West Palm Beach Firefighter Lieutenant Arrested for DUI

August 05, 2012

West Palm Beach Firefighter Lieutenant Arrested for DUI

It has been difficult spring and summer for one West Palm Beach firefighter, as Lieutenant Firefighter Joshua Goodfellow was arrested while on paid suspension for driving under the influence of alcohol in June. According to The Palm Beach Post, on the night of his arrest, he approached a uniformed police officer in Jupiter at a tiki bar at Castaways Marina. Goodfellow was friendly with the police officer and struck up a conversation. The police officer offered to help get Goodfellow a safe ride home after noticing alcohol on his breath and Goodfellow's slurred speech. Goodfellow declined the offer, telling the police officer that his wife was picking him up. Instead, Goodfellow left the tiki bar a few moments later, and the police officer noticed him getting into the driver's side of the vehicle and driving away.

The police officer followed Goodfellow for several blocks. Goodfellow ran through several stop signs before the police could pull him over. The officer took a breath alcohol test, and Goodfellow registered a blood alcohol concentration of .245 percent, which is over three times the legal limit in Florida. He attempted to flee the scene, but was subsequently arrested for DUI.

Goodfellow was also arrested in April stemming from an incident at a Jupiter restaurant. He was searching for his wife when an altercation with a restaurant employee occurred. He later approached the restaurant and pounded on the window, shouting obscenities at his wife. Police arrived on scene and used a Taser against Goodfellow three times before he was taken into custody.

Goodfellow has since resigned from the firefighting force.

Florida DUI Laws

Goodfellow faces strict penalties if convicted of DUI. For a first-time DUI offense with a 0.08 to 0.15 BAC, an offender faces up to a $1,000 fine, 50 hours of community service, up to six months in jail and license suspension for up to one year. If the offender's BAC is 0.15 or greater, then the penalties increase to a fine of $1,000 to $2,000, 50 hours of community service and up to nine months in jail.

Any DUI conviction may also require the convicted person to install an ignition interlock device, which prohibits the driver from operating the vehicle unless he or she first blows into a Breathalyzer-like device to check for BAC.

Other factors may also play a role in sentencing. Subsequent DUI convictions increase potential sentencing. If a driver injures or kills someone while driving under the influence, the penalties drastically increase and he or she may face felony charges and lengthy periods of incarceration.

If you have been charged with a DUI, contact a skilled DUI defense attorney to ensure your rights are protected in court.

Article provided by Brown Westmoreland & Rice, PA
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