DUI Tampa Attorney Florida Defense Lawyer 813-222-2220

"LARGO -- A Largo man arrested for drunken driving was taken to the Largo Medical Center for an exam after his DUI test results were unusually high. [The person] was arrested Friday morning by Largo police near Ulmerton Road and 113th Avenue after the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office sent out a DUI notice for him. Police administered DUI tests on [The person] and the results were a .430 and .424. In Florida, a person with a DUI test reading of .08 is presumed to be intoxicated. Because the results were so high, [The person] was taken to the Largo Medical Center for medical clearance. He was then returned to the to Pinellas County Jail."

"Motorists passing through Kissimmee may want to be particularly careful Saturday when city police conduct a drunken-driving saturation patrol for the 'You Drink & Drive, You Lose' campaign.

Osceola is one of 20 Florida counties included in the effort, which is designed to stop impaired drivers before they cause crashes, police spokesman Officer Ralph Herrera said.

The patrols are planned for sections of the city where most crashes involve an impaired driver.

More patrols are planned twice a month for the next year, Herrera said."

"The city's traffic unit is targeting school zones and major intersections with one thing in mind: safety.

By LORRI HELFAND, SP Times Staff Writer
Published October 25, 2005

LARGO - Speeders and red light runners, take heed. The Largo Police Department's traffic unit has been cracking down, issuing a record number of tickets for moving violations last month.

In September, officers wrote 2,489 tickets, 527 more than they did in April, the second-busiest month so far this year.

"We had the entire traffic safety unit hitting the major MPO intersections and school crossings," said patrol Capt. Glen Smith.

In 2003, the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization found that nine of the county's most accident-prone intersections were in Largo. To monitor school zones and scout out dangerous intersections, the city's traffic safety unit pooled all six of its officers, including two full-time officers who usually dedicate all of their time to DUI enforcement, Smith said."

"The penalties for DUI in the state of Florida can cost as much as $5,000 on the first offense, according to local law-enforcement officials. Offenders face revoked licenses, criminal records, community service, increased insurance rates, probation, fines and possible imprisonment.

Still, bar patrons say more leniency from the law and property owners is needed if they want them do the right thing and avoid driving home drunk.

Still, the towing costs for a DUI are higher -- financially and emotionally -- than for requesting a tow, Overstreet said.

"They can look at it as they are still getting screwed, but when you compare the cost of a DUI arrest, that's pretty cheap," he said. "It's much worse if you get in an accident and hurt or kill somebody. You're looking at spending the next 15 years in prison."

Mixed blessing: "The bar culture changed when bartenders came face-to-face with legal action. Cases involving drunk customers going out and killing people with out-of-control vehicles sobered up the entire industry.

'Years ago it was more freewheeling,' Careys says. 'Nobody gave a damn about getting a DUI. The cops would pull you over and tell you to go to sleep for a while and get on home,' she said.

Now bartenders must pay attention to whether a customer has had one too many. Carey tells her students to slow down service to a customer who is getting drunk, or offer them coffee or something to eat.

How do you know if someone has reached their limit? 'They start slurring their words or they light two cigarettes at one time,' she says.

A technique Carey has used in the past is to take a customer's keys if they are laying on the bar. Then she asks the patron if she can call them a cab, and she gives the keys to the cab driver. If someone's really unruly, the last resort is to call the cops."

"The University of Florida's first DUI checkpoint on campus ended early Friday after police had arrested one person and issued 29 citations.

Police issued drivers a variety of citations, including for not having their car registration or proof of insurance, said UF Police Capt. Charles McCray.

A 27-year-old Gainesville man was stopped for driving under the influence and taken to the jail. A breath test gave readings of .111 and .105. In Florida, the legal limit for driving is 0.08.

DUI arrests on campus have been increasing since May of this year with more aggressive enforcement of traffic violations, according to University Police.

The check was held for five hours at Gale Lemerand Drive south of Museum Road next to the large commuter lot."

Columns: A principle should tip the scales of justice: "The point of requiring a corpus delicti is that a confession, by itself, is not enough to prove that a crime occurred. Otherwise, crazy people could confess to anything. Cops and prosecutors wouldn't need to worry about gathering evidence.
To quote the Florida Supreme Court in a landmark 1976 case:

The judicial quest for truth requires that no person be convicted out of derangement, mistake or official fabrication.

