West Virginia Criminal Law Blog

As reported in the Charleston Gazette today, Charleston lawyer, Roger Wolfe, who is a “senior labor and employment lawyer” with Jackson Kelly, was arrested on suspicion of DUI on June 17, 2007. Apparently he was taken to the South Charleston state police “barracks” (again, why do cops like to pretend that they are some type of pseudo-military), and when he smiled at a female trooper, she told him that she would wipe that smile off his face, and had a male cohort take him into an adjoining room. He was beaten so fiercely that he leaked cranial fluid out of his nose.

Then, as if to add insult to injury, the emergency room doctor allowed a trooper to come in and question him while he was in-and-out of consciousness, in order to cover their tracks. For instance, he was supposedly asked, “when you were speaking with the female trooper, do you remember trying to kiss her?” and “how did you get that knot on your head.” If all he had was a knot on his head, then why was he in the emergency room? And why did he spend a week in the hospital with “potentially life-threatening injuries?” What if he did try to kiss her? Is that worth the man’s cranial fluid on the floor? I would hope that other female law enforcement officers are embarrassed and ashamed of this…

Good luck to Mr. Wolfe. The sad thing is that had this guy not been a lawyer with a powerful firm, probably nobody would believe him. This matter better be under investigation by the state, and by the feds. These crooked cops deserve to be stripped of their badges and locked up with their prior arrestees.

You can read the full article here.

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

A troubling trend is emerging in West Virginia. According to my own experience, and to those of some of my colleagues, State agencies, such as ABC (alcohol beverage control commission) are beginning to become actively involved in criminal cases, such as by trying to assist law enforcement in obtaining statements from suspects or defendants.

For instance, if someone who has an alcohol license is charged with a crime, they will suspend the alcohol license in “the interest of public safety.” Then, to get it back, they request a statement of why you are innocent of the charges. Undoubtedly that statement would end up right in the prosecutor’s file and would be used against you at trial. And if you don’t give the statement, your license remains suspended and you lose the income with which you were depending on to pay for your defense. Many times, the crime charged doesn’t have anything to do with selling alcohol or actual safety of the general public, they are just hassling you. And they can. Your only recourse is to request a hearing before the ABC Commissioner, and then to appeal that decision to the Kanawha County Circuit Court, and then to the WV Supreme Court of Appeals. By the time an arbitrary decision is overturned, you have gone out of business.

Something else they have been doing: if someone is charged with a crime involving consuming alcohol - for instance DUI, they will request the persons help in obtaining information on the establishment where the alcohol was bought or consumed. They trick you into believing that by helping them find out information about this establishment, that it will help your case, or that it will remain confidential. In reality, the statement gets forwarded to the investigating officer or prosecutor that same day.

Moral of the story? If you have been charged with a crime, or even investigated regarding a crime, keep you mouth shut and call a lawyer.

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

I reported on the new West Virginia DUI statute in a previous post, which can be found here. I previously reported that the effective date would be June 1, 2008. From what I have heard from other attorneys, and from the WV Supreme Court, the effective date will actually be June 6, 2008.

This means that if you get arrested for DUI on or after June 6, 2008, then the new law will govern your case.

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

In case you didn’t know, this is the most popular weekend for police to perform DUI checkpoints. According to the Register-Herald, the Beckley -area police are all ganging up to conduct a “DUI saturation sting.” Of course, nobody wants drunk drivers on our roads. The problem is that this makes it extremely easy for innocent people to get caught in their traps.

Beckley Police Sgt. Paul Blume, director of the program, says extra officers from the Beckley, Mabscott and Sophia police departments, as well as from the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and State Police, will be out in full force until 4 a.m. Saturday, concentrating on drunk driving patrols.

Blume said although the heaviest DUI concentration will be tonight there will be extra patrols throughout the holiday weekend. In addition to the DUI patrols, extra officers enforcing the annual Click it or Ticket campaign will be on the roads looking for seatbelt violations. Although Blume says Memorial Day ranks at or near the top of the deadliest holidays of the year, there are things travelers can do to help keep themselves and others safe.

“If you’re going to drink, designate a driver,” he said. “Most people know in advance if they’re going to be consuming alcohol. Be smart enough to designate a driver and have someone else drive you.

That certainly is good advice. The best advice however, is probably to stay home this weekend, if possible. Between the drunk drivers, and the cops looking for drunk drivers, you’ll be lucky to make it home in one piece.

You can read the full article here.

