ADAM IS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS TENACIOUS APPROACH TO CHALLENGING IMPAIRED DRIVING CHARGES AND HE HAS ENJOYED TREMENDOUS RESULTS FOR HIS CLIENTS.
Toronto man facing DUI charges after stop in Caledon
On Thursday, July 27, at approximately 4:05 p.m., members from the Caledon detachment of the OPP were notified of a possible impaired driver on Humber Station Road near Patterson Side Road.
An officer located the suspect vehicle, a grey 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche, and conducted a traffic stop with the vehicle. While speaking to the driver, the officer determined that his ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired by the consumption of alcohol and arrested him accordingly.
Pawel P. Logwiniuk, 55, of Toronto was charged with the following criminal offences: driving a motor vehicle while ability impaired by alcohol, driving with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, having care or control of a motor vehicle with liquor readily available, and possession of cannabis — under 30 grams.
The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of justice on Aug. 16 to answer to the charges.
Lawyer blew over the limit, but he beat a drunk driving charge because police arrested him in his doorway
TORONTO — A prominent Ontario criminal lawyer who was driving a pickup truck that a 911 caller reported was swerving all over a major highway has been cleared of drunk driving charges because police violated his Charter rights by arresting him a few minutes later inside the doorway of his house.
All this happened within a few minutes of a 911 call to report that Irving’s black Ford pickup was driving erratically on a nearby highway.
Peel Regional police officers responded promptly, but botched the arrest, according to Justice George S. Gage. With one officer demanding he come to the door, and holding a foot in the threshold to prevent it closing, and as many as five other officers on the front step, Judge Gage found Irving was illegally “coerced by the state from the safety and privacy of his library into the scrutiny of the officers on the front porch.”
This was a violation of his Section 8 Charter right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, and it means the blood alcohol readings that later showed him too drunk to drive were excluded from evidence, and so the charge failed.
Nevertheless, the judge decided that it was in fact him who was driving the truck just a few minutes earlier. His lawyer acknowledged this is true, but said Irving had not drunk any alcohol at the time.
“He’s a lawyer himself and he knows better what would be the consequences of driving impaired on the 401 (which leads from Toronto to Brampton via the 410) in the middle of the day, or broad daylight. It’s blatant,” Shahid Malik said in an interview. He called it a “very fair decision,” reflecting that Irving’s constitutional rights were violated in his own home.
As people head outside to celebrate the unofficial start of summer, the Department of Transportation and statewide law enforcement agencies will increase patrols and utilize DUI checkpoints this weekend for the Memorial Day DUI enforcement period. Starting tomorrow, May 25, and running through Tuesday, May 29, almost 100 agencies will participate in The Heat Is On enforcement.
Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead for a sober ride to and from their holiday festivities.
Preliminary data indicates that of the 193 statewide roadway fatalities so far in 2018, 36 percent (69) involved impaired drivers.
During last year’s Memorial Day weekend enforcement period, 98 law enforcement agencies cited 332 motorists for DUI. The increased patrols aim to crack down on impaired drivers over the holiday weekend, when activities such as concerts, barbeques and graduation parties commonly involve alcohol consumption.
The Heat Is On isn’t the only special enforcement effort underway. The annaul statewide Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign is in effect through June 3. In a coordinated effort between CDOT, CSP and 80 statewide law enforcement agencies, the high-visibility seat belt enforcement began May 21. Learn more about CDOT’s seat belt campaign at codot.gov/safety/seatbelts-carseats.
“Last May, 25 people were killed on Colorado roads in impairment-related crashes. That accounted for nearly 50 percent of all road fatalities that month and the third highest total of any month in 2017,” said Darrell Lingk, Director of CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety. “With warmer summer months ahead, CDOT hopes drivers make plans for a sober ride home before heading out to parties and events where they will consume alcohol.”
The Heat Is On campaign recently completed a five-week spring DUI enforcement period, which totaled 1,850 DUI arrests from 95 law enforcement agencies. This was a decrease from the 1,958 arrests during the same enforcement period last year. The Colorado Springs Police Department (199), Denver Police Department (175) and Aurora Police Department (128) recorded the highest arrest totals.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or other drugs significantly impairs a person’s ability to drive,” said Col. Matthew Packard, Chief of the CSP. “Consuming any amount of alcohol or other drugs can cause impairment. If you are ever unsure if you are safe to drive, always opt for a sober ride home — you could save lives.”
The CDOT Highway Safety Office provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired-driving enforcement, education and awareness campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year, with 14 specific high-visibility impaired-driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired-driving enforcement.
Man faces DUI charge after 4-vehicle crash early Sunday
The man who allegedly caused a multivehicle crash early Sunday that left one person critically injured is facing a DUI charge, jail records show.
Santiago Herrera-Geraldo, 23, is being held without bond at the Clark County Detention Center.
At 2:55 a.m. Sunday, four vehicles collided in the intersection of West Charleston and South Decatur boulevards. The crash sent six others to local hospitals with minor injuries and shut down the busy central Las Vegas Valley intersection for hours.
