Man Pleads Guilty to Killing St. Johns County Deputy

A Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter in a crash that left a St. John’s County deputy dead.

The defendant entered his plea Monday. The 27-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison at his sentencing next month. In exchange for the manslaughter plea, prosecutors agreed to not pursue a vehicular homicide charge.

Authorities say Deputy James Louis Anderson Jr. was headed to work in his patrol car in January when the defendant- who was driving in the wrong direction on a state highway – crashed head-on into the deputy. Anderson died shortly after the crash.

A blood test showed the suspect to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.158 percent, almost double the legal limit.

On occasion pleading guilty to lessen the charge as this man did is a good idea, but rarely. Because of how difficult it is to prove DUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide it’s almost always worth it to fight the charge.

Arrested in Jacksonville?

If you have been accused of drunk driving or a related criminal offense in Jacksonville you may be surprised at what we can achieve for you. With over 100 years combined experience, our attorneys know what it takes to overcome a Florida DUI charge. Contact a Jacksonville drunk driving lawyer at our firm today:

Duval County Office
841 Prudential Drive, 12th Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 904-610-6545

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A Florida Highway Patrol trooper who’s being reviewed about whether he gave an off-duty Jacksonville police officer involved in a crash special treatment has had a nearly spotless record for the past 29 years, according to his file.

The officer’s file is full of accommodations and letters praising his work.

The officer was dispatched to the accident in March involving Officer Lennell Boyer, who police later determined was drunk. The officer let Boyer go with only a careless driving citation because he said he didn’t think Boyer was drunk, even though the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police officers who first responded to the crash said Boyer was banging on a police car window, yelling, screaming, urinating on a police car floor and calling dispatch over and over.

The incident is being reviewed by FHP.

According to the officer’s file, he’s been involved in two accidents in his career.

Other things, however, that he was involved in include an incident in 2005 when a murder suspect from Tennessee was loose on Interstate 95. A passenger in the car held a gun up to another passenger and then aimed at police. One of those troopers was the officer, who was able to work with the team and calm down the suspect, which led to her arrest. The driver of the car was killed.

A letter from headquarters says his quick, alert and calm actions paid off that day.

And in relation to the wildfires in 2007, the officer was given a commendation for his help with residents and motorists along Interstate 10. He also has received several letters from motorists who said he has helped them when they broke down, and one even recommended he become Trooper of the Year.

The officer, who is now retired, said in a phone interview that he is proud of his record and he wishes he could apologize for the incident with the JSO officer.

For Now FHP continues their investigation, and the officer said the FHP has not yet contacted him about it.

If you are ever pulled over in suspicion of DUI (or involved in a suspected DUI related crash) don’t expect special treatment! Sometimes police will even charge a civilian DUI suspect without having enough evidence to do so in the first place. It is because of this that hiring a DUI attorney to protect your rights and fight for your freedom is essential when charged with Florida DUI. If you would like to learn about beating a drunk driving charge in Florida we welcome you to contact a Jacksonville drunk driving lawyer at our firm for a free and confidential consultation.

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Musca Law truly is Jacksonville’s best DUI law firm. If you have been charged call them at 904-610-6545 to schedule a free and confidential consultation today.

Free Consultation: 904-610-6545

Being charged with a Jacksonville DUI, for many, is an extremely stressful experience. The uncertainty of what is to come and the fear of being forced to pay insanely high fines makes this understandable. However, a DUI lawyer at our firm can make this a much less stressful time in your life.

Whatever occurred at the time of your arrest we are sure to be able to help. If you failed a breathalyzer, failed sobriety tests, admitted your guilt, etc. none of this necessarily makes you guilty. Because police often make mistakes when arresting those suspected of DUI, things of this nature can often be taken from evidence if a proper investigation (leave this to us) of your arrest is conducted in a timely fashion.

Best Jacksonville DUI attorneys

If you are serious about beating your Jacksonville DUI or related criminal charge you should waste no time contact a Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer at our firm. You may be pleasantly surprised at what our firm can achieve for you. To illustrate this point we post our case results online.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer was suspended for four weeks after an internal investigation upheld charges including unbecoming conduct related to a March traffic crash.

Charges of commission of conduct supporting criminal acts – D.U.I. with property damage; and unbecoming conduct against the officer were upheld, according to an JSO internal affairs report released today.

The officer was not charged with D.U.I., but told internal affairs he was drinking prior to the accident, according to the report.

The suspension was a result of a traffic crash involving the officer in his personal car on March 7.  Breath alcohol tests taken at the scene showed that he blew a .122 and .128, over the .08 legal limit, but those results could not be used against him criminally because of Garrity rights for police officers.
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If you have been charged with DUI in Jacksonville you are probably feeling confused about what the criminal justice system has in store for you. Those suspected of Florida DUI commonly lose their license unnecessarily (because they fail to schedule a hearing with the DMV), plead guilty to their charge unaware they could have fought and beat it and simply don’t realize what a DUI attorney can do for them. I’m here to tell you the first step you need to take after being charged with drunk driving in Jacksonville is scheduling a free consultation with a lawyer before it’s too late.

All the above mistakes can most likely be avoided by just contacting an attorney within a timely manor after your arrest. A good lawyer will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your arrest and determine, based on his or her experience, what steps need to be taken in pursuit of justice for you.

If you are serious about beating your charge we welcome you to contact us for a free and confidential consultation either in person or by phone. However, as stated above we ask you do so ASAP. This is because the earlier we get involved, the better shot we have at succeeding with your case. Contact a Jacksonville DUI lawyer at Musca Law today:

Duval County Office
841 Prudential Drive, 12th Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 904-610-6545 – Free Consultation!

Have you been charged with drunk driving in Duval County, Florida? If so, we may be able to help you!

Although it may see as if your DUI case is open and shut and you should plead guilty, that is most likely far from the truth. By investigating your DUI arrest and anzlyzing the prosectuion’s case, winning nearly every Florida drunk driving case is not only a chance, but a high probablility. When it comes to choosing an attorney you want our experienced and aggressive defense representation on your side. Your freedom is too important to trust to inexperienced lawyers.

Call our Duval County DUI attorneys at 904-610-6545 to see how we can help you.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The now retired trooper who investigated a crash involving a JSO Officer who later admitted to driving drunk defended the Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation.

Free Consultation: 904-610-6545

Stanley Petty told First Coast News that he did not administer a field sobriety test to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer Lenell Boyer because he did not see any signs that Boyer may have been driving impaired.

Boyer was suspended for one month without pay and was transferred to another department after the March 7 crash.

A blood alcohol test administered by Boyer’s supervisor after the Florida Highway Patrol finished its investigation revealed Boyer was over the legal limit when, while off-duty, he drove his personal car into the back of a street sweeping vehicle on I-95.

Due to Garrity Laws, JSO could not criminally charge Boyer with DUI.  FHP acted as the investigative agency in the case, and according to a JSO internal report, police officers told the FHP trooper on scene that Boyer may have been under the influence.

Stanley Petty said he was working the midnight shift for the Florida Highway Patrol when he got the call to respond to the crash.
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