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Young Man Poses as Law Enforcement and Sets Up his own DUI Checkpoint

Written by David O
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Crazy but true story out of Somerset, Pennsylvania where a young man pretended to be a State Trooper and set up a fake DUI checkpoint across state Route 601 at 4am in the morning.

According to the real Pennsylvania State Troopers, 19 year-old Logan Shualis, went to a lot of trouble to set the stage for his DUI checkpoint, including everything from; placing street  flairs in the road, parking his vehicle diagonally across the highway, dressing the part, and carrying a BB gun as if it were a real pistol.

One motorist who complied with the hokey DUI checkpoint said Shaulis claimed he was a PA State Trooper and required the driver to hand over his driver’s license, registration, and car insurance papers.

Logan’s hoax wasn’t convincing enough, suspicious drivers quickly notified law enforcement officials of the fake DUI checkpoint.  When the real state troopers arrived on scene, Shaulis tried to ditch his BB gun by giving it to the passenger in the car he had stopped at that time… saying, “I can’t get caught with this!”

fake State TrooperTo make matter’s worse for the young man, state troopers determined Shaulis was under the influence of alcohol during his DUI checkpoint charade.  State troopers also determined Shaulis must have driven drunk to the location where he set up his DUI checkpoint.  While Shaulis was under the influence of alcohol he was trying to arrest civilians for DUI as well – Crazy but true!

Logan’s checkpoint was shut down permanently and he was hauled off to jail.  He faces charges of DUI, impersonating a public servant, and unlawful restraint.

Luckily for us Washingtonions, we do not have to worry about DUI checkpoints, or fake ones for that matter!  However most States do allow for DUI checkpoints (aka sobriety checkpoints), so be careful while visiting the great states outside of Washington this summer!

States that do conduct DUI checkpoints include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Going to Court Drunk for your DUI Charge – NEVER a Good Idea –

Written by David O
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Use common sense when going to court!  It’s never a good idea to show up to court drunk or while under the influence of drugs, especially when you are required to be in court for a DUI or any type of alcohol or drug related charge.  Unfortunately, some individuals are so stressed, they make the horrible mistake of attending court drunk or high, hoping the alcohol or drugs will calm their nerves while they are in front of the judge.

Just recently, in Grand Island, New York, a 44-year-old man drunkenly stood before a judge where he was convicted of a DUI charge that he acquired on Dec. 29th by crashing his car into the Niagara River and was later rescued by firefighters.

Apparently, after being found guilty of the DUI charge, the intoxicated man was allowed to leave the court but had been warned by the court not to drive.

Failing to follow orders not to drive drunk, the man walked out of court, got into his car and proceeded to leave the parking lot.  Shortly there after, deputies pulled the man over and arrested him for drunk driving.  The man was hauled into jail and was charged with felony DUI.

NEVER a good idea to show up to court drunk!

judge and policeThe man was very lucky to even have the opportunity to go home, because here in Washington State, most judges would have immediately thrown him into jail for violating his  “Standard Conditions of Release.”

Washington State judges require anyone charged with DUI to adhere to the Standard Conditions of Release while their DUI case is ongoing.  The Standard Conditions of Release generally include the following conditions:

  • No consumption of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs (including marijuana).
  • Do not drive without a valid license and insurance.
  • Abide by the law (no new criminal law violations).
  • No refusal of breath, blood or urine test upon reasonable request of law enforcement.
  • Attend all court hearings.
  • Notify the court of any address changes.

Here at David O Defense we understand that court can be very stressful, however drinking alcohol or smoking some marijuana to calm nerves will only make an individual’s situation worse. The judge will most likely throw that person into jail where they will likely stay until they post a large bail amount or until their DUI case resolves.

Just remember: It’s NEVER a good idea to show up to court under the influence of drugs and or alcohol!

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Washington’s New Breath Test Device: Draeger Alcotest 9510

Written by David O
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Washington’s New Breath Test Device: Draeger Alcotest 9510

Washington State law enforcement has used the “Datamaster” breath-test machine for over 20 years and is now ready to make a change.  The Datamaster manufacturer is closing its doors and will no longer produce the breath-test machine or its parts for repair.  For this reason, Washington State looked for its next breath-test machine used to test drivers arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.  The great citizens of our state will now be subjected to the “Draeger Alcotest 9510.”

On November 21, 2014, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Impaired Driving Section began deploying the new Draeger Alcotest 9510 instruments in Northwest Washington in Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish counties. Soon thereafter, the deployment continued in Southeast Washington in Kittitas, Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties.  Approximately 83 Draeger Alcotest machines have been put into service in Washington and will continue to replace the Datamaster.

Draeger Alcotest 9510

Like the Datamaster, the Draeger Alcotest 9510 measures alcohol in the lungs by analyzing exhaled breath.  However, there are some differences between the two breath-test machines.  Some of the notable differences are:

  • The DataMaster uses Infrared Spectrometry (I/R) to quantify alcohol. The Draeger uses I/R and in addition tests each breath sample using the “electrochemical” (E/C) process.
  • The DataMaster’s I/R system measures a frequency of infrared light associated with the Carbon/Hydrogen bond of the ethyl alcohol molecule. The Draeger’s I/R system measures the Carbon/Oxygen bond of the ethyl alcohol molecule. This design is intended to avoid mis-identifying acetone as alcohol, which is possible when I/R measures the Carbon/Hydrogen bond of the ethyl alcohol molecule.
  • DataMaster produces tests two breath samples and produces two readings, the Draeger tests two breath samples TWICE, thus producing four test results.
  • The breath test document of the DataMaster contained only the test readings and some other data. The Draeger is capable of producing a printout with graphs of the “breath profile,” which would show how long an individual blew, and also the “uncertainty” calculation for the readings. Several DUI courts are considering whether to require that “uncertainty” of readings be determined and reported.
  • The DUI police officer operating the DataMaster must type in all date identifying the subject, date of incident, etc. The Draeger will have a card swipe device that will read the data from a driver’s license and also the operator’s permit card.

With the implementation of a new breath-test machine comes new issues as to its reliability and accuracy.  The attorneys at David O Defense are prepared to help those accused of driving under the influence (DUI) to get the best results possible.  Call us for a free consultation at 206-459-6392.

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