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

The following article was written by a Florida DUI lawyer about how to, and how not to, undertake a breath test during a DUI stop or arrest - which was forwarded to me by a colleague in Florida. Obviously, I cannot vouch for its scientific accuracy, so take it for what its worth:

“Stop breathalyzer abuse: Seems that they don’t tell you everything whey they tell you to blow into the machine… ”

By Tom Hudson

The last thing I want to do is to tell drunk drivers how to “beat” the Intoxilyzer. But I am tired of seeing the police misuse the Intoxilyzer to beat up on the citizenry. So the following advice is how to get the Intoxilyzer to measure exactly what it’s supposed to measure: Your breath alcohol. And if it does that, you will probably be under the legal limit.

The police are trained to operate the Intoxilyzer. They take a 24 hour course, and are awarded a certificate that says that they are trained to be “breath test operators” under Florida law. I’ve taken that course, and have one of those certificates.

When the police are trained, they are instructed to tell the subject to “keep blowing until the tone stops.” In reality, you cannot keep blowing until the tone stops. Why not? Because the tone doesn’t stop until you are out of breath. It is a trick, to try to get you to blow out your deep lung air. Why are the police taught to do that? It turns out that the last fraction of a second of the breath is all that the Intoxilyzer measures.

Your “vital capacity” is the amount of air you can exhale from a full inward breath until you cannot blow any more. The lungs of a healthy human being have a typical “vital capacity” of around four and a half liters. That’s 4,500 milliliters. The breath chamber of the Intoxilyzer 8000 is approximately 31 milliliters. In other words, the breath machine measures less than the last 1% of your breath. (Actually the last .6%)

They are measuring only the last 1% of your breath!. That would be fine if the last 1% were a representative sample of your breath alcohol.

But it’s not.

The last 1% of your breath contains the highest alcohol concentration of your entire breath. By telling you to blow until you are out of breath, and measuring only the last 1%, the standard instructions for the Intoxilyzer can overestimate your breath alcohol by as much as 400%.

400%!

So how do you stop the police from overestimating your breath alcohol? Two steps. Remember this: Three and Two. That’s the number “3″ and then the number “2″.

Step One. Take 3 deep breaths before you blow. If you hyperventilate three times before you blow into the machine, you will reduce your breath alcohol by as much as 55%. This occurs for two reasons. First, the breaths cool off your lungs. When the lung tissues are cooler, less alcohol goes from liquid form into vapor. The result is a lower breath alcohol. Second, the breaths clear out the alcohol from your lungs, filling them with fresh air. Find out more in this scholarly article.

(By the way, the reverse is also true. If you hold your breath for a few seconds before you blow, your breath alcohol will be increased. So whatever you do, DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH before you blow into the machine!!)

Step Two. Blow out HALF of your breath and STOP. Half of a breath is all that you need to give a valid sample under the Florida protocols. The Intoxilyzer 8000 requires only 1.1 liters of breath to register as “adequate volume.” Blowing the minimum required can reduce your measurement by another 30%. How does it do that? By avoiding that alcohol-saturated “deep lung air” that the police are trained to test. The statutes do not tell them to test “deep lung air.” The statutes tell them to test “breath.” So why do they test “deep lung air” instead? Because that’s where the most alcohol is! It is a fraud, plain and simple!

So….. does this work?

I have personally, after a few drinks (all in the name of science, mind you) blown into an Intoxilyzer and obtained a reading of .099. That is over the legal limit. About three minutes later, I took my own advice and blew into the Intoxilyzer after three deep breaths. And blew only half of my breath. The result? A breath test reading of .028.

There you have it. The 3-2 Rule. You can blow an adequate sample under Florida law, and not allow the police to skew your sample so it looks higher than it really is. Sometimes blowing smart is a lot better than refusing to blow at all.

But even with all of this knowledge, the best way to avoid a DUI is not to drink and drive. Period.”

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

From the Charleston Gazette today:

Nicholas County’s prosecuting attorney was charged with DUI on Sunday after wrecking his car in a single vehicle accident in Webster County. Mark Hudnall was elected Nicholas County prosecutor in 2004 by a narrow margin over James “P.K.” Milam. He is running for re-election this year, and faces Milam and Keith W. McMillion in the Democratic primary next month.

What a poor decision to make generally, but on the eve of an election? Being the elected prosecutor of a county, and charged with the duty to prosecute individuals for violations of the law, including DUI, he ought to make a public comment in the next day or so - either apologizing or proclaiming his absolute innocence (in which case it better be the truth). In any event, what a lucky break for his Democratic opponent.

Read the full article here.