In this case, to prove the DUI-serious-injury charge, there had to be some independent proof that Esler was in fact drunk and driving the car that hit Jim. That evidence did not exist. The case boiled down to (1) Jim saying somebody in a white car hit him and (2) Tina saying she had been driving a white car in the area.

The appeals court reversed her conviction."

"Convicted drunk driver tells story - Students gather to hear tale of spring break disaster

By Laura Hoesman
SENIOR REPORTER
October 24, 2005

Six years ago, drunk after an evening of partying on his spring break in Florida, Mark Sterner crashed his car, killing three of his fraternity brothers and earning three DUI manslaughter convictions.

Sitting in a Florida high-security prison, fearing for his own life every day, Sterner realized that to prevent other students from getting in the same trouble he was in, he had to tell people his story. Yesterday evening, to a crowd that filled the Union Ballroom, Sterner continued his mission to tell as many people as possible what can happen when people drive drunk."

Sarasota County defense attorneys target breath-testing equipment

By Todd Ruger
Sarasota Herald Tribune

"SARASOTA COUNTY -- Defense attorneys are attacking the credibility of one of the county's most powerful tools against suspected drunk drivers: the Intoxilyzer 5000.

The briefcase-sized machine uses a breath sample to let police know if someone's blood-alcohol content is over the legal limit of .08.

But nearly 150 defendants in DUI cases say they need to know how the machine's software works to determine whether the results against them are reliable.

Their attorneys already know the problem: Prosecutors can't give them the software's source code because they don't know it. And the manufacturer of the Intoxilyzer 5000 says the code is a trade secret and won't divulge it

"A motorcyclist whose race with a sports car on Interstate 4 led to a Florida Highway Patrol trooper's fatal crash was convicted of aggravated manslaughter by a jury on Tuesday.

[The man] was convicted of vehicular homicide and fleeing and eluding a law-enforcement officer in causing the death of 49-year-old Trooper Darryl Haywood on Oct. 2, 2004. The jury deliberated for three hours, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Williams will be sentenced at a later date. He could face up to 60 years in prison.

According to reports, Williams, on his blue 1999 Suzuki, was racing a Porsche when Haywood started to pursue them. The patrol car had a blow out, causing Haywood to lose control of his vehicle and crash into a tree. Williams was arrested later that day at an Interstate 95 rest stop in St. Johns County

"A Florida court this Friday will hear arguments in a case where the accuracy of a breathalyzer is being scrutinized because the manufacturer refuses to release the source code. A state court ruling last year said that accused drunk drivers are entitled to receive details about the inner workings of the "mystical machine" that determined their guilt, and defense attorneys are now using that ruling to open up the device's source code.Is this part of a larger trend? With software bugs being a fact of life, consumers and organizations could claim that they need to be able to verify an application's source code before they accept that their calculations are accurate. Think credit card transactions, speed detecting radar guns, electronic voting machines."

"Law blogs are exploding and Florida lawyers are in on the action

By Jan Pudlow
Senior Editor

Armed with a Dummies book on html, a software program called “Blogger,” and plenty of curiosity, St. Petersburg lawyer Matt Conigliaro set out to write the code for a legal blog he could call his own.

For two months in the spring of 2003, on weekends and in the middle of the night, he hunched over his computer fine-tuning Abstract Appeal, billing it as “the first Web log devoted to Florida law and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.”
Then he set it free into the blogosphere.

Little did he realize that because of his blog, he would be quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and CourtTV.com during the raging controversy of the Terri Schiavo end-of-life case. "

"In Fairfax, where General District Judge Ian O'Flaherty has resumed dismissing drunk driving charges on the grounds that the state's presumption of intoxication at .08 blood levels or above violates the constitutional right to a presumption of innocence."

"A Stuart man charged in the December traffic death of his fiancee pleaded no contest Monday to DUI manslaughter and other charges related to a single-car crash on Willoughby Boulevard.

[He] was expected to begin a trial Monday, also pleaded no contest to two charges of DUI with serious injuries and driving with a suspended license involving death, court records show."

'I'm not drunk, your software is'

Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com 20 Oct 2005

"A Florida court will hear arguments on Friday in a case where the accuracy of a breathalyser is being scrutinised because the manufacturer has refused to release the source code.

Lawyers representing more than 150 defendants who have been charged for driving under the influence of alcohol in two Florida counties will file the request.

They argue that they have a right to see the source code of the alcohol breath analyser that was used to determine their clients' guilt. . .

A Florida court will hear arguments on Friday in a case where the accuracy of a breathalyser is being scrutinised because the manufacturer has refused to release the source code. . . They argue that they have a right to see the source code of the alcohol breath analyser that was used to determine their clients' guilt."

