loved ones that day will have to wait until February 11 to find out what Archiquette’s Florida DUI sentence will entail. The judge warned Archiquette that he could not change his mind once he pleads guilty and the penalty for DUI manslaughter in Florida could be life in prison. Archiquette acknowledged that he understood that. He has already been in jail for 19 months since his arrest as he was not given bail. The Army veteran spent 12 years serving his country and has two young daughters.

Several family members attended the hearing as did the grandmother of Summer Moll who was severely injured in a DUI crash in which Tammy Rosian also lost her daughter. Rosian connected with families of the victims of this accident on Facebook and came to lend support.

October 15, 2010

Florida DUI Sentences – DUI Manslaughter Guilty Pleas Could Bring Severe DUI Penalties For Florida Man

Florida DUI penalties

A north Florida man is facing a lengthy DUI prison sentence after pleading guilty to a felony DUI charge in the death of a 16-year-old girl. John Campbell Arthur pled guilty to numerous charges in connection with a car crash that killed Alayna Bowman on June 23. According to reports Arthur had a blood alcohol level of three times the legal limit at the time he hit Bowman’s car as she was pulling into her driveway.

Arthur has entered a plea of guilty to DUI manslaughter, driving with a suspended license as a habitual traffic offender, reckless driving and violation of probation on a previous charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Arthur will be sentenced December 14 and his Florida DUI sentence could be as high as 33 years in prison.

The car crash that took the life of Bowman took place at approximately 10:30 p.m. outside the teenager’s home in Fort Walton Beach. Arthur was apparently trying to pass the girl leading to the fatal crash. The family was relieved with the guilty plea. First, it means the man that took the young girl’s life will go to prison but it will also spare her 13-year-old brother from taking the stand and reliving the horrible night as he was in the passenger seat at the time of the crash.

According to the report of NWFDailyNews.com, Arthur still has 30 days in which to change his mind, withdraw his guilty plea and take the case to trial. With blood alcohol readings of 0.278 and 0.276 it would be a difficult case to fight for any criminal defense attorney. Circuit Judge John Brown will hand down his sentence in an Okaloosa County Courtroom, which will hopefully allow Bowman’s family to begin to move on from the tragedy that took their daughter’s life.

September 30, 2010

Florida DUI News – World Series Champion Yankee Ready To Face DUI Manslaughter Charges

Florida DUI charge

One of the legendary clutch hitters in World Series and New York Yankee postseason history is facing the fight of his life on a Florida DUI charge that could result in a long DUI prison sentence. Former Yankee catcher Jim Leyritz is getting ready to be tried on a DUI manslaughter charge in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom stemming from a 2007 crash.

According to prosecutors as reported in a blog post on CNN.com, Leyritz was out celebrating his 44th birthday when he decided to get behind the when of his Sport Utility Vehicle after a “alcohol-fueled” celebration. He allegedly ran through a red light and crashed into Fredia Veitch. The 30-year-old mother of two died in the crash. It was determined following the crash that Leyritz was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.14.

The reason the case could be problematic for prosecutors is that court records show Veitch was also intoxicated at the time of the crash. Her blood-alcohol level was higher than Leyritz’s at 0.18. The defense is going to use the fact that the woman was drunk, along with alleging that she was distracted on her cell phone, speeding and driving with her lights off and they will also challenger the fact that Leyritz ran a red light claiming it was yellow at the time he went through the intersection.

The case will revolve around the seconds leading up to the fatal crash that lead to the DUI manslaughter charge. Leyritz’s DUI defense lawyers will have their accident reconstruction experts battle those from the state and that may be where the case is decided. There has also been an issue with discovery in the case. The prosecutors admitted a violation but said that it occurred before the trial ever started but the defense has been granted a hearing on that issue, which CNN reported as a minor victory for the lawyers defending Leyritz.

September 21, 2010

Pinellas DUI News – Woman Arrested For DUI Three Times Has Second Loved One Hit By A Drunk Driver

Pinellas County DUI Lawyer

Tina Pellegrino’s 17-year old daughter was in a coma for 56 days after she was hit by drunk driver nine years ago and now Pellegrino has lost her fiancé in a drunk driver accident. Pellegrino was crossing a Treasure Island street with 49-year-old David Happeney when the father of three was struck by a drunk driver and pronounced dead at Palms of Passadena Hospital.

The St. Pete Times is reporting 39-year-old Ann Marie Nunn has been charged with DUI manslaughter in St. Petersburg for the crash that took Happeney’s life. Nunn allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.263, which is more than triple the legal limit. Police report she had just left a bar before the crash and was not only drunk but also taking prescription medication. Happeney was not inside the crosswalk at the time of the crash. That was also the case with eight of the 14 pedestrians who have been killed on Teasure Island’s Gulf Boulevard or Blind Pas Road. Six of those eight deaths was the result of a drunk driver according to police.

Happeney leaves behind three daughters. They ranged in age from 22 to 11. He had moved to the Tampa Bay area four years ago after losing his job. He rented a hotel room on Treasure Island to celebrate Pellegrino’s 43rd birthday. The couple met three years ago and Happeney told family two years later that he was going to marry Pellegrino. The couple was headed back to the hotel when Nunn allegedly ran the man down.

Pellegrino has a history with DUI that is not limited to just having her loved ones involved in drunk driving crashes. The 43-year-old has been arrested three times for DUI herself. The most recent arrest was in 2006. The St. Petersburg Times tried to reach the woman for comment but they were unable to speak with her.

April 20, 2010

Largo Driver Booked On DUI Manslaughter Charges Due To Marijuana In His System

Karl Merl has been arrested on DUI manslaughter charges in Pinellas County after police received test results that show the Largo man had marijuana in his system at the time of a car accident that killed an 83-year-old pedestrian in 2008. Merl is being held on $50,000 bail in the Pinellas County jail.

The incident took place in November of 2008 near 105th Avenue and Oakhurst Road. According to witnesses Merl made no effort to avoid Kathryn Melnick. Merl’s blood sample showed there was tetrahydrocannabinol on his system. THC is a pyschoactive substance that is found in marijuana.

March 1, 2010

Suspected Drunk Driver That Killed Mother Of Two Had A History Of Traffic Tickets

there are more details coming out concerning the horrific drunk driving accident in Jacksonville that cost a wife and mother of two her life. Sasha Pringle has been charged with DUI manslaughter and now News4Jax.com is reporting the 31-year-old has a history of Florida traffic tickets. Pringle has multiple traffic citations since 2008 for careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Pringle allegedly caused Luma Kajy’s SUV to plunge more than 100 feet into the St. John river after she rammed the woman’s GMC Envoy. Pringle then left the scene of the accident and drove back to her apartment. Witnesses led police to Pringle. She is being held on $1 million bail for driving drunk and causing the death of Kajy.


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