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

From the Register-Herald:

Drunk drivers with .15+ BAC to face harsher penalties June 1

Law also erases mandatory 24-hour lockup, can reduce license suspension to 15 days

By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter

A year-long movement to punish drunken motorists with a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher with harsher penalties and encourage others to use an Interlock before they can start a vehicle becomes law in June.

Gov. Joe Manchin made it official Tuesday by signing SB535, the result of an intense research and lobbying effort by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers in West Virginia.

With West Virginia’s passage of the revised DUI statute, only 11 states are without a law that creates the “aggravated” crime of operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .15 or higher.

Another feature allows first-time offenders blowing a BAC of less than that level to have their licenses reinstated in 15 days, in lieu of the standard 30-day suspension, provided they install an Interlock, a device that prevents an ignition from starting if alcohol is detected when the driver blows into it.

A third element erases the mandatory 24-hour lockup for those with a BAC under .15, thus saving cities and counties some money on inmates sent to regional jails.

“We are very happy to see this finally come to fruition,” MADD’s state director, Donna Hawkins, said Tuesday after Manchin’s decision was announced.

“Very much so. I think it’s going to save lives. It’s definitely going to be a very positive law for West Virginia.”

In the House of Delegates, all provisions were retained, except for one in the Senate version that called for mandatory BAC tests on suspected drunken drivers in accidents that result in deaths or serious injuries.

Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, a Charleston surgeon and the chief sponsor of the Senate version, had no difficulties accepting this single change in his proposal.

For aggravated DUI, the mandatory penalty calls for two days to six months in jail. Hawkins said her group wanted to focus on this key provision in going after motorists with higher blood alcohol levels since they are responsible for the most carnage.

Two years ago, the most recent one for which statistics are available, drunken drivers caused 129 deaths and were blamed in accidents causing 2,600 non-fatal injuries.

Hawkins said the movement led chiefly by MADD began across the nation about a decade ago to crack down on motorists in an aggravated DUI category.

For most of last year, Hawkins personally led a series of meetings as director of an ad hoc committee of lawmakers, prosecutors, police officials and the Division of Motor Vehicles, working in tandem with a legislative interims panel.

“There were a lot of meetings, a lot of hours,” she said.

MADD was a chief proponent in lowering the BAC from the old standard of .10 to .08 to be declared intoxicated.

Manchin plans to conduct a ceremony April 10 with MADD officials, including its national director, Glynn Birch, and Hawkins.

In advance of the bill formally becoming law, Hawkins plans to tour the state to meet with law enforcement and DMV officials, raising public awareness about it and demonstrating how the Interlocks work.

“We’re going into different communities and talk about this new law and what it’s going to do,” she said.

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com

From today’s Register-Herald:

Prosecutor: Bus driver’s alcohol level was higher than field test showed

– MONROE COUNTY

By Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald Reporter

UNION — Medical tests have revealed the blood alcohol level of a Monroe County school bus driver charged with DUI following an accident in February was considerably higher than his preliminary on-scene breath test, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Clyde Watson Jr., 62, of Union, appeared briefly before Monroe County Magistrate Nancy Crews for a pre-trial hearing and was represented by Gap Mills lawyer Geoffrey Wilcher.

State Police charged the 14-year veteran school bus driver with DUI with minors in a vehicle after he crashed his school bus down a 120-foot ravine with 11 children aboard on Feb. 5.

School officials said Watson over-corrected his steering after running off the right side of the road and then slammed through a telephone pole before plunging down the ravine and finally coming to rest over a small creek. No children were injured in the accident.

County Prosecutor Rod Mohler told Crews a “plea agreement has been offered” to Watson which allows the defendant to plead guilty “as charged.”

“Based on Mr. Watson’s years of community service, the state will not object and would be willing to agree to the minimum sentence and fine,” Mohler said. “I think Mr. Watson wants to take some additional time to think over what has been offered and the state will not object.”

Two days after the accident, Watson apologized for his actions in a letter to the school board and also tendered his resignation. In the letter, Watson said he had “hit rock bottom” the morning of the accident and had “an ongoing alcohol problem.”

Mohler’s case against Watson was strengthened greatly after the defendant’s blood test showed a .093 BAC level nearly two hours after the accident.

A preliminary breath test at the scene indicated a relatively low level of alcohol, about .022. Preliminary tests cannot be used as evidence in a trial. However, a blood test can be used as evidence and Watson’s new BAC is higher than the state’s .08 legal limit. After a person’s BAC level reaches .08, a driver is “presumed to be impaired” under West Virginia law. A state CDL regulation requires drivers to be under .04.

Watson did not speak and quickly exited through the back door of the magistrate’s office with family members after the five-minute hearing.

