Two police officers from the Vero Beach Police Department have been placed on administrative leave after being arrested by their own department recently after leaving Filthy’s Bar. Neither of the officers was on duty.
The first officer was smart enough not to have driven after leaving the bar. He was charged with disorderly intoxication and criminal mischief after allegedly punching a mirror on a Vero Beach squad car that was driven by his police officer girlfriend who arrested him.
At the time the first officer was arrested, a second officer left Filthy’s to look for him. This off-duty officer was driving his personal vehicle when he located the first officer who was surrounded by police cars and flashing lights. Officers on the scene related that the second officer was stumbling, visibly drunk and had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. He was charged with a DUI, it was reported that he refused blood alcohol testing at the police station.
Disorderly intoxication is a misdemeanor of the second degree. Criminal mischief can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the amount of damage claimed. According to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, a first DUI conviction carries penalties of:
- A fine between $250 and $500
- Probation for up to one year
- 50 hours of community service
- A jail term of up to six months
- A 180 day license revocation
- 12 hours of DUI school
Fort Pierce DUI Defense Attorney
Jonathan Jay Kirschner is a Florida Treasure Coast criminal and DUI lawyer with offices in Fort Pierce. He has been certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a criminal trial lawyer since 1994. If you’ve been arrested, don’t give the police any kind of a statement that will only be used against you in the future. Invoke your right to remain silent. You also have the right to consult with an attorney after your arrest, so insist on calling Jonathan Jay Kirschner at 772-489-8501 immediately. Hold the prosecution to its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Rather than confessing to a crime, call criminal law and DUI attorney Jonathan Jay Kirschner for board certified criminal defense.