"Q. I was stopped for DUI last week and was given a court hearing. Since this is my first DUI arrest, I do not know what sentence I may receive. Several people have told me that the prosecutor's office usually makes a specific recommendation based on the fact that this is a first offense. I have received solicitations from a few attorneys as well. Is there a way I can learn what the prosecutor's office will demand before I hire an attorney? What would be the advantage of hiring an attorney?

A. If you are charged with DUI, you should find out the name of the assistant state attorney who will be handling your case. You can call the State Attorney's Office, which should be able to tell you the name of the attorney. You can call the prosecutor and ask him or her if there is a standard plea agreement since this is your first offense. Many people hire private attorneys for several reasons: First, if your arrest was not proper, an attorney may be able to get your case dismissed. Second, an attorney may be able to get a better plea arrangement. Without knowing all of the facts of your situation, it is difficult to advise you. "

"Florida Judge Removed For Flagrant Violations Of Ethics Rules

ORLANDO, FL--The gravy train is over for a Ninth Circuit Court Judge of Orange County who has collected nearly $85,000 this year for doing nothing after he was placed on a paid leave of absence in February while under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission of the Florida Supreme Court.

The court took final action in the misconduct matter this week, removing the judge from the bench because he continued to act as a criminal defense attorney while performing judicial duties in 2000 and that he later advised that same criminal defense client to leave the country in order to avoid prosecution.

The Court had conducted a hearing in the matter in September and a decision had not been expected for months."

"Henson gets thrown off Orange Circuit bench

Anthony Colarossi
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 13 2005

The state Supreme Court ended the long-tarnished career of an Orange Circuit Judge on Wednesday, adding his name to a short list of judges whose ethical transgressions got them booted from the bench.

The seven justices say the judge practiced law while still a judge and told a client facing two DUI-manslaughter charges that she should flee the country to avoid prosecution."

"Another chapter will be written in the epic saga of Sarasota County breathalyzers in an Oct. 21 court hearing.

We will essentially be asking the judges to provide the software source code than runs in the Intoxilyzer 5000 beathalyzer.

Five county judges who hear DUI cases, three from Sarasota County and two from Manatee county, will be sitting.

The manufacturer has flat-out refused to turn over the information, said they will not do it under any circumstances . . . Makes you wonder what they're hiding."

Stephen Hudak | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 14, 2005

TAVARES -- A federal corrections officer convicted of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a bicyclist has been spared a prison sentence while he challenges the verdict -- a step the judge has taken just twice before in 10 years on the bench.

"DeLand driver convicted in 2003 crash that killed women

Ludmilla Lelis | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 8, 2005

DeLAND -- A 23-year-old DeLand man was found guilty Friday of driving drunk when he caused a crash that killed two women in 2003.

[The man] could face 15 years in prison for each of the two counts of DUI manslaughter. He was also convicted of vehicular homicide, a felony carrying a potential five-year prison term. He will be sentenced at a later date."

Tampa DUI Attorney

DUI 316.193, F.S.

Under Florida law, DUI is one offense, proved by impairment of normal faculties or unlawful blood alcohol or breath alcohol level of .08 or above. The penalties upon conviction are the same, regardless of the manner in which the offense is proven.">Florida Driver License Information DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Alcoholic Beverages, Chemical Substances or Controlled Substances). s. 316.193, F.S.

Under Florida law, DUI is one offense, proved by impairment of normal faculties or unlawful blood alcohol or breath alcohol level of .08 or above. The penalties upon conviction are the same, regardless of the manner in which the offense is proven.

DUI Tampa

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Detecting Impaired Drivers: Alcohol Screening or Screening Breath Test Devices (SBT): "Alcohol Screening or Screening Breath Test Devices (SBT) The screening breath test device is designed to test the breath for the presence of alcohol, and requires the active participation of the motorist by blowing a sample of his/her breath into the device. The results of the test can be expressed in either a quantitative (digital) or qualitative (pass/warn/fail) reading. Screening breath test devices are typically used by police at the roadside to help determine if a motorist has consumed alcohol and, consequently, if probable cause for a DWI arrest exists. Digital screening test results are typically not introduced at trial to avoid confusion and comparison with the subsequent evidential breath or blood test results. SBT devices are also used in 'fitness for duty' applications for transportation vehicle operators; to test patients for sobriety in alcohol treatment facilities; and to test suspected underage drinkers."