Mohler called the new BAC reading “substantial” and said it puts to rest other issues that previously were raised concerning the accident. At the time of his arrest, Watson told police he had taken the cold medicine Nyquil, which contains alcohol, the night before the accident. Mohler had previously indicated the defendant may also have been diabetic.

“This also takes any health issues out of the picture as the cause of the accident,” Mohler told The Register-Herald after the hearing.

Crews tentatively scheduled another hearing in 30 days. If convicted, Watson faces two days to 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

— E-mail: cgiggenbach@register-herald.com

From the Beckley Register-Herald:

House geared to vote on amended DUI bill

Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — A proposed update in West Virginia’s drunken driving law exited a key House panel with one alteration that proponents say is acceptable.

Omitted was a provision in the Senate version that would have mandated blood alcohol tests of any motorist suspected of being drunk after a fatal highway accident.

Donna Hawkins, head of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in West Virginia who spearheaded the legislation, wanted to see the Senate bill left intact.

But Hawkins said Wednesday she was assured by House Judiciary Chairwoman Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha, that she would draft a bill for the 2009 session to deal with such testing.

A House vote on the revised bill is expected Friday.

“I have no problem with it,” Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, said.

Foster was pleased the House panel didn’t tamper with the major components, led by a new offense of “aggravated DUI” for motorists with a BAC of .15 or above. For them, Interlocks attached to vehicles to test a driver’s breath for alcohol would be mandatory.

First-time offenders would have the option of using Interlocks, and the incentive built in the measure would cut in half their license suspension from the existing 30-day period.

A third key element eliminates the mandatory 24-hour lockup for first-time offenders with a BAC of .08 to .149 as a cost-cutting step for counties, many of which are struggling to pay regional jail costs.

Existing practice allows counties to be charged the per diem rate of $48.50 (due to be cut by 97 cents in July) twice since an offender can be jailed a few hours, then returned after going before a magistrate.

Jail costs are swallowing up much of some county budgets. Last year, for instance, Raleigh County was billed more than $2.5 million for keeping inmates at Southern Regional Jail.

“The main points of our legislation are in there,” said Foster, who worked closely most of last year with an ad hoc committee anchored by Hawkins while lawmakers prepared a bill in tandem during the interims.

“I’m convinced it will save lives. And also, it will save resources for the state as well. It’s a good combination.”

From the Beckley Register-Herald:

Panel advances DUI measure with ‘aggravated’ clause

Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — Nearly a year in the making, a revision of West Virginia’s drunken driving law that punishes motorists with a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher exited the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday with its blessing.

Another key element seeks to provide counties and cities with relief from regional jail costs by eliminating the mandatory 24-hour term that now results in “double bookings” that cost $48.50 per diem.

A third provision lets first-time offenders choose to install Interlocks to see if they have ingested any alcohol — regardless of BAC — and if any is present, the ignition won’t start.

By electing to use Interlocks, first-time offenders can cut in half the current 30-day license suspension.

For anyone blowing a BAC of at least .15, the crime would be considered “aggravated DUI” and Interlocks would be mandatory. So is a jail term running from two days to six months.

“It’s a very important bill in terms of safety, as well as for courts and municipalities,” said Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, the key sponsor.

“For me as a physician, safety is the most important part. We’re into the technology age now. We’ve reached the point where we can’t get any farther down in terms of deaths and injuries. This is a start.”

Donna Hawkins, state director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, spearheaded last year’s interims drive and anchored a special ad hoc committee that worked in tandem with lawmakers.

In 2006, the last year that statistics are available, drunken motorists killed 129 people in West Virginia and were blamed in 2,600 non-fatal injuries.

“This is a historical, landmark piece of legislation for West Virginia,” she said.

“This is going to save lives. It’s going to get offenders back on the road quicker. It’s going to save on regional jail costs. It has a lot of great elements in it.”

While no hard figures were available on potential jail savings, Hawkins pointed out as many as 7,000 first-time offenders are jailed each year.

MADD preferred to see mandatory use of Interlocks for first-time offenders with a BAC of .08 to .149, she said, “but at the same time, there is a great incentive in this legislation for those with low BAC levels.”

Committee counsel advised one panelist, Sen. Jesse Guills, R-Greenbrier, that any vehicle used by a convicted drunken driver must be equipped with the Interlock to stay in the program.

And another member, Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, was told that alcohol in a driver’s system will prompt the Interlock to prevent a vehicle from starting.

“There’s really no tolerance,” Foster said.

Hawkins said her group was pleased to see West Virginia move closer to the “aggravated DUI” law. One provision calls for a 45-day license suspension for such offenders, followed by 270 days on the Interlocks.

