« November 2008 | | January 2009 »
Posted On: December 30, 2008

New Years Eve DUI Checkpoint expected in Columbia County

The Florida Highway Patrol will be checking out drivers on New Year's Eve at a checkpoint along Highway 90 in Columbia County. In what the FHP calls a "Comprehensive Roadside Sobriety Checkpoint," troopers will be stationed along the highway checking for impaired drivers, people with no license and vehicles that aren't safe.

Firstcoastnews.com says nearly 23,000 alcohol-related crashes happened statewide in 2007. In Columbia County alone, 11 fatal crashes were attributed to alcohol.

Sobriety checkpoints have different constitutional requirements than a traditional stop-- like for example, when a person gets pulled over for speeding. Police are requred to follow strict procedures when implementing a checkpoint and failure to abide by those policies can render a checkpoint stop illegal.

Continue reading " New Years Eve DUI Checkpoint expected in Columbia County " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: DUI

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 26, 2008

Man Dies In Head-on collision; Second Driver Flees Scene

Hernando Today reports that a Hernando County man died early Saturday in a head-on collision on U.S. 19 at Grizzly Bear Lane.

Florida Highway Patrol spokesman said that two cars where were traveling in opposite directions along U.S. 19 where there is a 30-foot grass median separating the north and southbound lanes. FHP said that as the vehicles approached the median at the intersection of Grizzly Bear Lane, one of the vehicles crossed over and traveled into the path of the other vehicle, causing a head-on collision. The crash left both vehicles obstructing the southbound lands of U.S. 19 for four hours.

Unfortunately, one of the drivers died at the scene while the other driver fled the accident site on foot despite receiving serious injuries- but was eventually found and transferred to Oak Hill Regional Hospital for medical treatment.

Depending on the facts, Leaving the Scene of an Accident can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. For example, if a driver flees the scene of a car crash and it is clear that there are injuries, The State Attorney's Office could charge the person who left with a felony, subjecting the defendant to prison time.

Continue reading " Man Dies In Head-on collision; Second Driver Flees Scene " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Hernando County , Leaving the Scene of an Accident

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 23, 2008

Marion County shooting suspect turns himself in to police

According to the Ocala Star Banner, authorities arrested a 20-year-old man who was allegedly involved in shooting at a car in a W. State Road 40 parking lot on Thursday. Witnesses say the man fired several shots at a white Chevrolet Impala that was getting detailed and was occupied by two juveniles.

As the shots were being fired, an off-duty Marion County Sheriff's Office Corrections Officer saw what was occurring and withdrew his personal weapon and fired shots at the shooter. No one was injured during the shooting.

Police say that the alleged perpetrator turned himself in a little more than 24 hours after the incident. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm which if convicted, could subject him to a mandatory minimum prison term.

Continue reading " Marion County shooting suspect turns himself in to police " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Homicide , Marion County

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 19, 2008

Three Brooksville residents suspected in Walmart theft

Hernando Today reports that three Brooksville residents have been charged with felony theft relating to a Walmart shoplifting incident.

Allegedly, the suspects reportedly walked out of the Wal-Mart on Cortez Boulevard with a television, then sold it to a person in the parking lot of a nearby liquor store. Deputies were called to intervene after an argument broke out between the seller and buyer. A deputy had a hunch that the TV was stolen property, but without a recent theft report from Wal-Mart, he could not prove it.

The next day, the same trio tried to walk out of the same Wal-Mart with a TV but was stopped at the door, a report states. The deputy returned to the Wal-Mart and reviewed the surveillance tape that showed the same perpetrators of the original theft.

Continue reading " Three Brooksville residents suspected in Walmart theft " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Hernando County , Theft

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 17, 2008

Two Fort McCoy men charged with stealing 16 guns from home

Sheriff's detectives arrested two juveniles Friday night in connection with a home burglary where 16 guns were taken from a Fort McCoy home. The Ocala Star Banner reports that the juveniles lived down the street from the burglarized home.

Not long after the burglary was reported, detectives talked with witnesses who told them they heard gunshots in the neighborhood and saw one of the juveniles firing shots into a tree. One woman said she saw a car pull into the juvenile's driveway and believing it was strange, she wrote down the tag number, which she gave to detectives. Detectives tracked down the car's owner who lead them to the perpetrators.

