Tampa DUI Lawyer Blog

Tampa police arrested a driver accused of three hit and run accidents within one day. Joshua Conwell, 21-years old, allegedly drove his black SUV into another vehicle on the 800 block of 1 st. Street West. Conwell tried to flee the scene only to hit a second vehicle on the same block. Conwell allegedly fled from the scene of both accidents and wrecked a third time. This third accident occurred at the 500 block of Cortez Road West and was witnessed by an off-duty police officer. The Tampa Police caught up with the defendant and arrested him.

A pat down search of Conwell's person revealed a bottle containing 84 pills of the muscle relaxant, carisoprodol or Soma. Tampa Police were able to link Conwell to the scene of all three hit and run accidents. The defendant faces several criminal charges, including, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing the scene of a crash with property damage, driving on a suspended license and driving under the influence. He could face jail time if he is convicted on all charges.

Continue reading "Tampa Attorney Discusses DUI and Drugs" »

If a police officer has reason to believe that driver may be intoxicated, he will often administer a breath alcohol test on the spot, take the subject back to the police station for a breathalyzer test, or perhaps even both. In the event that the law enforcement official finds that the person has very little or even no alcohol in his system, he may require blood or urine samples.

Marijuana is probably the only illegal substance for which there is no relatively widespread consensus on impairment. Although it has been studied at length, experts differ in their opinions. Cannabis has effects on the body as well as the mind. During the high, the user may feel relaxed, paranoid, and enter an altered state of consciousness in which he expresses an increased appreciation for - or even fixation upon - colors and sounds, such as music. It can also cause a person's eyes to redden and the heart rate to increase. Perhaps most problematically, motor control can be impaired, as are reflexes and a person's ability to pay attention or focus. Still, many people argue that marijuana does not necessarily adversely affect a person's ability to drive a motor vehicle. At least one study has found that drivers who have used marijuana drive more cautiously, slower, and react less quickly than drivers who have not consumed marijuana.

Complicating matters further is the fact that traces of marijuana usage can stay in a person's urine for as long as a month after smoking or consuming the substance. Therefore, if a law enforcement agency tests a driver who is suspected of driving under the influence, it is complicated if marijuana traces are found in the suspect's urine - alone or in conjunction with alcohol or any other substance.

If you have been arrested for possession of marijuana or DUI/DWI, contact the Tampa DUI attorneys as soon as possible to discuss your case.

Two different local residents have been arrested on Tuesday after police located each in their vehicles, apparently under the influence of prescription medication. The first arrest came after a police officer observed a suspicious car parked in front of a closed business at about 4:30 in the morning. The motor on the vehicle was running and the man sitting in the driver's seat was unresponsive to knocking on the window. The man, later identified as Christopher Castorino, 30, was passed out, hunched away from his window. The officer saw a notebook in the car with a white powdery substance on it. He opened the door and was about to wake the victim by touching him on the arm.

The arrest report detailed Castorino's fuzzy condition. When he awoke, he was not particularly lucid, and could not tell the officer how he came to be parked at that location or why he was there. Eventually, he told the officer that he had taken methadone by snorting it before falling asleep. Castorino was arrested and taken into custody on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He has not at this point been charged with driving under the influence, although he probably could be at the discretion of the State Attorney's Office, as he was likely in actual physical control of the motor vehicle while under the influence of the methadone.

On the same evening, police responded to a call regarding an accident on Commercial Way, where they found Kelly Leonard, 43, in a Mini Cooper on the road. Leonard believed she was at a different location than she actually was, and according to witnesses at the scene, had been driving too fast when she hit a curb, causing a tire to burst. Leonard failed roadside sobriety tests administered at the scene. Additionally, police officers found prescription medication in the car, as well as a travel mug filled with wine. Her blood alcohol test revealed that she was at 0.045 percent, which is lower than the level at which the law presumes intoxication. Still, the state can establish intoxication by other means. She has been charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.

The original article is available here.

If you have been arrested for a prescription drug DUI, contact the DUI lawyers in Tampa at the Musca Law office.

Driving under the influence of the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax and either alcohol, or marijuana, has increases substantially over the past decade. One Florida county found that 177 DUI suspects had Xanax in their system last year, as compared to 1998, when only four suspects were found to have the drug in their system. Officers in this county rank Xanax, cocaine, and marijuana as the most common drugs that suspects are found to be under the influence of during arrests.

Xanax, generally known as Alpraxolam, is prescribed to treat panic disorders. While this drug is not as strong as methadone, or even as popular as some painkillers, Xanax has the effect of intensifying intoxication from alcohol. The combination of Xanax and alcohol may be as potent as three or more drinks. The pill can create a euphoric feeling within users, making it popular with people looking for a quick high. Last year 37.5 million prescriptions of Xanax were written. Xanax is easily available illegally and can be purchased for people with prescriptions, or from less reputable websites.

Attorneys at Musca Law are experienced in defending people arrested for Xanax DUI. Recently a young woman retained our services as she faced serious consequences of a Xanax DUI arrest. Her vehicle was stopped by the police for driving with no headlights on. The officer noticed her balance was poor and she almost fell over while getting out of her car. The young woman admitted to the officers that she had smoked marijuana two hours earlier and had taken Xanax without a prescription. The police placed our client under arrest and charged her with DUI, under Fla. Statute 316.193.

Our attorney's closely examined the details of our client's situation. Intense negotiations with the State Attorney regarding evidence in the case resulted in the DUI being dismissed. Our client plead to a reckless driving charge, adjudication withheld. This means our client did not have 4 points accessed to her license and is eligible to have her records sealed.

Musca Law attorneys caution that prescription drugs should only be used by people to whom they are prescribed. Furthermore, Xanax and other prescription drugs can be a very dangerous combination with alcohol, or marijuana. What might seem like one drink, may actually be equivalent to a couple or more when under the influence of a prescription drug like Xanax.