Boston DUI Lawyers Blog

Stoughton Woman Arrested at Canton OUI / DUI Sobriety Checkpoint

Published on: April 17, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Stoughton woman was arrested on Massachusetts Drunk Driving Charges earlier this month in at a drunk driving checkpoint in Canton.

The OUI / DUI roadblock, which was conducted by the Massachusetts State Police, resulted in the arrest of 6 people and approximately 88 civil motor vehicle citations.

It is well known that the Massachusetts State Police and local police departments sometimes use drunk driving roadblocks to investigate the OUI / DUI laws. Massachusetts law permits police to stop vehicles randomly, but the selection process must not be arbitrary and the method of stopping the vehicles must be according to a devised plan.

Lowell Man Charged with DUI / OUI After Hitting State Police Cruiser

Published on: March 26, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Lowell man was arrested this past weekend for Massachusetts Drunk Driving Charges after he allegedly drove his car into a Massachusetts State Police vehicle.

The defendant, Justin Castanza, is alleged to have collided with the state police cruiser while the trooper passed through intersection on his way to respond to another incident. The vehicle drive by the defendant allegedly passed through a red light.

The defendant was ultimately arrested for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol.

Middleboro Man Charged with Vehicular Homicide

Published on: March 16, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Middleboro man was arrested and charged with Motor Vehicle Homicide While Operating Under the Influence for allegedly operating under the influence of alcohol and causing the death of another motorist.

According to police, the defendant, Zachery Lemmo, 20, was traveling on Route 44 and was involved in a car accident with another driver, James Braga, 61. Prosecutors allege that Lemmo’s car struck the other vehicle after running a red light at 70 mph and struck the other driver, resulting in his death.

Police allege that the defendant’s blood alcohol level was 0.111% and that he was also allegedly under the influence of marijuana at the time.

Massachusetts DUI Stop Leads to Drug Charges

Published on: March 11, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Massachusetts man pulled over in Hingham for suspected OUI / DUI Charges is arrested and additionally charged with Drug Crimes.

The defendant, Stephen Conte, was pulled over by Hingham Police for allegedly operating under the influence of alcohol this past weekend when police saw his car swerve and hit a snow bank. After the vehicle backed up and continued driving, the officer turned his cruiser around but reportedly lost sight of the car.

According to Hingham police, the defendant’s car was located and speeding, and was eventually pulled over.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Charged with Drunk Driving

Published on: March 7, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Massachusetts State Police Trooper was charged this past week with Drunk Driving Charges.

The defendant state police trooper was arraigned in Falmouth District Court on charges of Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol.

According to prosecutors, the Bourne Police Department received two 911 calls concerning an erratic driver and for an intoxicated man who was allegedly trying to run a female off the road. The state police trooper, allegedly traveling at 80 miles per hour, almost struck two cars.

Weymouth Plow Driver Charged with Drunk Driving

Published on: March 2, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Weymouth plow driver was charged with Massachusetts Drunk Driving for alleged driving his pickup truck into cars during the last snow storm.

According to another driver, the plow driver was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road when he struck his car and then kept on going. According to the Weymouth police department, the plow driver hit a total of 7 cars that night.

Police allege that the plow driver didn’t realize that he had struck the vehicles when he was located at South Shore Hospital where he went to visit a patient there.

Boston Man Nets 9th Massachusetts Drunk Driving Arrest

Published on: January 29, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A man from South Boston was arrested earlier this month for the 9th time in connection with a Massachusetts Drunk Driving charge.

The defendant, 51, was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court and charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, 5th or Subsequent Offense and Leaving the Scene of an Accident After Causing Property Damage. Following his arraignment, the defendant was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant was driving a rented truck when he got into an accident with another car in the Boston’s South End. Prosecutors allege that the defendant fled the scene but the other vehicle followed him to a gas station.

Brockton Man Arrested for 8th Massachusetts Drunk Driving Offense

Published on: January 7, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Brockton man was arrested for violating the Massachusetts Drunk Driving Laws for the 8th time this past weekend in Avon. He was charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, 5th or Subsequent Offense.

William Doten, 65, was arrested by the Avon Police Department when his pickup truck broke down. When police officers responded to the area, they allegedly detected a smell of alcohol in the vehicle and asked the defendant to exit and perform a series of Field Sobriety Tests, which he allegedly failed.

A 5th or Subsequent OUI / DUI in Massachusetts carries penalties of imprisonment of not less than 2.5 years and up to 5 years in state prison. In addition to prison, a person convicted for this criminal drunk driving offense also faces fines of several thousand dollars; lifetime revocation of his/her driver’s license without the possibility of a hardship license; and cancellation of the vehicle’s registration plates. The district attorney’s office may also seek forfeiture of the vehicle in some cases.

Breathalyzer Refusal Not Admissible to Jury, Even at Defendant’s Reqeust

Published on: January 5, 2013 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently decided a legal issue in Massachusetts Drunk Driving Cases involving the proposed admission of a defendant’s refusal to submit to a Breathalyzer Test.

In the case of Commonwealth v. William H. Jones, Jr., the defendant was charged and proceeded to jury trial on the charge of Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol. Following his conviction, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court considered whether evidence of a defendant’s initial refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test, and then his subsequent request to take one, should have been introduced to the jury at his trial.

In Massachusetts, evidence of a defendant’s refusal to take a breathalyzer test is not admissible to the jury. Prior to trial in this case, however, the defendant requested the trial judge to allow him to introduce evidence that, although he initially refused the breathalyzer test, that he then subsequently requested he be given one but was denied by the police.

Needham Woman Strikes Massachusetts Trooper, Charged with Drunk Driving

Published on: December 23, 2012 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Needham woman was arrested for Massachusetts Drunk Driving Crimes last Thursday night after she struck a Massachusetts State Trooper vehicle.

The Needham woman was arraigned in Dedham District Court and charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle.

According to police, the woman was traveling in the northbound lane on Route 109 in a construction zone when she struck the trooper’s vehicle. The Massachusetts State Police trooper was transported to the hospital with neck and back injuries.