Articles Posted in 3rd Offense DUI / Operating Under the Influence

A Massachusetts man was arrested this week on Drunk Driving Charges for allegedly traveling down the wrong way on the Massachusetts Turnpike. He was charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, 3rd Subsequent Offense.

In Massachusetts, a OUI / DUI 3rd Offense carries severe penalties upon conviction, including imprisonment for not less than 180 days and up to 5 years in state prison; driver’s license suspension for 8 years; and cancellation of the vehicle’s registration for the duration of the license suspension.

Drunk driving offenses are prosecuted very aggressively in Massachusetts, and the penalties can often be very significant. Subsequent offenses, particularly 3rd offenses and greater, are prosecuted extremely aggressively, and in many cases the government seeks to petition for a Dangerousness Hearing and asks a judge to detain the person without bail pending the resolution of the case.

Stephen J. Paolini was arrested this past Sunday for allegedly violating the Massachusetts Drunk Driving Laws. He has been charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, 3rd Subsequent Offense, Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle, and Failure to Stop for Police.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, Stephen Paolini was arrested after he was allegedly speeding on Route 3 at about 100 miles per hour. When he was pulled over, the trooper allegedly smelled a strong odor of alcohol and placed him under arrest after he exercised his right to refuse to submit to Field Sobriety Tests.

Despite the police officer alleging an “overwhelming stench” of alcohol on Paolini’s breath or person, the prosecution in this case cannot ignore the fact that it appears he was able to navigate the car, even at high speeds. One might suspect that if the driver was impaired by alcohol, he could not have been able to drive at that speed without getting into an accident.

Vinodkumar Patel, 58, of Jamaica Plain, was arraigned this week in the Boston Municipal Court on Massachusetts Drunk Driving Charges after he allegedly struck a bicyclist in a crosswalk and then a Boston Police Officer who was working a traffic detail.

Patel was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol, 3rd Subsequent Offense. He was released on his own personal recognizance following his arraignment.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Vinodkumar Patel was driving on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston last Thursday and stopped at a red light, about 100 feet short. Patel then allegedly drove through the red light and struck a bicyclist who was walker her bike across the street. The bicyclist was reportedly dragged by the car after being struck.

The Peabody Police Department reports that it has made three arrest for violation of Massachusetts Drunk Driving Laws, including that of a Salem man which charges him with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, 3rd Subsequent Offense.

Thomas E. Pelletier, of Salem, Massachusetts, was arrested by Peabody Police Officers for OUI / DUI Liquor. The Peabody Police Department was alerted to look out for a white SUV that was ‘driving erratically’ after the Lynn Police Department apparently received a call about the SUV from another driver. Peabody Police Officers eventually located the white SUV, allegedly being driven by Thomas E. Pelletier, and pulled it over.

It is not known whether Peabody Police also made independent observations that Pelletier was allegedly driving erratically, nor whether he submitted to any Field Sobriety Tests or a Breathalyzer Test. He was, however, taken into custody following his arrest on charged of OUI Liquor, Third Subsequent Offense.

Scott Gauthier, 45, of Bridgewater, was arrested yesterday in Lynn on his 3rd Massachusetts Drunk Driving Charge after he was allegedly found to be driving a stolen car.

Gauthier was arraigned Thursday in Lynn District Court on various DUI Charges, including Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, 3rd Subsequent Offense, Operating Under the Influence of Drugs, and Receiving Stolen Motor Vehicle.

According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, a Massachusetts State Police Trooper responded to an accident on the Lynnway in Lynn, and was told that one of the driver’s allegedly involved in the accident had fled the area. After a search of the are, the car believed to be involved in the accident was traveling in a nearby Lynn neighborhood and was leaking fluid and had front end damage.