Passive Alcohol Sensors (PAS): "Passive Alcohol Sensors (PAS) Passive breath test devices are used to detect alcohol in the air around a drinking driver's mouth or in the vicinity of an open container for the purpose of enforcing alcohol-impaired driving laws. PAS are termed 'passive' because they do not require the active participation of the individual to blow into the device. Passive breath test devices are only used by police to help determine if a motorist has consumed alcohol and, consequently, if probable cause for a DWI3 arrest exists. PAS are also used in 'fitness for duty' applications for transportation vehicle operators; to test patients for sobriety in alcohol treatment facilities; to test suspected underage drinkers and for other purposes. The PAS is a good screening device, and is ideal for use at sobriety checkpoints and during regular patrols because it:

* Helps police officers identify a higher proportion of drivers who have been driving drunk than they do without sensors.
* Helps officers to quickly dismiss drivers who have not been drinking.
* Does not interfere with privacy rights and its use is Constitutional--evaluating the ambient air around the driver does not constitute a search."

Calibration Devices: "Breath Alcohol Test Calibration Devices Breath alcohol test calibration devices are used to calibrate breath-alcohol test devices by providing a gaseous sample of known alcohol concentration as a reference test. Calibration devices are typically either a 'wet-bath' (alcohol-water solution) or dry gas (ethanol-inert gas mixture)."

Detecting Impaired Drivers: Technology Users: Tampa, FL DUI Squads: "This NIDA-funded training and research project recognized that too few police officers are trained to detect drugged-impaired driving and innovative police training could be developed that integrates new drug detection technology with computer-assisted drug detection training. The Walsh Group in response to these needs, designed a self-paced, interactive computer training program. The curriculum provided instruction on:

* DUI and DUI detection legislation;
* Drugs and their behavioral effects;
* Standard Field Sobriety Tests; and
* On-site drug testing.

Tampa, Florida was chosen as a test site and the new, eight-hour curriculum was integrated into the Tampa Police DUI Squads' training activities.

Conclusions
The program, which is no longer active, concluded with four months of equipment use and evaluation. Approximately 265 DUI suspects were apprehended during the evaluation phase--86 percent or 230 individuals were male and 80 percent were between the ages of 18-44. Breath and urine samples were collected for all subjects and 86 percent were found to be legally drunk (with a .0170 BAC or more); and 31 percent tested positive for illegal drug use. Data indicated that the younger the suspects, the more likely they were to use drugs (98 percent were found with marijuana and cocaine in their samples)."

Operation 3D

October 15th , 2005/Wolfpack 2200 hrs. 0400 hrs. 56th St. & Hillsborough Ave.

Friday, October 21st , 2005 Low-Man Check Point 2200 hrs. 0500 hrs. 2 – CHECKPOINT LOCATIONS USF Area - 50th St. & Holly and Temple Terrace Area - 56th St. & Fowler BAT Unit and remote booking transport provided at USF Campus

Saturday, October 29th ,2005/Wolfpack 2200 hrs. 0500 hrs. Ybor City BAT Unit and remote booking transport provided at Adamo Dr. & 21st St.

Hillsborough County Sheriff and the Florida Highway Patrol

Operation 3D is a public awareness plan that is designed to enhance the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office ability to promote problems commonly associated with motorists who drink and drive. It will serve to encourage voluntary compliance of existing traffic laws by motorists.

Labels: DUI Hillsborough, dui hillsborough attorney, dui hillsborough lawyer

Florida Driver License Information: "Fine Schedule s. 316.193(2)(a)-(b), F.S.

First Conviction: Not less than $250, or more than $500. With Blood/Breath Alcohol Level (BAL) of .20 or higher or minor in the vehicle: Not less than $500, or more than $1,000.

Second Conviction: Not less than $500, or more than $1,000. With BAL of .20 or higher or minor in the vehicle: Not less than $1,000, or more than $2,000.

Third Conviction More than 10 years: Not less than $1,000, or more than $2,500. With BAL of .20 or higher or minor in the vehicle: Not less than $2,000.

Third Conviction Within 10 years: Not more than $5,000. With BAL of .20 or higher or minor in the vehicle. Not less than $2,000.

Fourth or Subsequent Conviction: Not less than $1,000. With BAL of .20 or higher or minor in the vehicle. Not less than $2,000.

The Bureau of Driver Education and DUI Programs provides the oversight for 26 licensed programs. The Bureau administers Rule 15A-10, F.A.C., including instructor certification and training, investigating complaints, processing client appeals, conducting site visits, maintaining quality assurance, coordinating trust fund, and evaluating programs' effectiveness.