“Those are the offenders that are true problem drinkers and cause the majority of fatalities in West Virginia,” she added.

From the Beckley Register-Herald:

Bus driver’s pre-trial hearing continued

Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald Reporter

A pre-trial hearing in the case of a Monroe County school bus driver charged with DUI has been continued until March 10 because his court-appointed lawyer asked to be dismissed from the case, officials said Tuesday.

Clyde Watson Jr., 62, of Union, was scheduled to appear Tuesday before Monroe Magistrate Nancy Crews, but his court-appointed lawyer, Jeff Rodgers of Lewisburg, filed a motion to recuse himself, according to court documents.

The reason for the recusal request was not given in the document, and Rodgers was not available for immediate comment Tuesday.

Watson, a 14-year veteran bus driver, was charged with DUI while transporting minors after he crashed his bus into a ravine with 11 children on board Feb. 4. A preliminary breath test indicated Watson had a small amount of alcohol in his system, .022.

About a week later, Watson apologized to the community and board members in a letter given to schools Superintendent Lyn Guy in which he admitted to an ongoing alcohol problem and being impaired the day of the bus crash. The school board held an emergency meeting the following Monday and announced in a brief news release that Watson had resigned.

However, after obtaining both of Watson’s letters through a Freedom of Information Act request, The Register-Herald learned Watson did not resign his position, but rather the letter stated he was “retiring effective immediately.”

When asked about the discrepancy Tuesday, Guy said Watson could not make up his mind on whether to resign his position or retire and he chose to retire after learning he risked some benefits if he quit his job.

“He told me he was going to lose some of his benefits if he was fired, so I wrote the news release as a resignation,” Guy said by phone Tuesday. “We had already set up a termination letter and had a termination hearing scheduled. I don’t know if it makes too much difference. My goal was to make sure that he never drove another bus again.”

If convicted, Watson faces two days to 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

— E-mail:

cgiggenbach@register-herald.com

From the Beckley Register-Herald:

DUI bill taking minor detour to Finance Committee subpanel for study

By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — A year-long effort to encourage the use of Interlocks to test the sobriety of drivers and punish more harshly those with a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher ran into a temporary detour Thursday.

Mindful of the complex nature of the bill, Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas, decided to dish it off to a three-member subpanel.

Donna Hawkins, state president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the prime mover of the bill that consumed a year of interims study and work by an ad hoc panel she directed, was visibly disappointed by the delay.

But Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, who keyed the push for the bill in the Legislature, didn’t mind that a panel composed of Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, Education Chairman Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, and Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, would study it further.

“I don’t object to that,” Foster said afterward. “They want to look at the financial aspects.

“It’s a complicated bill. I think the tenor of comments we heard from the other members of the committee indicated they will move on it.”

The idea is cut from 30 days to 15 the length of a license suspension of first-time offenders who voluntarily install the Interlock, a device that measures BAC and won’t let one start if it’s too high.

“We’re going to run the bill,” Chafin promised. “We want to understand the bill more clearly. Obviously, it’s a big issue in West Virginia. We’ve got jails full, and prisons.”

In the so-called “aggravated DUI” category of .15 or above, motorists would spend a mandatory jail term of two days to six months and be fined from $200 to $1,000. A license could be revoked for up to 270 days.

Another aspect that makes it attractive to counties struggling to pay regional jail costs wipes out the mandatory 24-hour lockup for first-time offenders.

“What actually happens now, individuals are brought into a holding cell to see a magistrate, and that could be two hours or 10 to 12 hours,” Foster told the panel.

“Then they will see a magistrate who can decide whether they stay 24 hours or not, or is free to leave. Before, they had to go back and finish up the 24 hours.”

And that, he emphasized, amounts to double booking for the same offense, meaning a county has to shell out twice for the same individual.

Hawkins told the panel she has no problem with eliminating the 24-hour mandatory sentence in existing law.

“We think this is an excellent bill,” the Charleston resident said. “We fully support this piece of legislation. We think it will save lives.”

In 2006, the last year figures were available, drunken drivers were blamed in 129 deaths and some 2,500 non-fatal injuries.

“What we have found with MADD is that jail time alone is not the deterrent,” she said.

“We believe the Interlock provision in this bill will help save lives. And it gets the offender back on the road faster. It allows them to provide for families. And it will also save on regional jail costs, which we know is a big concern.”

