The crash happened just after midnight November 14, 2010.  Maida S., 19, had a 12:30 a.m. curfew.  Maida was on her way home and only minutes away when her car was hit, and she was killed.

Police arrested 20-year-old Robert T.  He is charged with DUI and vehicular homicide.

“Somebody knock(ed) on our door at four o’clock in the morning and the horrible thing is it’s the policeman,” said Nida S., Maida’s mother.

Nida said her daughter was her best friend.  She said the 2010 Sandalwood High School graduate had big plans for her life.  She was studying to be a pharmacist.

An FHP investigative report notes that Robert’s blood alcohol level was .204.  “Why you would serve an underage alcoholic to the extent he’s almost three times the legal limit. That is shocking,” said the family’s attorney.

Nida’s attorney said Robert, a US Navy sailor, had just gotten out of rehab and was drinking at the Ali Baba Hookah bar minutes before the crash.

“If they had obeyed the law and not served an underage alcoholic drinker this accident would have never happened,” said Nida’s attorney.

Robert’s attorney told First Coast News his underage client drank at the bar numerous times.

Nida’s attorney said they have witnesses that back up that statement,  “The bar has a reputation for serving underage people,” said Nida’s.

Nida’s attorney points to Facebook postings his staff found.  One posting reads, “I hear you don’t need to be 21 to drink here.”

“The postings were numerous of, you want to drink and underage this is a place that will serve you,” said Nida’s attorney.

The bar’s manager wasn’t on site on Thursday.  First Coast News spoke to him by phone.  When asked if the bar serves underage patrons, the manager, named JJ, told us he couldn’t talk to us.

“I’m just praying to God that my daughter can save somebody’s life,” said Nida.

In a way her daughter already has.  Her parents learned their daughter was an organ donor and one her lungs is now helping someone to live.

“The person already told me that she has a very wonderful life because of my daughter’s organ,” said Nida.

Robert’s criminal case is pending.  His attorney said Robert is working with Maida’s family and that Robert plans to testify and tell what happened that night when the civil case goes to trial.

Updates as they are available.

RIP Maida – Jacksonville DUI defense lawyers

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Aaron B., 27, was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Impala near N 15th Street and E Sixth Avenue when police pulled him over, the arrest affidavit said. Police discovered Aaron’s Florida driver’s license “was very bad,” according to the affidavit.

The Florida Times-Union reported that Aaron was driving while intoxicated in 2006 and crashed on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville. One of his passengers was thrown from the vehicle and died. Another was injured. Less than two months later, Aaron was arrested again after driving away from his court hearing with his license suspended, according to news reports. Duval County court records show Aaron pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and in 2007 was sentenced to two years in state prison and five years of probation.

The sentencing included a permanent suspension of his driver’s license. On Sunday, Aaron was charged with driving with a revoked license and violating probation. He was being held without bail in the Hillsborough County jail.

Probation is a very common penalty after any DUI conviction, but a violation can start the legal process all over again, commonly sending the offender to jail and/or beginning an even longer probation sentence.

If you’ve recently been accused of DUI in Jacksonville or a surrounding area, our attorneys may be able to help you avoid a conviction or, at the very least, get your charge(s) reduced. However, we ask that you contact us in a timely manor to assure we have ample time to prepare your defense. Call 904-610-6545 now to speak with a Jacksonville DUI defense lawyer at our firm now.

Yet it still was somewhat of a break for the defendant, who scored from 13 years up to 20 years in prison under Florida’s prison sentencing guidelines following his guilty plea to DUI manslaughter last year.

Circuit Judge Karen Miller agreed to depart from those guidelines late Thursday, finding the legal reason to do so, in part that his crime was isolated and unsophisticated. She ordered him to regularly speak before student groups of the perils of impaired driving.

“I do believe he is remorseful,” the judge concluded after hours of heart-wrenching testimony from family members of the 45-year-old victim and the defendant’s family.

He was immediately handcuffed and taken into custody after being sentenced.

Assistant State Attorney Ellen Roberts, the veteran traffic homicide prosecutor, opined that remorse is much more than saying you’re sorry, it’s accepting responsibility. She doesn’t see that here.

The teen, then 17 and driving his father’s Porsche, plowed into the back of ‘s car in Palm Beach Gardens in September 2008, killing him instantly.

The crash followed a day of partying by the teen and a host of other Benjamin High School students. He ingested multiple tablets of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and drank beer. His friends, knowing he was too impaired to drive, took his keys from him.

He recovered them and chose to drive, forever altering all lives involved.

According to witnesses, he weaved the Porsche in and out of traffic, running a red light, speeding over an Intracoastal bridge and plowing into cars stopped at a red light.

The victim, while working his second job, was stopped at the light. He was found to be traveling 80 miles per hour when he struck the victim’s car.

The victim’s fatherand other relatives testified, some asking for the maximum punishment allowed by law. They recalled the victim as a dear and caring soul planning to return to Iowa to care for his elderly parents and work with disabled children.

He cycled through a trio of the county’s top criminal defense attorneys before late last year when he pleaded guilty straight up — meaning with no deal in place from prosecutors.

“Nothing compares to the pain you all are suffering” the teen said, apologizing.

RIP – Jacksonville DUI Lawyers

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The women was merging onto Interstate 10 eastbound near Interstate 295 when her pickup struck the back of a van carrying 11 people shortly after 2 a.m. almost a year ago today.

The crash caused the van to overturn and all — including four children — were injured. Moses Hughes Jr., 49, of Wildwood died. The women, who was wearing a seat belt, wasn’t harmed.

Been arrested for drunk driving in Jacksonville? If so, feel free to contact the Jacksonville DUI attorneys at Musca Law for a free consultation:

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

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Not only is the suspect charged with DUI manslaughter, but leaving the scene of an accident. Because of this she faces up to 30 years in prison opposed to 15.

Updates as they are available.

Have you been arrested for DUI in Duval County?

Don’t worry. Although I hope you aren’t charged with something as serious as DUI manslaughter you have your rights either way. If you have any questions about your Duval County or Jacksonville DUI arrest/charge give us a call at 904-610-6545. We have had great success defending those accused of DUI in Jacksonville, FL.

Della Foss, 47, was on combination of many drugs including Ambien, Xanax and Cocaine when she drove her car off the road in June 2008 and killed Mr. Sewell as he walked to work along the Trout River Bridge.

“I didn’t know Mr. Sewell, but I do know that there’s a hole in your family that can never be filled,” Foss said while crying. “For that, I want to tell you how sorry I am for what happened.”

Richard Davis, who’s engaged to Foss, said the system failed his fianceé.

“We’re very disappointed in the public defender’s office,” Davis said. “We have no belief that there’s any such thing as a fair trial in Duval County without money.”

It is believed this is the first case in the state of Florida in which someone has been convicted of DUI manslaughter due in part to Ambien.

Obviously no drunk driving charge is to be taken lightly nowadays, but penalties are even more serious if you were involved in an accident or vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you are facing DUI charges in Jacksonville or Duval County we can assist you. Whether you need help retaining your drivers license at your administrative review hearing, avoiding a DUI conviction on your record, avoiding jail time or getting an old DUI conviction expunged we have the experience and knowledge to make it happen if anyone can. However, we ask you contact us as soon as possible as our early intervention can greatly effect the results we are able to achieve.

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

I know it can be tough choosing a lawyer to represent you after a Jacksonville DUI arrest. Because of this I highly encourage you to view the success Musca Law has already had with DUI cases in Jacksonville.