Video Disputes Officers DUI Arrest Report

An attorney representing several individuals suing a Chicago Police officer in Federal Court for what they claim were false DUI arrests has revealed a video which contradicts the officer's DUI report. The officer is Richard Fiorito. The camera was mounted inside Fiorito's squad car. On June 21, 2009, Fiorito pulled over Michael Vaughn for suspicion of drunk driving. Fiorito had Vaughn perform a field sobriety test. The video shows Vaughn walking in a straight line with his arms at his side. However, Fiorito's police report indicates that Vaughn couldn't keep his balance and raised his arms from his side more than six inches. In addition, the video shows Fiorito being very rude and mean to Vaughn who was cooperating with the officer. The attorney representing the individuals in the federal lawsuit claims that Fiorito made up DUI against his clients so he could rack up overtime when he appeared in court.

Part of the lawsuit alleges that Fiorito would harass gay and lesbian motorists. Fiorito has been with the Chicago Police since 1999.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

DUI Arrests Among Women Rising

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the FBI have released some figures signaling a disturbing trend among women. From 1998 to 2007, the number of women arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol increased 28.8 percent. At the same time, the number of men arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol actually decreased by 7.5 percent, although the number of men arrested during this period outstripped women by about four to one. According to the Department of Transportation, these figures show that impaired driving by women is becoming a national safety issue. Despite an overall decline of 9 percent nationwide in the total number of drunk driving crashes, the number of women involved in fatal drunk driving crashes increased in 10 states and remained flat in 5.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.