Note: It appalls me that I received criticism for being “mean” when this man receives nothing but excuses for his behavior. The facts are these: He drank, he drove a school bus filled with children, he drove the school bus off a 120 foot cliff, he lied and said he drank Nyquil, he lied and said he had a medical problem, then he finally admits the truth. Well, words are cheap. Trust me, many people facing criminal charges have the innate ability to sound extremely sorry and remorseful for what they have done. In the following news article, his written apology is quoted. However, it looks to me like one of those apologies that is not really an apology. In other words, “I’m sorry but it wasn’t me - it was the alcohol making my decisions for me.” He should take real responsibility for his actions and come to grips with the fact that he did make a “knowing” choice. He selfishly chose alcohol over the safety of the innocent children who he was entrusted to protect. Both he, the Board of Education and the State of West Virginia better pray that none of these children have been injured - John H. Bryan, Attorney at Law.

From today’s Register-Herald:

Bus driver resigns, admits drinking problem

By Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald Reporter

Saying “I hit rock bottom,” a veteran Monroe County school bus driver arrested last week on a DUI charge has resigned after admitting to having “a problem with alcohol.”

Clyde Watson Jr., 62, of Union, tendered his resignation to Superintendent Lyn Guy Saturday, and Guy presented it to the school board during a special session Monday evening.

“Mr. Watson, who was involved in the bus accident on Feb. 5, 2008, and was charged with DUI, had written a letter of apology to the board president, the superintendent and the transportation director Feb. 7, two days after the accident,” Guy said Tuesday in a faxed news release.

In the letter, Watson admitted to having an ongoing alcohol problem, according to Guy.

“It has been through the constant support and encouragement of my closest friends, for the first time in years, I’m willing to admit to myself that I have a problem with alcohol,” Watson wrote. “As difficult as that was for me, it is even more difficult to admit to each of you.”

Guy could not be reached for further comment Tuesday. School officials said Guy will be absent for the rest of the week due to an out-of-state conference for superintendents.

Watson, a school bus driver for 14 years, crashed his 33-foot-long bus into a 120-foot ravine with 11 school children aboard Feb. 5. There were no injuries.

“I hit rock bottom Tuesday morning (Feb. 5). I can’t change the fact that I committed a great moral and ethical injustice, and risked the lives of many,” Watson said in his apology letter.

“What I can change is my life and the direction it was headed in before those kids got on my bus … It is with heavy heart that I can tell you that at no time would I have knowingly put my kids at risk. I did, however, let the influence of alcohol unfortunately impair my judgment.

Watson was charged with DUI with minors in a vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed by State Police Sgt. J.L. Cooper.

At the scene, Watson had a preliminary breath test which indicated a small amount of alcohol was present in his blood, about .022.

Watson told police he had taken Nyquil, which contains alcohol, the night before the accident.

Cooper said Tuesday he will contact the Monroe prosecutor’s office concerning Watson’s alcohol admission and resignation to the school board.

“He has already given us a statement saying he did not drink during the day of the accident,” Cooper said Tuesday. “If Mr. Watson wishes to revise his statement, then I will be glad to speak to him.”

Monroe Prosecutor Rod Mohler could not be reached for comment Tuesday. State Police are awaiting the results of Watson’s blood tests from a hospital visit the day of the accident, Cooper said.

Although a driver is presumed intoxicated by the state when his or her blood alcohol content is .08, police can charge a driver with DUI at lower BAC levels if the consumption of alcohol has impaired his or her ability to drive.

If convicted, Watson faces two days to 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

School board member Bill Shiflet said a disciplinary hearing had originally been scheduled for Monday prior to Watson’s resignation.

A Register-Herald request for a full copy of Watson’s resignation and apology letter was denied by school officials.

School officials also said Watson had an unlisted phone number. It is uncertain if Watson has hired an attorney to represent him in the criminal case.

Shiflet said Watson’s letters did not specifically mention what type or how much alcohol he had consumed prior to taking the wheel of the bus.

When asked what liability Watson’s actions may have caused the county, Shiflet was unsure.

“It’s a very tragic event and we are very thankful that no one was injured,” Shiflet said by phone. “It certainly could have been a lot worse than it was.”

Yet another update regarding the Monroe County School Bus DUI Case: a well-known local citizen approached me on the street this morning and criticized my comments regarding the driver of the now-infamous DUI School Bus as being too harsh.

See update here.

