Fred Slone. Premier DUI Defense lawyer.

SAMPLE CASE NO. 3 - Municipality v. L.C. - (District Court, Anchorage)

This was a second DWI case in which Mr. Slone represented L.C., the first ending in a not guilty verdict at trial three years earlier.

Police officers arrived at the home of L.C.’s parents, where he was housesitting. Officers observed a Jeep and a van parked in an unusual fashion next to the road. The van appeared to be stuck in the snow. The Jeep was running, but parked in front of the van. L.C. told the officers that he was going to pull out the van. The officers noted that L.C. appeared to be intoxicated and L.C. was told that he should not drive.

L.C. then walked to the Jeep and drove it into the driveway where he parked it. The officer advised L.C. again that he should not be driving.

Approximately 45 minutes later one of the officers drove by the residence again and noticed that the Jeep was moving again. The officer noted that L.C. was driving the Jeep. The officer radioed her supervising sergeant who indicated that L.C. should be arrested. Six officers then proceeded to the house. They knocked on the door and contacted L.C.’s girlfriend. L.C. eventually came to the door, at which time he was arrested. L.C. was taken to the police station where a breath test was administered with a .201 result.

At trial, several of the officers testified. At least 2 officers testified that they saw L.C. driving the Jeep the second time they had come around, after he had been told not to drive. They testified that they recognized it was him in the vehicle since he had a dark beard.

Both L.C. and his girlfriend testified that it was not in fact L.C. that was driving the Jeep the second time the officers came by. In fact, it was L.C.’s girlfriend that was driving. At the time she was wearing a dark hat and face mask and was clearing the driveway with the Jeep. L.C. had been driving earlier, but he and his girlfriend both testified that he had a large drink between the time that he was driving the first time and the time the officers arrived and arrested him.

After 3 days of trial, the jury returned a verdict of "NOT GUILTY" on the driving while intoxicated charge. If he had been convicted of the DWI, L.C., a mechanic, would have faced a minimum jail term of 60 days.