Austin DWI Attorney Blog

Bradford Barron Maples has been charged with driving drunk after hitting three bicyclists. Maples, 28, hit the cyclists around 8:30 Saturday morning. He was arrested and booked for drunk driving at the Baldwin County Corrections Center, though additional charges may be filed later. His bail was set at $1000.

According to Alabama State troopers, the two of the victims were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The third was flown by helicopter to nearby Mobile. None of the injuries appeared to be life threatening.

Currently Austin City Council is discussing an ordinance that would mandate drivers give cyclists a three foot buffer when passing them to avoid accidents like these. Though in this case the driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated, many cyclists here in the Austin area complain that they risk their life when they ride their bikes at any time.

A Central Austin club with a tumultuous reputation has reopened after being closed for sixteen months. The Dallas Nightclub on Burnet Road was closed voluntarily following complaints from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Austin Police Department and the neighborhood. The club previously offered 69 cent beers and was accused of over-serving intoxicated patrons. Dallas Nightclub was consistently cited as one of the top places where motorists arrested for driving while intoxicated in Austin were served their last drink.

The club has opened under new ownership, and they have stressed that changes have been made. There have been new staff hires and employees have undergone extensive training to identify intoxicated patrons and to help keep people from getting out of control. During the opening week, management has arranged for a $15 round trip shuttle between the club and two remote parking areas far north Austin to try to help patrons avoid getting arrested for DWI in Austin. The owners may extend the shuttle service if the reception is positive.

Continue reading "Austin Texas Nightclub Re-Opens After 16 Months" »

A Grand Jury dropped a case against two Tunnel Hill men who had been charged with drunk driving for riding horses while intoxicated. The jury 'no-billed' the case, stating that it is not against the law to ride a horse while drunk. According to drunk driving laws, charges of driving under the influence in Georgia are applicable to those operating a vehicle, and a vehicle is defined as a device. According to a District Attorney, a horse is not a device.

The Grand Jury's finding was not received well by the local police chief. He said that drunks riding horses endanger themselves and others, causing "a serious situation".

Walter Jones, who played Black Ranger Zack Taylor on the television series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, was charged with drunk driving. Jones was stopped by State Troopers around 4:00 am Sunday morning. He was arrested without incident, booked on suspicion of drunk driving and released.

Jones, 38, was written out of the TV series during its second season, presumably over wage issues.

As a DWI attorney, I can see that the police aren't giving public officials and celebrities any special treatment when they are stopped and expected of drinking and driving.

The Penn State football program has been rocked by two separate arrests of current team players for drunk driving.

Senior wide receiver James McDonald was charged with drunk driving July 9th and later dismissed from the team. The initial traffic stop was made at 2:30 am for having expired vehicle registration. McDonald reportedly registered a blood-alcohol content of .096%. The legal limit for intoxication in Pennsylvania is .08%. McDonald appeared 10 games last season. While he played sparingly in the past, his absence could be an issue this year as Penn State lost three multi-year starting wide receivers at the end of last season.

Another Nittany Lion, offensive lineman Ako Poti, was charged with drunk driving after being stopped by State College Police. He was charged with drunk driving with a high rate of alcohol, which according to local drunk driving laws means a blood-alcohol content between .10-.16%. Poti's status with the team has not been released. He is a fifth year senior who was recruited from a junior college in 2007 to add depth to the offensive line. Poti appeared in four games last year and was expected to be a reserve at tackle.

The University of Texas has had it's own DWI arrest in the athletic department this year when UT baseball coach Augie Garrido was recently arrested for DWI in Austin and later plead guilty.