The Philadelphia DUI Law Blog

Celebrity DUIs in Philadelphia

Celebrities behaving badly are always hot topics in the news, and brushes with the law, particularly celebrity DUIs, receive a lot of media coverage. Although it may be entertaining to see unflattering mug shots of movie stars, musicians, and politicians arrested on DUI charges, it’s important to remember that they have the same legal rights as anyone else, and Philadelphia residents can often learn about DUI procedures and laws from their cases.

All Philadelphia residents have the right to a DUI defense lawyer, albeit maybe not as high-profile as some celebrity DUI attorneys. Nevertheless, like celebrities, you should contact a Philadelphia DUI attorney if you need legal advice about driving under the influence charges and developing a good defense strategy.


Recently in Celebrity DUIs in Philadelphia:

The Cherelle Parker DUI has ended in victory for the state Representative. A Philadelphia Municipal Judge chose to believe the word of Parker over the word of two Philly cops, letting Parker off on her drunk driving charges.

Parker was pulled over back in April for allegedly driving the wrong way down a one way street. Following a traffic stop, police say the state Representative smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, and blew a 0.16 on a Breathalyzer test -- exactly twice the legal limit -- reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Joe Brennan DUI, Yet Another PA State Representative DUI

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They say things happen in threes. That proved to be the case with Pennsylvania lawmaker DUIs. Representative Joe Brennan formally heard the charges against him this week for a drunk driving incident in June. The Representative Joe Brennan DUI, follows the Representative John Galloway DUI, which follows the Representative Cherelle Parker DUI.

The 47-year-old lawmaker from Fountain Hill was arrested on June 22 after police found him in his car in a parking lot by his Bethlehem district office, reports The Express-Times. Earlier that night, Brennan reportedly fell and struck his head at a Wawa's parking lot. Concerned bystanders watched Brennan get into his car and drive off prompting a 911 call.

It is now reported that Jackass star Ryan Dunn's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he died in a fiery car accident in Chester County earlier this week. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Dunn had a blood alcohol level of 0.196. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08.

According to the Inquirer, Dunn was driving drunk at more than 130 miles per hour in his Porsche, along with passenger Zachary Hartwell, when he lost control of the car, swerved off the road, and hit several trees. The impact of the crash caused his car to explode.

Jackass start Ryan Dunn died in a car accident in Chester County early Monday morning. Dunn, who appeared in all three of the Jackass movies, was 34 years old. A yet unidentified person also died in the crash.

TMZ reports that Dunn was the driver of his Porsche 911 GT3 and that speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident. TMZ is also reporting that hours before the deadly crash, Dunn posted a photo of himself drinking with friends on Twitter. The photo purportedly shows a group of men drinking on "Sunday Night."

Many Philadelphia locals may have heard about the DUI case involving 46-six year-old Dwight Gordon, the once famed major league pitcher who was accused of driving under the influence of cocaine when his car crashed into another vehicle in March 2010.

The Associated Press reported Gooden ultimately pleaded guilty in New Jersey to child endangerment charges after Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinello said Gooden's 5-year-old son was sitting in the backseat of the auto without a seatbelt at the time of the crash, though no one was hurt in the accident.

Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd Gets Charged With Second DUI

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Philadelphia college football fans may have heard that Michael Floyd, one of Notre Dame’s top wide receivers, was recently charged with DUI after a breathalyzer test revealed that the player had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) level that was double Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, St. Joseph County deputy prosecutor Chris Daniels stated that campus police had pulled Floyd over after he ran a stop sign nearly one block away from Notre Dame’s main entrance. Authorities said the football star, who was driving a white Cadillac at the time of arrest, failed three field sobriety tests and had a BAC level of 0.19 percent.

Indians Discover Austin Kearns' DUI Arrest In Kentucky

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Some Philadelphians may have recently heard that Austin Kearns, the Cleveland Indians' outfielder, was arrested in Kentucky last month for allegedly driving drunk. The Associated Press reported the team had been unaware that the baseball star was even arrested until it was reported in Kentucky's Jessamine Journal.

Kearns, 30, said he did not inform the Indians earlier on about his DUI arrest because of some "advice that I was given." But once the incident was publicized, he met with general manager Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta to discuss the issue. "They know what's going on and we'll go from there," said Kearns.

Actress Jaime Pressly Arrested For Driving Drunk

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Jaime Pressly, who co-stars in the comedy television show "My Name is Earl," was recently arrested in Southern California for allegedly driving drunk. Santa Monica police initially stopped Pressly for a traffic violation but suspected the actress of being inebriated, according to 6ABC Action News.

Deputy City Attorney Melanie Skehar said Pressly had blood alcohol content (BAC) level of around 0.20 percent, which is significantly more than legal limit of 0.08 percent. Prosecutors charged the actress with driving under the influence as a misdemeanor offense, but the penalties she may face for the DUI charge remains unclear. Jamie Pressly was eventually released from police custody after she posted a $15,000 bail.

Kings Assistant Coach Mario Elie Suspected Of DUI

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Sacramento Kings assistant coach Mario Elie was taken into custody last week under the suspicion that he had been driving under the influence. The Washington Post reported a California Highway Patrol officer initially asked the 47-year-old to pull over for a broken tail light. The officer reported he smelled alcohol in Elie's car and thought he displayed signs of being drunk.

Mario Elie was then asked to take a breath test, which revealed he had a blood-alcohol level above the 0.08 percent, which is the legal limit in most states like California or Pennsylvania. Elie was immediately taken to the Sacramento County Jail and was discharged after he posted bail. According to the Sacramento Bee, Kings coach Paul Westphal said Mario Elie's issue was "something you can't dwell on" because "everybody knows better."

Broncos Linebacker D.J. Williams Arrested for DUI

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D.J. Williams, the Denver Broncos defensive linebacker, was arrested last Friday on suspicion that he was driving drunk. Police officials found Williams driving his vehicle without headlights and had asked him to pull over, according to CBS News. Denver District Attorney Lynn Kimbrough said “once the stop was made, there was reasonable suspicion he was driving under the influence.”

Authorities charged Williams for DUI and immediately brought him to a detox facility. Broncos fans are not the only ones let down by Williams’ arrest. In a statement released the day after police took Williams into custody, the team said they were “extremely disappointed in D.J. Williams’ careless and irresponsible actions.” He was fined by the team and could also potentially be suspended from playing in any more games for the rest of the year.