Sobriety Checkpoint This Weekend on Tampa Road in Pinellas County :: Whittel & Melton

September 28, 2012

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting their monthly DUI checkpoint this weekend on Tampa Road, one of the county’s busiest roads.

The checkpoint will take place at 3655 Tampa Road, Oldsmar at Lockheed Martin starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28 and continuing until 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29.

The monthly DUI checkpoints have been implemented in an effort to reduce DUI-related injuries, according to Pinellas police.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputies in combination with the Patrol, K-9, Community Policing and Narcotics units will be monitoring the road for impaired drivers. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Bus will be on site and used for conducting breath tests on those suspected of DUI.

Deputies will also be checking for valid driver’s licenses, registration, insurance and equipment violations.

Members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Crash Investigations Unit, the Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol and Explorer Post 900 will help with any non-enforcement related tasks.

Friday’s checkpoint is held in honor of a Pinellas County woman who died as a result of injuries sustained in a DUI crash in 2006.

Sobriety checkpoints or DUI roadblocks are implemented by law enforcement officers as a means to prevent drunk driving. When conducting these checkpoints, officers must abide by certain rules and regulations. Any technical errors made by police may be used as a defense against the charges stacked against you. The Pinellas County DUI Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can review the facts surrounding your case and determine what can be done in your case. While every case is unique, we can launch a full investigation that may result in your charges being drastically reduced or dismissed entirely.

Following a DUI arrest, there are a number of viable defenses that may be used, including the following:

• The sobriety checkpoint failed to follow strict state and federal guidelines
• Field sobriety tests were not appropriately administered
• A breathalyzer test was not administered properly
• The breathalyzer machine was not calibrated
• Your blood test was not tested by a licensed professional
• Police failed to read your Miranda rights
• Law enforcement failed to mention the consequences of refusing a breath test

It is important to remember that sobriety checkpoints are intended to prevent impaired driving, not to make numerous DUI arrests. If you were arrested for DUI after being stopped at a DUI roadblock in Pinellas County or elsewhere in the state of Florida, the DUI Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can make sure your rights remain protected. We can thoroughly investigate the incidents leading up to your arrest and identify the most effective defense strategy for your charges.

Whether you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, prescription pills or any combination of the three, contact the Florida DUI Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or call us in Pinellas County at 1-727-847-2299. You can reach us 24/7 statewide and toll-free at 1-866-608-5529.