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Leyritz Ignition Interlock Malfunctions

Jim Leyritz, the former Yankees baseball player, is out of jail as he awaits a September trial for DUI Manslaughter. According to law enforcement officials, Leyritz and the driver of the vehicle with which his own collided were both intoxicated, says Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer William Moore. The accident occurred late at night, as the female driver, a 30-year-old mother, was driving home from her bartending job at a local steakhouse. She died as a result of the accident. Witnesses told police investigators that Leyritz ran the red light, causing the car crash. Leyritz has consistently disputed that the accident was his fault, pointing to the victim’s driving record and her previous instances of driving under the influence of alcohol. In fact, forensic evidence seriously complicates the case: the victim’s blood alcohol concentration, like Leyritz’s, was apparently in excess of the 0.08 percent level at which impairment is presumed by Florida law. The victim’s BAC was actually notably higher than Leyritz’s, the investigation concluded.

Since the accident in December 2007, Leyritz has reportedly obsessed over the details of the accident, withdrawn from the community, stopped his charity work, and run out of money. Now out on bond, he is forbidden from consuming alcoholic beverages and, although he is currently allowed to drive, he can do so only with an ignition interlock device attached to his vehicle. The device, which is frequently used on the cars of DUI suspects and DUI offenders, requires Leyritz to blow into it in order to start his car. Ignition interlock devices have been particularly lauded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and similar groups, which believe that widespread use of the devices could stamp out drunk driving entirely. Broward DUI attorney William Moore, however, believes there is a significant problem with their usage: they are not always accurate, as Leyritz’s recent experiences have demonstrated.

Last month, Leyritz tried to start his car to leave the home of his former wife, with whom he shares custody of their three boys. He blew into the ignition interlock device, which registered a reading indicating that he had been consuming alcohol. Leyritz, who had not been drinking, became distraught. A second try yielded the result he was looking for, but the damage was done: the device notifies authorities that the car’s owner has been consuming alcohol.

Leyritz was eventually cleared. He submitted two separate urine samples, both of which confirmed what he already professed: he had not been drinking. The ignition interlock device apparently malfunctioned. Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney William Moore believes that this is a serious problem. Leyritz’s case was publicized due to his fame – but how often does this situation occur, where an ignition interlock device or a breathalyzer incorrectly points the finger at someone who is innocent? In a state like Florida, where a person can be convicted of DUI just on the basis of the breath test reading, the possibility is frightening.

Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney William Moore provides outstanding DUI defense in Broward, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Lauderdale-Dade Counties. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer William Moore, P.A.

This article should be used for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice nor as implied representation of any person.

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