The guns, valued at nearly $17,000, included rifles and handguns. The boys were charged with armed burglary and grand theft, and one of the accomplices was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Continue reading " Two Fort McCoy men charged with stealing 16 guns from home " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Marion County , Weapons Charges

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 16, 2008

No DUI charges expected in Hernando overpass truck crash

The dump truck driver who smashed his rig into an overpass at Interstate 75 and State Road 50 last week will likely not be charged in the incident, the Florida Highway Patrol said Wednesday.

Tampabay.com is reporting that FHP has nearly wrapped up its investigation of the crash involving a Brooksville man who said that the bed of his truck inexplicably started to rise as he passed under the overpass causing him to hit the first and second outside concrete beams that support the I-75 overpass. FHP is still waiting for a report from the state Motor Carrier Compliance Office on the truck's most recent inspection but they have already determined that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he was driving the truck. No one was injured in the the accident.

The Florida Department of Transportation worked quickly to repair the damage to the bridge as more than 40,000 drivers use I-75 at that site each day, while another 19,000 travel along SR 50.

Continue reading " No DUI charges expected in Hernando overpass truck crash " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: DUI , Hernando County

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 10, 2008

Brooksville woman charged with drug possession

Hernando Today is reporting that a Brooksville woman faces felony drug charges in relation to a traffic stop Sunday evening.

Police reports allege that deputies pulled over a red Saturn after receiving a report from detectives that there could be drugs in the car. After the stop, police found 3.5 grams of methamphetamine in several small plastic baggies, as well as marijuana.

As a result the driver, Vikki Sue Coleman, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine as well with possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Coleman allegedly told a deputy she had been selling the drug for the last three weeks because she needed the money.

Continue reading " Brooksville woman charged with drug possession " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Drug Charges , Hernando County

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 9, 2008

Prosecutors will not seek death penalty in Casey Anthony murder case

ABC Action News is reporting that prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty in Casey Anthony’s case- the central Florida woman charged with killing her 3-year-old daughter. The Orange County State Attorney's Office announced in a news release Friday that it is not in the best interest of the people of the State of Florida to pursue the death penalty for Anthony.

The victim was last seen in June but her mother did not report her missing until July. The toddler's body has not been recovered. The 22-year-old defendant has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, child abuse, aggravated manslaughter and four counts of lying to investigators about the disappearance of her daughter. She faces life in prison if convicted.

Continue reading " Prosecutors will not seek death penalty in Casey Anthony murder case " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Hernando County , Homicide

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 7, 2008

Tampa teens arrested for burglary

Three Tampa juveniles have been arrested on charges of burglary and grand theft auto. It is not clear at this time whether they will be treated as adults.

ABC Action News reports that the charges stem from an incident on East Jean Street on Friday. Thinking no one was home, Tampa Police say the juveniles cased an elderly Sulpher Springs woman’s home and then the teens broke in. The victim heard the noise created by the break in and she investigated, using her crutches. She surprised the juveniles who fled with keys to her van which also had her wheelchair inside.

The juveniles were apprehended a short time later in the same neighborhood when police stopped the kids in the stolen van. Police were able to recover victim's specialized wheel chair from a dumpster. Grand theft auto is third degree felony holding a maximum penalty of five years. Burglary of an occupied dwelling is a second degree felony.

Continue reading " Tampa teens arrested for burglary " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: Burglary and Trespass , Pasco County

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: December 5, 2008

Man charged with DUI after rear-ending Marion County deputy

Ocala.com reported today on a Marion County Sheriff's deputy's vehicle that was rear-ended in Silver Shores late Wednesday night. The 62-year old man was charged with driving under the influence.

Officials say Deputy Pam Race had stopped at the intersection of Dogwood Road and Baseline Road when Robert Dalton failed to stop and struck Race's vehicle in the back. The deputy was not injured but the damage to her vehicle was estimated at $2,000. Florida Highway Patrol officials said the driver refused to submit to a draw blood or a breath test. Officials detected alcohol on Dalton’s breath and believe he may have been under the influence.

Refusing to submit to a breath test can cause your driver’s license to be administratively suspended as can a DUI arrest—however in some situations these suspensions can be set aside. If you have been arrested for DUI it is imperative that you contact a lawyer promptly as challenges to driver’s license suspensions must be made within 10 days from arrest.

Continue reading " Man charged with DUI after rear-ending Marion County deputy " »

Posted by Jason M. Melton | | Email This Post

Posted In: DUI

Bookmark and Share

« November 2008 | | January 2009 »

Jason M. Melton

Criminal Defense Attorney

Subscribe

Subscribe to the blogs's ATOM feed Subscribe to the RSS feed

Subscribe

Contact Us

352-666-2121

Recent Entries

Legal Blogs