From today’s Register-Herald:

Note: The latter half of this article contains a very informative recitation of what the DUI laws are in the State of West Virginia. West Virginia is one of the states that allow a conviction if the BAC result is .08 or greater (solely based on the BAC result). Other states, such as North Carolina focus more on whether or not the person was intoxicated, regardless of what the BAC reading was. However, these states do use the BAC reading (from the intoxilyzer machine, not the field preliminary breath tests) as evidence that the person was intoxicated. Guilt is shown mostly by the officer’s testimony regarding the defendant’s performance in the field sobriety tests, and regarding the quality of driving that took place immediately prior to the stop. Having formerly prosecuted DUI’s (DWI’s) in Raleigh North Carolina, I have witnessed defendant’s acquitted despite having BAC results of .12 and .13 - well above the legal limit of .08 - because the judge was convinced the person was not “impaired” despite the high BAC reading. - John H. Bryan, West Virginia criminal defense attorney.

See UPDATE here.

Bus accident, arrest throw the spotlight on DUI laws

By Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald Reporter

A school bus accident in Monroe County last week and the subsequent arrest of the driver on a DUI charge has thrown a spotlight on the state’s drunken driving laws.

Almost everyone knows West Virginia’s legal limit for driving under the influence is a blood-alcohol content of .08.

But few understand exactly what .08 means legally and why a person can be charged and convicted for drunken driving with BAC levels that are much lower.

State Police charged Clyde Watson Jr., 62, of Union, with DUI while transporting minors after the bus he was driving crashed down a 120-foot ravine last Tuesday. Eleven children were on the bus, but no one was injured.

Police said Watson had a .022 level of alcohol, well below the .08 limit. Watson told police he had taken Nyquil, an over-the-counter cold medicine that contains alcohol, the night before, and Monroe Prosecutor Rod Mohler said later in the week “there are some issues that need to be explored regarding whether (Watson) might be a diabetic and how alcohol of any amount would affect his system and be shown on a breath test.” Watson told police he felt “funny” just before the accident.

Monroe school officials said Watson previously had a spotless 14-year safety record.

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The Register-Herald asked Charleston defense attorney Carter Zerbe to explain the state’s DUI laws, which are some of the strictest in the country.

“In West Virginia, it doesn’t matter if you are intoxicated or not,” said Zerbe, who has been defending DUI clients for 20 years. “A person could have a BAC level of .08 and not be drunk, but if it’s at that level, or above, you are guilty of a crime regardless.”

Zerbe said the law is known as the “per se” law and a person can be convicted of DUI even if the person shows no outward signs of intoxication.

“Another misconception is that you have to have a scientific test in order to be convicted of DUI,” Zerbe said. “If a police officer testifies that a defendant had slurred speech, or if the person staggers while being videotaped, that can sometimes be sufficient evidence for a conviction, even when there were no blood tests or breath tests.”

Zerbe said police must first have a “reasonable suspicion” of drunken driving before pulling a car over.

Many times, a burned-out tail light or expired license plate gives an officer probable cause to stop someone, he said.

If the officer smells alcohol or observes symptoms of intoxication, the officer can request that the driver perform three field sobriety tests, which include a vision test and walking tests.

“If necessary, then the officer can administer a preliminary breath test, where a person blows into a tube,” Zerbe said.

That test is not admissible as evidence in a trial, but can give the officer probable cause to ask for a blood test or a secondary breath test, both of which can be used as evidence.

But what if your BAC level is below .08? Can you still be charged and convicted of drunken driving?

Yes, because it’s not the amount of alcohol in your system that matters, but rather how much that alcohol impairs your ability to drive, Zerbe said.

Remember, the .08 standard is used to “presume” someone is drunk; below .08, alcohol can still affect some people’s ability to drive, he said.

“You can be convicted if alcohol impairs your ability to drive,” Zerbe said, “even though your BAC is below .08.”

From today’s Beckley Register-Herald:

Bus driver’s medical condition probed

Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald Reporter

Prosecutors say they are investigating a possible medical condition with a Monroe County school bus driver charged with DUI following a bus crash involving 11 children Tuesday.

A well known Charleston DUI defense lawyer also said the bus driver should never have been charged with DUI because his preliminary breath test proved he was not intoxicated.

Monroe Prosecutor Rod Mohler told the Register-Herald on Thursday the case against Clyde Watson, Jr., 62, of Union, was moving forward with “extreme caution” because of the accident.

State Police arrested Watson and charged him with DUI while transporting minors. Watson’s bus crashed down a 120-foot ravine with 11 children aboard about 7:20 a.m. near the Monroe-Greenbrier county line. There were no injuries were reported.

“What little we know is at this point there was a trace level of alcohol in his system,” Mohler said Thursday. “Even at that low level, you can still be considered under the influence. However, there are some issues that need to be explored regarding whether (Watson) might be a diabetic and how alcohol of any amount would affect his system and be shown on a breath test.”

