When the luck of the Irish doesn’t pull through: A Saint Patrick’s DUI Arrest in South Florida
Picture this: It’s Saint Patrick’s Day weekend 2019 on the most popular drinking street in Fort Lauderdale – Himmarshee Street.
The street itself is blocked off, but the slender side-streets are open. It’s about 5 p.m and the crowded streets are beginning to overflow with people dressed up like leprechauns, stumbling around with green colored beverages in hand. The ground is plastered with green Mardi Gras beads and spilled beer.
Just now, Julia is pulling out of the parking lot where she parked before working a full-day at a pop-up booth selling clothing for the St. Patrick’s Day event.
Suddenly, she - and others - hear the unmistakable CRUNCH of two cars colliding. As the luck of the Irish would have it, Julia didn’t hit just any car. Her car crashed into a Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s SUV as she tried to squeeze past it to get home.
The police SUV was empty. It was also blocking more than half of the already crowded street. Julia did not flee the scene – she stayed put and was cooperative and composed from the second her car contacted the SUV.
What happened next was complete malarkey…
A specialized DUI officer was ordered onto the scene to conduct an investigation into whether Julia was Driving Under the Influence or not. Thanks to body camera footage (obtained through pre-trial discovery) we were able to see how this “DUI Investigation” actually went.
Watch the Fort Lauderdale Police Officer's Body Camera video footage for yourself here:
Officers are allowed to turn their body cameras off during certain police activities and discussions. In Julia’s case, there was one police officer on the scene who did not turn off his body camera during a huddle of officers discussing the collision.
We were able to get video footage of: 
1.) The Specialized DUI Officer arriving on scene.
2.) That Specialized DUI Officer asking the other officers what signs of DUI impairment they saw on Julia.
3.) We are able to see “THE FACE!” made by an officer, when asked what signs of impairment he saw.
4.) Two different police officers told the Specialized DUI Officer they did not see any signs of impairment on Julia.
5.) That Specialized DUI Officer thereafter learns that the reason he was called on scene is because a police car was hit – not other explanation was given.
Julia is then subjected to a full-on DUI Investigation where she performs the exercises very well. It didn’t matter. She was arrested for the crime of DUI anyway.
Rossen Law Firm Got All the Evidence & Beat the DUI
We were able to make formal requests for all evidence (including this body camera video) related to this case. When we saw the video, we could not believe what we saw – and neither could the State Attorney’s office. Rossen Law Firm is happy to say that the DUI was beaten and Julia’s unlucky St. Patrick’s Day resulted only in a traffic ticket.
When someone is wrongfully charged with a DUI, a great defense firm can drive that DUI out of court like St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland! Please, drive safely this St. Patrick’s Day and don’t hesitate to call Rossen Law Firm if you need us.
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