Jose Castillo, a passenger riding in Herrera-Geraldo’s gray Honda Accord, was hospitalized in critical condition.
The hourslong investigation revealed that the crash happened when the Honda struck the right side of a Toyota Tacoma, which was traveling north on Decatur. The impact caused both vehicles to rotate, sending the Honda into a Volkswagen Jetta and the Toyota into the front of a Ford F150 stopped in the left turn lane on Decatur. Police said the Volkswagen also struck the Ford as it was coming to a stop.
Herrera-Geraldo’s 48-hour hearing was scheduled for Monday morning.
Baby fatally struck by car in Ontario domestic dispute; mother arrested
A 7-month-old baby died after being hit by a car during a domestic dispute in Ontario, and the child’s mother has been arrested on suspicion of DUI causing her child’s death.
Officers responded to a domestic dispute call at about 11:40 p.m. Monday in the 500 block of W. D Street.
Ontario police said a young mother, later identified as 19-year-old Sarah Gomez, and her boyfriend were having an argument inside a vehicle until the boyfriend stepped out with the couple’s child.
Soon after, the mother, in the driver’s seat, struck the man, who was holding their baby girl in his arms, police said.
The child was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. The 21-year-old boyfriend was transported with abrasions that were not life-threatening, police said.
“I believe, at this time, that the father and the child were either at the side of the car or at the back of the car, I’m not sure. It did happen near the apron of the driveway and getting into the street area,” said Ontario PD Sgt. Jeff Higbee.
Neighbors near the family’s home said they were in shock to hear about the tragedy. Edith Ramirez said the couple was very attentive to their daughter, especially the child’s father.
Next-door neighbor Sandra Rodriguez said she can’t imagine what the family is going through
“He is a very good father, yeah. I saw when they came, he was always carrying the baby. This is really, really sad,” she said.
She was brought to West Valley Detention Center and was being held on $100,000 bail.
Police said it was not yet clear whether the strike was intentional but learned the couple had possibly been drinking at a family gathering prior to the incident.
If you’ve been accused of a DUI, your future might be in jeopardy. You won’t just be looking at losing your license – you could be looking at heavy fines, jail time, and even the loss of your ability to work in some professions. If you’ve been accused, your first step should always be to find a lawyer. With so many lawyers out there, though, it’s hard to know when you’ve found the right lawyer. That’s why you should always look for the following qualities in a DUI lawyer before you commit to working with him or her.
Experience
The law is too vast for any one lawyer to memorize. As such, lawyers tend to specialize in certain areas as their careers go along. If you have been accused of a DUI (Driving Under the Influence), you need to make sure you work with someone who specializes in DUI defense. These lawyers not only know the relevant statutes and case law, but they are aware of the disposition of the court in your area. If you can find an lawyer who has dealt with DUIs significantly in the past, you can be sure that he or she will put that experience to use helping you.
Record
You also need your lawyer to have a good record with cases like yours. This doesn’t just mean winning – it means a willingness to take a case to trial if necessary. Find out how often your potential lawyer’s clients go to jail, how often they take plea deals, and how often they are found innocent. You should also look at factors like how often the lawyer goes to court and how many of his or her clients manage to get into diversion programs instead of going to jail.
Recommendations
Beyond raw numbers, it’s important to get feedback about how an lawyer works from others. While going online will likely give you biased feedback one way or the other, it’s still a very good place to start. In addition to online resources, you can check with lawyers to see if they have any testimonials from satisfied clients. If others have worked with the lawyer successfully in the past, there’s a good chance that you can work with him or her as well. If you can’t find anyone to speak on behalf of an lawyer, you should be wary.
Personality
While perhaps not the most objective quality, it is important that you find a DUI lawyer who has a personality that will mesh with your own. You will need to feel comfortable with this person, as he or she will be representing you in what might become one of the most important legal matters in your life. If you don’t feel like you can get along with an lawyer, your relationship will cause you problems while you’re already trying to deal with something more important. Even a great lawyer can’t give you the best possible representation if your personalities don’t mesh.
Your DUI lawyer needs to be experienced, have a strong record at trial, have good recommendations, and should be a person with whom you feel like you can work. If the lawyer has all of those qualities, you’ll have the ingredients you need for a proper defense. While you should never drink and drive, you still deserve your day in court. If you’ve been accused of a DUI, you don’t have to go through this process alone – you can call William Hanlon Criminal Lawyer in Tampa for the help you need. At that point, you’ll get the fighting chance that your case deserves.
Prisma Rodriguez-RamirezAdams County District AttorneyPrisma Rodriguez-Ramirez
Rodriguez-Ramirez was convicted by a jury in March of the two felony charges.
At about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 30, Rodriguez-Ramirez was driving a black Land Rover SUV near East Colfax Avenue and Nome Street when she hit 36-year-old Antonio Colson who was crossing the street with his wife. Colson died of his injuries. His wife was not injured.
Rodriguez-Ramirez sped away, but turned off her headlights and returned to the scene, according to a news release. “She claimed to not know she had hit anyone, but the impact was so hard it
caused Colson to fly 60 feet into the air, broke one of her headlights and crushed her car door,” prosecutors said.
