Miami DUI Lawyer

There is a modicum of trust that needs to exist in order for everyone to enjoy themselves and part of this has to do with how responsible each person is financially for their share of the trip as well as for their personal behavior during the trip.
At no point in our lives to we get the travel bug than when we are young and in college. Suddenly, we’re planning weekend road trips to the beach with our friends and making bigger plans to spend spring break in some place like Miami. I can still remember when I was in college and a few of my friends (myself not included) decided that they wanted to spend our spring break at Myrtle Beach. When they came back a week later, I was subjected to all of the wild stories of what went on- how they ran out of money and had to hitch hike back to their beach house as well as an even more disturbing story about how they were at a party one night and were too drunk to drive home. As they started to leave the party, a couple of guys that they had never met before offered to give the three of them a ride back in the back of their pick up truck late at night….Needless to say, this was not their smartest idea. And while nothing happened, there is nothing to say that something couldn’t have just as easily happened.
Travel with people you trust and respect. You should never plan on being irresponsible when you are away from home. Also, make sure that wherever you are traveling to- even if it is around the block- that you have enough expendable cash as well as some other backup should you need it. Make sure that you have the contact information of all of the people that you are traveling with (if it’s a small group). In the event that something happens and an emergency contact needs to be reached on your behalf, it is always a good idea to exchange this kind of information prior to the departure for your trip.
Another reason that you want to make sure that you travel with people you trust and who are responsible is to make sure that you are always looking out for each other so that no one gets left behind, lost or put in harm’s way. Too often we hear stories about young men and women disappearing while on spring break with their friends or while enjoying a brief weekend getaway. Traveling with other people doesn’t always guarantee you safety in numbers no matter what the age. Plan ahead, and somewhere in that planning phase, plan on being responsible for your actions lest you live to regret it later on. The practice that you experience with travel while you are young will serve you well in future trips.

Originally published here.

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David Williams

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The NFL announced on Thursday in an official statement that Donte Stallworth, a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, was going to be suspended for the 2009 season without pay after he violated NFL’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies. Stallworth was arrested by Florida police after driving drunk and killing a construction worker, 59 year-old Mario Reyes, while driving. Stallworth plead guilty to all of the charges and was given a 30-day jail sentence on top of reaching an unknown financial arrangement with the Reyes family. Besides jail time, Stallworth’s sentence included two years of house arrest, eight years of probation and some other restrictions that were not specified as yet. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Stallworth had an encounter earlier this month after the commissioner had suspended Stallworth indefinitely on June 18th, two days after Stallworth declared himself guilty of the charges and decided to face whatever suspension the commissioner was going to give him. The Browns player also stated that he knew that the consequences were going to be strong since the standards in the NFL are very clear. Goodell stated that Stallworth had to be punished further, apart from those measures employed by the legal system. He announced that the NFL would take additional measures since the policies of the NFL were broken while Stallworth was an active NFL player with the Browns. Goodell also stated that he would take these measures because Stallworth not only put his own life in danger but took the life of another as well. “There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family, and that you have violated both the Substances of Abuse and Personal Conduct Policies,” Goodell said. “In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL.” Police reports said that Stallworth spent the night drinking at a bar in a Miami Beach hotel, the Fountainebleau. Once he left the bar, he drove down MacArthur Causeway where he hit Reyes, who was rushing to take the bus after a late-night shift. Stallworth claimed he flashed his lights to warn Reyes, who was not yet in the crosswalk, but apparently the receiver acted too late. Stallworth had a blood-alcohol level of .126 after the crash, above Florida’s limit of .08. Some compared the situation with the one that faced Michael Vick last year with the dog fight situation. But it seems that Stallworth should be put in another category altogether; after all, killing humans is a far graver offense than killing dogs. And yet, Stallworth accepted his guilt from the very beginning while Vick denied charges during the entire criminal process until his guilt was made obvious. Who committed the worse crime? There is no doubt that Stallworth must accept that dubious distinction. But who tarnished the image of the NFL? Vick, who was recently reinstated by commissioner Goodell, or Stallworth, who immediately notified the police and accepted blame for all of his actions? The answer here is less clear.

Originally published here.

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Audrey Nolan

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Xanax-fueled cases of driving under the influence have been in the spotlight more and more over the last couple of years, says Miami DUI Lawyer John Musca. Xanax is a prescription anxiety disorder which is also sold on the street and taken for recreational purposes. The anxiety medication is potentially capable of causing DUI by itself, especially when taken in large doses, but is especially prone to interacting with alcohol and causing a problem. Doctors often prescribe the medication specifically to treat patients who suffer from panic attacks or panic disorders.

Xanax and other prescription medications can have an effect on how alcohol impacts the body from a physical perspective. The Xanax can intensify the impairment of alcohol, leading drivers who have taken the anxiety medicine more impaired after fewer drinks than they would be normally. That means that a woman who had two glasses of wine with dinner might typically not feel too impaired to operate her motor vehicle after that meal could end up with a DUI if the wine was drunk in conjunction with taking Xanax – even if she had a prescription from a physician for the medication.

John Musca goes on to say that Florida police officers report that they are pulling over an increasing number of motorists who are driving under the influence of alcohol and Xanax together, rather than just alcohol. In 2008, law enforcement officials from Pinellas County found only four DUI suspects also tested positive for Xanax at the time of their arrest. Ten years later, the law enforcement officers reported 177 DUI suspects believe to be under the influence of both substances. It has become one of the most common drugs drivers are found to be under the influence of when they are arrested for DUI. Cocaine and marijuana are also found in suspects’ bodies with some frequency, according to police who regularly make criminal traffic arrests.

About John Musca and Musca Law:

With nine offices throughout south, southwest and southeast Florida, the DUI defense attorneys at John Musca Law defend clients charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI).

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) is a serious offense. A DUI may cause you to lose you drivers’ license, to receive an exorbitant fine, to watch your insurance rates skyrocket, and may even cause you to lose your freedom.

The penalties are even more serious if you were involved in an accident or vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

You should know you only have 10 days from the date you were arrested for DUI to request an administrative review hearing to retain your driving privileges.

Originally published here.

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John Musca

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