The DUI programs are private and professional non-profit organizations that are required to provide education, a psychosocial evaluation and treatment referral services to DUI offenders to satisfy judicial and driver licensing requirements.

Two educational services are offered - Level I for first-time offenders and Level II for multiple offenders.

The Level I course is to be a minimum of 12 hours of classroom instruction and incorporates didactic and interactive educational techniques.

The Level II course is a minimum of 21 hours of classroom time using primarily interactive educational techniques in a group setting. The average class size is not to exceed 15 students for Level II. This course focuses on the problems of the repeat offender and treatment readiness as the majority of students are referred to treatment. In no case is placement in Level II used in lieu of treatment.

Alcohol-related crash fatalities totaled 17,013 in 2003.

Alcohol-related occupant fatalities increased 3 percent in SUVs and 5 percent on motorcycles in 2003.

40 percent of crashes involving an alcohol-impaired or intoxicated driver or non-occupant resulted in an involved person being killed or injured.

Drivers with a BAC greater than .08 who were killed in crashes were 10 times as likely to have a prior conviction for driving while intoxicated.

About 275,000 people suffered injuries in alcohol-related crashes in 2003.

More than 1.5 million drivers are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs each year. This represents one in every 130 drivers in the United States.

The percentage of alcohol-related crashes in 2003 represents an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 31 minutes and one alcohol-related injury every two minutes.

The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is three times as high at night as during the day. More than 53 percent of weekend evening crashes are alcohol related.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 2-33.

The highest intoxication rates for drivers in fatal crashes were recorded for drivers ages 21-24 (32 percent), followed by ages 25-34 (27 percent) and 35-44 (24 percent).

Alcohol-related crashes, injuries and fatalities cost society more than $45 billion in lost productivity, medical care, property damage and other direct expenditures annually

As traffic slowly passes by, cars are selected at specific intervals and routed into the checkpoint. The driver is greeted, given some information about the operation and allowed to leave. However, should an impaired driver be encountered, further investigation is conducted which would result in the driver's arrest if he or she is found to be impaired.

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DUI Arrest average BAC = .154

October is the biggest month to be arrested (March & May are also very popular).

Friday is the most frequent night to be arrested. (Saturday is next
followed by Thursday).

34 = The average age of a person arrested in Tampa for drunk driving

For More Info See: DUI Tampa Attorney

"What is the Legal Limit?

In reality, there is no legal limit. In Florida, a person can be arrested and convicted of DUI after consuming any amount of alcohol.

So what does a Blood-Alcohol Level of .08 mean?

The term '.08 BAC' is commonly referred to as the legal limit, but this is not accurate. According to Florida Law, .08 BAC is the presumptive level of impairment. In other words, if you have consumed enough alcohol to reach a .08 BAC, you are automatically considered impaired.

What if I'm below .08 BAC?

You can still be convicted of DUI even if you are under .08 BAC. If your driving ability is proven to be impaired you will likely be convicted of DUI."

For More Information See DUITampaBay.com

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Zero Tolerance Laws: "Enforcement. Florida's zero tolerance law is a purely administrative law where the full enforcement action can, in most cases, be implemented at the scene of the traffic stop. The basic procedures are described below.

A lawful contact must be made with the underage driver before checking for a zero tolerance violation. This may be triggered by a traffic stop related to a violation of law, contact at a sobriety checkpoint, contact at a crash site or a consensual encounter with a driver under 21. Standard procedure calls for ruling out the .08 DUI offense before taking action on the zero tolerance offense. "

"An sr22 is a form which must be filed by the insurance company stating that auto liability insurance (bodily injury liability and property damage liability) is in effect for a particular individual. (The bodily injury liability limits must be at least $10,000/$20,000, and the property damage liability limit must be at least $10,000.) The sr22 insurance is required when an individual was in an accident or was convicted of a traffic offense and was unable to show financial responsibility. Florida will require your friend carry the sr22 and its necessary liability coverages for three years."