Rodriguez-Ramirez had been drinking beer and tequila. She had a blood alcohol content of 0.172.
In imposing the maximum 12-year sentence, Quick questioned whether Rodriguez-Ramirez had taken responsibility for her actions, the news release said. Quick noted that after her arrest, Rodriguez-Ramirez told police she didn’t want to spend New Year’s Eve in jail.
Firefighter Trainee Accused Of Driving At 126mph And Hitting A State Trooper’s Vehicle While Off-Duty
Aspiring firefighter in Montgomery County, Md., Devin Robinson might need a really good driving impaired lawyer as he was drunk and at the wheel of his SUV when he raced past a Maryland state trooper at 126 miles per hour shortly after midnight March 17. As per court records Robinson slowed to 80 mph before ramming into another state trooper’s vehicle that was traveling in the same direction on Interstate 270 in Gaithersburg.
According to sworn affidavit troopers stated that they smelled “an overwhelming odor” of alcohol coming from Robinson. The troopers summoned Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service which is also the agency for which Robinson was training in order to evaluate him for injuries. According to the affidavit, signed by Trooper Joshua Quase and filed in Montgomery District Court,Robinson sat on top of a hospital check-in counter as he called his wife. As per court records, Robinson yelled at the trooper and gave him a chest bump before two troopers placed him under arrest. Robinson was cited for DUI, reckless driving, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and other counts.
Scheduled to graduate by mid-June, at which point he would have been assigned to a fire station and begun going on fire and rescue calls, Robinson is no longer enrolled at the training academy.According to court records,Robinson was accepted at the Montgomery academy and started in December and became a county employee with a salary of $46,000 a year. He had five days a week of class instruction and training,like his classmates, according to Pete Piringer, a fire and rescue department spokesman.
According to the trooper’s affidavit, the incident took place in the early hours of March 17 when a trooper parked in an unmarked car along northbound Interstate 270 near Route 28 was operating a speed gun in a 55 mph zone and Robinson zoomed past in his SUV and clocked at 126 mph.
Robinson’s 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe crashed into the back of a marked Ford Explorer driven by Trooper Potvin as per the court files, just moments before the trooper radioed a warning.
A husband and wife from Northampton planned to have a few drinks while out at Parx Casino in Bensalem last month, according to Bucks County prosecutors.
So rather than drive themselves, they arranged to take a Lyft ride.
They never made it to their destination.
Shortly before 7 p.m. April 28, Bensalem police say a Ford F-150 pickup slammed head-on into the Chevrolet Malibu that had picked them up.
Neil Weiner, his wife Audrey Shapiro, and Lyft driver Daniel Weingart were rushed to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia where Weiner, 57, died May 1.
Now authorities have charged the driver of the pickup truck, Shane Learn, 48, of Toronto, Canada, with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses, court records show.
In an affidavit of probable cause, police said Learn’s truck struck the guardrail in the 4000 block of Richlieu Road and then crossed the double-yellow line into the opposite lane of travel where it collided with the Malibu heading south.
Man Accused in Fatal DUI Crash That Killed Aurora Girl Gets 13 Years In Prison
A man from Aurora has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for a drunken driving crash in the city that killed Katie Jonak, aged 9 of Aurora back in 2016.Anthony S. Potochney, aged 26, was sentenced by Kane County Associate Judge Linda S. Abrahamson on Thursday.Potochney had pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated DUI, one Class 2 felony and two Class 4 felonies and failure to stop after an accident involving personal injury or death, a Class 4 felony on Oct. 27, 2017.
Jody Gleason, Kane County First Assistant State’s Attorney and Christine Bayer, Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney stated in court that Katie Jonak was riding in a left side rear passenger seat of a minivan driven by her mother,after 9 p.m. Oct. 7, 2016, according to a press release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
At approximately 9:12 p.m., the minivan was northbound on Broadway south of Pierce Street in Aurora when the 2003 Cadillac Deville that Potochney was driving on southbound Broadway crossed into the northbound lane, according to the release.Katie’s mother tried to avoid the Cadillac, but Potochney struck the left side of the minivan and when his vehicle came to a stop, Potochney ran away from the scene.The girls were on their way home from a play rehearsal when the accident took place.
Katie was pronounced dead after a short time at the hospital and was unresponsive when medics arrived at the spot. One of the other children in the vehicle was hospitalized for a bruised lung and other injuries. Another child was hospitalized with a broken bone.Potochney was taken into custody shortly thereafter by Aurora police, and the police noted the odors of marijuana and alcohol on him. As per the investigation,Potochney’s Cadillac was traveling at around 75 mph in a 35 mph zone moments before impact. Potochney’s blood sample drawn 4½ hours later at the hospital revealed a blood-alcohol concentration of .193 which is more than twice the legal limit as well as the presence of marijuana.
Potochney admitted to police that he had consumed six beers, four rum drinks and smoked marijuana the evening of the crash and faced penalty for drug driving among others.
