Tampa Bay Lightning hockey player Ryan Malone was arrested for DUI and possession of cocaine early this morning. The incident allegedly happened in South Tampa.
These are very serious charges as a DUI carries a number of penalties and can affect your employment, car insurance, criminal record, and result in a license suspension. Possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) is a felony that can result in the person being a convicted felon, losing their civil rights, and a two (2) year driver’s license suspension if convicted. For an NHL player it can have even more severe consequences because BOTH of these crimes are considered felonies in Canada. Canada’s government DOES NOT grant a U.S. citizen entry into Canada for four (4) years if convicted of a crime that Canada considers a felony. So this could really have an adverse affect on Malone’s NHL career.
No details of the arrest have been released yet. Usually a DUI arrest in Hillsborough County is videotaped including the suspect’s driving pattern and performance on Field Sobriety Tests (FST’s). This will be a key piece of evidence whether he did the exercises or refused to perform FST’s. The other key pieces of evidence will be whether he took the breath test or refsued the breath test. The DUI officer may have also requested a urine sample to determine if there was any cocaine or other controlled substances in his system. There is no “per se” level for a DUI drug case like the 0.08 level in alcohol cases. Driving the Influence of Drugs (DUID) is becoming much more common in Florida and throughout the United States. They often involve a DUI police officer with additional training who is called a “Drug Recognition Expert” or “DRE”. An experienced DUI defense attorney such as myself knows these officers are not experts and how to defend these cases. That includes knowing whether the drug analysis was done correctly by the lab.
That’s why it is extremely important that you retain a DUI lawyer with experience in DUI and DUI drug cases. DUI’s involve a lot of science and you need an attorney who studies the latest technology, gas chromatography, and has successfully tried cases to a jury verdict like I have in DUI and DUI of a controlled substance cases. I am a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and recently attended an NCDD seminar dealing with these exact issues.
If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or a Controlled Substance,
call and speak to a member of the National DUI College.
Thomas C. Grajek – 863-838-5549 cell
You only have 10 days from your DUI arrest to request a Formal Review or a Hardship License!
NCDD