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Appeals court ruled it was error to allow state to introduce defendant's confession into evidence before state had proven corpus delicti of offense of DUI with serious bodily injury -- There can be no conviction for DUI with serious bodily injury without proof that defendant was driving vehicle and was impaired at time of crash, and there was no evidence independent of her confession that defendant was actually behind wheel of vehicle at time of crash -- Conviction for DUI with serious bodily injury reversed, and defendant is to be discharged for this offense -- Defendant's confession was properly admitted into evidence as to offense of leaving scene of crash with injuries because victim testified that he was hit by car which fled the scene

Reported at 30 Fla. L. Weekly D2379a

Labels: corpus delicti, dui, DUI Tampa, DUI Tampa Attorney, florida dui lawyer

Tampa Police - DUI Unit: "Tampa's Top 10 DUI Arrest Locations
Ybor City
SOHO
MacDill (Kennedy to Columbus)
Nebraska Av (Waters to Fowler)
Courtney Campbell Cswy.
Dale Mabry (MLK to Hillsb.)
Tampa Palms
Kennedy (Dale Mabry to Westshore)
Howard (Kennedy to I-275)
Channelside"

Tampa Police - DUI Unit: "Sobriety checkpoint operations are conducted on a regular basis. The location of each checkpoint is selected based upon its history as an area that is frequently traveled by impaired drivers and also because of its physical suitability to conduct such an operation."

Tampa Police - DUI Unit: "TAMPA has ZERO TOLERANCE for Drunk Drivers

ZERO Warnings
ZERO Excuses
ZERO Driver's License"

Tampa Police - DUI Unit: "A Specific area that is frequently traveled by impaired drivers is selected for the Wolfpack Operation. The DUI Units aggressively patrol the area and locate impaired drivers. Wolfpack Operations can be conducted at any time or place without prior warning."

"The Associated Press

SANFORD - Hundreds of cases involving breath-alcohol tests have been thrown out by Seminole County judges in the past five months because the test's manufacturer will not disclose how the machines work.

All four of Seminole County's criminal judges have been using a standard that if a DUI defendant asks for a key piece of information about how the machine works - its software source code, for instance - and the state cannot provide it, the breath test is rejected, the Orlando Sentinel reported Wednesday. "

Saturday, September 17, 2005

By DAVID FERRARA
Staff Reporter

BAY MINETTE -- A man convicted four times of driving under the influence of alcohol was found guilty Friday of vehicular homicide in a crash that killed a Foley city councilman's son. "

"Todd Jurkowski
Last updated on: 9/21/2005 11:43:03 AM

FORT MYERS - The Don't Drink and Drive campaign has a brand new face in Southwest Florida - and it is a face that is making high school students gasp. It belongs to a former model, who now sells a much more powerful and meaningful message."

WFTV.com - News - DUI Suspect Appeals Police Use Of Forced Blood Test: "DUI Suspect Appeals Police Use Of Forced Blood Test

POSTED: 7:05 am EDT September 23, 2005

PALM BAY, Fla. -- A man accused of driving drunk in Brevard County is appealing police use of a forced blood test.

Tony Isley refused a breathalyzer test during a traffic stop in Palm Bay. So police got a search warrant on the spot to take a sample of his blood.

Currently, the only forced blood tests happen when there's a crash with injuries. Prosecutors said there was nothing in current law that would not allow forced blood tests, even if officers had to restrain the suspect."

Doubled fine may slow up Florida's red-light runners: "Other state laws that go into effect Saturday:

� People caught drag-racing will face a first-degree misdemeanor charge, which carries penalties of up to one year in jail, up to a $1,000 fine and impoundment of the car for up to 10 days. A driver convicted of a second racing charge can also have the car seized and forfeited.

� Drunken drivers who cause a crash that kills an unborn child will face a DUI manslaughter charge for the death of a fetus. That charge, a second-degree felony, would be punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The DUI manslaughter law previously was unclear in its application to fetuses.

� The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will take control of the state's ignition interlock program from the state court system. Once a driver is convicted of DUI, the highway department will place a device that gauges the driver's blood-alcohol level before the driver can start the car. Previously, placement of the device was left to the discretion of judges."

Fine for running lights jumping to $183.50

OCALA - A new traffic law that takes effect Saturday may have area drivers seeing red, twice.

Fines will surge dramatically for drivers convicted of running red lights in Marion County, according to a set of new laws scheduled to start Oct. 1, jumping from the $118.50 to $183.50.

The number of such convictions in Marion County last year were unavailable Wednesday. But Ocala Police issued 1,030 of the tickets last year. Area law enforcement officials said Wednesday they expect the large increase in the fine will act as a deterrent, especially after that first ticket.

'First time they run the light and get a ticket...they will start paying closer attention to the lights,' said Sgt. Lou Biondi, supervisor of the Ocala Police traffic unit."