Rhode Island DUI Lawyer

“You Drink & Drive, You Lose” is Rhode Island’s version of the crackdown on drunk driving campaign that kicked off Friday, August 20th.  Already, 21 driving under the influence arrests have been made statewide since the campaign began.

Rhode Island police’s highway safety coordinator Rick Sullivan stated in regards to impaired driving, which he believes is a big problem in the state, “You can’t let up on it.  You have to have high-intensity efforts and coordination between departments”.

The overall results of the  campaign will be released by Rhode Island police on September 6th.

If you or someone you know has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs of alcohol, contact the Rhode Island DUI defense lawyer James Powderly at 401-662-9006 to learn more about your rights.

States across the country, including Rhode Island, are participating in an 18-day nationwide campaign to prevent drunk driving.  Rhode Island residents should expect to see law enforcement officials upping their efforts between August 20th and Labor Day, September 6th.

There will be additional law enforcement on the roads in order to keep an extra eye out for impaired drivers. Anyone convicted of a misdemeanor or felony drunk driving charge during the campaign, even first-time offenders, will be required to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle at their own expense.

Campaign officials estimate approximately 10,000 police agencies across the country are participating in the crackdown.

If you or someone you know has been charged with drunk driving, contact the Rhode Island DUI defense lawyer James Powderly at 401-662-9006 to learn more about your rights.

A Connecticut woman was arrested Saturday with a blood alcohol content five times the legal limit of .08.  35-year old Kim Marshall was arrested by police after witnesses had called cops for her erratic driving down West Main Street in Compton around 2:30 PM.  Witnesses say she was following too closely to other vehicles and randomly slamming on her brakes.

Police officers found Marshall and pulled her over.  They described her as being incoherent and having difficulty standing or focusing on questions.  Marshall denied that she had been drinking.  Police then found Suboxone and Clonazepam in her possession.  Suboxone is used to help people suffering from heroine addiction, and Clonazepamn is used to help people suffering from seizures and panic attacks.

Marshall’s BAC of .406 is the second highest in Compton history.

If you or someone you know has been charged with drunk driving, contact the Rhode Island DUI defense attorney James Powderly at 401-662-9006 to learn more about your rights.

Retired Little Compton teacher Thomas Fennessey was found guilty of driving under the influence by a Newport County Superior Court Judge on Tuesday.  Fennessey is facing seven years in prison and three years of home confinement for driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of fellow teacher Michael Occhi.

Fennessey was driving westbound in the eastbound lane of Peckham Road when he struck Occhi driving eastbound on a motor scooter.  Fennessey fled the scene of the accident to his home on Old Farm Road where police found him around an hour and a half later.

Fennessey’s truck had damage consistent with the accident when police found him, and they later found pieces of his truck at the scene of the accident.  Fennessey failed the field sobriety test police officers administered.

Our condolences go out to Occhi’s family and friends.

Two uncommon ways that people can often be arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence include: being arrested with a blood alcohol content under the legal limit of .08 and being arrested for sleeping in the car drunk.

Occasionally, people are arrested after taking a breathalyzer test and registering a BAC under .08.  The reason for this is that law enforcement officials believe that breathalyzer tests are a rough estimate of how intoxicated a person is, not a definite answer.  Alcohol affects everybody in different ways- one person may act much more impaired with a BAC of under .08 than a person with a BAC over the legal limit.  For this reason, police officers will sometimes arrest people who are acting significantly impaired even if they register a BAC of under .08.

Also, police officers will sometimes take liberty by arresting people they catch attempting to “sleep-off” their intoxication.  If you are in your vehicle drunk, and particularly if the keys are in the ignition, some police officers will go ahead and arrest you simply for the chance that you start to drive under the influence.

If you or someone you know has been charged with driving under the influence, contact the Rhode Island DUI defense lawyer James Powderly at 401-662-9006 to learn more about your rights.