TILDEN LAW – Orlando Criminal Attorney

Cops in Fort Lauderdale took advantage of the not so clever criminals in the State by mailing letters to them informing them they were receiving stimulus checks. The suspects were asked to call a hotline and set up an appointment to pick up a check from an auditorium where “South Florida Stimulus Coalition” banners hung. When the fugitives arrived, they were identified and about 75 were arrested on offenses ranging from fraud to grand theft to attempted murder. Police spokesman Sgt. Frank Sousa said the two day sting was dubbed “Operation Show Me The Money.”

If you have been charged with a criminal offense in Orange County or Seminole County, Florida, please contact the experienced attorney’s at Tilden Law for your free initial consultation at 407-599-1234.

Prosecutors in Polk County have dropped charges against 54 defendants accused of driving under the influence in Florida. The reasons stem from a sheriff’s deputy taking shortcuts in preparing DUI arrest reports and conducting tests to determine blood alcohol content.

Deputy Tex Thomas joined the Polk County Sheriff’s Office last year and made 124 arrests for suspicion of DUI in FL. In a court deposition for a drunk driving case, Thomas admitted to clearing just the top portion of an arrest report and reusing words from a previous arrest. The use of such a template, rather than writing specific details and observations unique to an arrest, is a violation of procedure. In one case, he inadvertently left in the name of the previous suspect’s last name. Thomas also admitted to not properly observing a 20 minute period of direct observation before conducting a breath test to ensure that the suspect did not belch, vomit or ingest something that could affect the accuracy of the test. He would include the drive time from the point of the traffic stop to the testing facility as part of the intended face-to-face window of observation.

Prosecutors felt the shortcuts jeopardized the DUI cases and they elected not to file official charges against 50 defendants and dropped four other charges. Those arrests were made between October 2008 and early July 2009.

Thomas, 27, has not been disciplined though there is an ongoing internal investigation. While he has been reassigned from targeted DUI enforcement to general patrol, he is still able to initiate traffic stops for suspected Florida DUI.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Orange County or Seminole County, Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers at Tilden Law for a free initial consultation, 407-599-1234.

According to a Sheriff’s Office report, a clerk at the Kangaroo gas station at 4900 County Road 200A in Ocala, FL called the Sheriff’s Office shortly after 9 p.m. Monday and told a dispatcher someone had been passed out in their vehicle for about 20 minutes.

A deputy noted in his report that as he approached the vehicle, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol. The driver, later identified as Rafael Delgado Rivera, was talking on a phone. His eyes were bloodshot, his eyelids were droopy and his speech was slurred.

Rivera told the deputy he had taken Xanax and Oxycodone, and had approximately five to six beers.

While getting out of the vehicle, the deputy said Rivera fell down and his body locked up and his eyes rolled back.

An ambulance was called and Rivera was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where it was determined he had opiates and cannabis in his system, and had a .336 blood alcohol content.

Officials discovered his driver’s license was suspended in September 2007 for failure to pay child support. Rivera remained at the hospital for several hours so his alcohol and drug combination could subside before he was released. He then was taken to the Marion County Jail.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Orange County or Seminole County, Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers at Tilden Law for a free initial consultation, 407-599-1234.

According to several Florida news agencies, all criminal charges stemming from a DUI arrest of a 23-year-old woman, Alexandra Torrensvilas, in Broward County, Florida have been dropped due to police misconduct.

The alleged police misconduct occurred after Hollywood Officer Joel Francisco rear-ended her car which was driven by Ms. Torrensvilas.    During the arrest of the young woman, the officer’s in car video camera recorded the unsuspecting officer stating, “Well, I don’t lie and make things up ever, because it’s wrong, but if I need to bend it a little bit to protect a cop I’m gonna,” an officer says to Community Service Officer Karim Thomas.

The investigation of the officer’s conduct resulted in State attorney spokesman Ron Ishoy issuing a statement stating prosecutors dropped charges against Torrensvilas because the video “could raise questions about the police account of the traffic mishap.”

If you are have been charged with a DUI in Orange County, Florida or Seminole County, Florida or have experienced what you believe to be police misconduct relating to your DUI arrest and charge, please contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers at the Tilden Law for a free initial consultation.  407-599-1234