Watson was administered a preliminary breath test by a Greenbrier County sheriff’s deputy which found a .022 level of alcohol in his body.

Mohler said the case would be “explored fully and completely” to determine whether Watson was “criminally responsible regardless of his condition.”

A phone listing for Watson could not be found Thursday.

Watson told police he had taken Nyquil, which contains alcohol, the night before and felt “funny” just before the accident.

School officials said Watson previously had a spotless 14-year safety record as a bus driver. Superintendent Lyn Guy said Watson was suspended from his job pending the resolution of the DUI charge.

Although .08 is considered the legal limit for driving under the influence, State Police Trooper J.L. Cooper said a person can be charged with DUI for much lower levels if alcohol impairs the ability to drive.

“You have to justify that the alcohol limit caused the impairment,” Cooper said.

Barbara Allen, a deputy with the state attorney general’s office, said any driver with an “appreciable measure of alcohol” can be charged with DUI.

“Once a driver’s alcohol level reaches .08, you are presumed to be under the influence,” Allen said Thursday. “If the level of alcohol is below that, you can still be found guilty if a jury concludes based on all the facts and circumstances that your ability to drive was impaired because you were under the influence of alcohol.”

But the question remains whether Watson’s reported .022 alcohol level is enough to justify a DUI conviction, Charleston lawyer Carter Zerbe said, and whether Watson was under the influence at all the morning of the accident.

“The .022 level is so low that it is evidence in and of itself that the bus driver was not under the influence of alcohol,” Zerbe, who is among the state’s top DUI defense lawyers, said Thursday. “I don’t know what basis there was for charging this bus driver for violating that section of the law.”

Zerbe said preliminary tests are not admissible as evidence at trial. In Watson’s case, a second, more reliable test was not given because too much time had elapsed from the first breath test, according to the criminal complaint.

However, hospital records containing Watson’s blood tests are being subpoenaed to determine what levels, if any, there were of alcohol in his system, police said Wednesday.

“If the initial breath test was .022 and if it was accurate,” Zerbe said, “I would imagine the blood test will be exculpatory.”

A hearing in the case is expected to be scheduled next week. If convicted, Watson faces two days to 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

Note: The first time I read the article, I thought it said he had a .22 BAC - which is common in black-out type situations. Upon reading the updated article and re-reading the prior article, I noticed that it said “.022.” Having formerly prosecuted DUI’s in North Carolina (actually they are called DWI’s) I agree with Mr. Watson’s lawyer that there is no way this man can be charged. First of all, since he is a bus driver, he could be charged if he registered a .04 BAC. However, the preliminary field sobriety test is not admissible in court, so he could not be convicted even if the field test read over a .04 - which it didn’t. They would have to have an intoxilyzer result that is admissible - which doesn’t exist in this case. Lastly, it would not be fair to put this man before a jury when the only evidence of intoxication is the accident itself. - John H. Bryan, West Virginia criminal defense attorney.

See UPDATE here.

From today’s Beckley Register-Herald:

School bus driver faces DUI charge

Union man arrested after mishap involving 11 kids

Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald Reporter

State Police arrested a Monroe County school bus driver Tuesday and charged him with DUI after his bus, carrying 11 students, careened down an 120-foot ravine before coming to rest upright over a small creek.

Monroe Schools Superintendent Lyn Guy told The Register-Herald no children were injured in the 7:20 a.m. accident and all were rescued by EMS responders who built a rope line along the steep embankment.

Clyde Watson Jr., 62, of Union, was charged with DUI with minors in a vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed by Sgt. J.L. Cooper.

Watson, a 14-year school bus driver, was arrested at the scene prior to being transported to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Fairlea. He was later was released from custody after posting $1,000 bond in Monroe Magistrate Court.

The criminal complaint said Watson registered a preliminary blood-alcohol content of .022 at the accident scene.

“The defendant was not tested on the intoximeter due to the elapsed time of first contact with an officer,” Cooper said. “However, blood was collected at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center.”

Results of Watson’s blood tests were unknown Tuesday and Cooper could not be reached for comment.

“In his statement, the defendant advised that he had felt ‘funny’ just before the accident,” Cooper said. “He also advised that he had taken Nyquil last night.”

Although the legal limit for driving under the influence is .08, state laws allow police to charge drivers with DUI who have lower BAC levels. Monroe Prosecutor Rod Mohler could not be reached Tuesday for clarification concerning Watson’s arrest and whether there are special circumstances when minors are in the vehicle.

State CDL laws require licensed drivers to be under .04 BAC while driving, according to State Code.

Guy said Watson has been suspended from his job pending the resolution of the DUI charge. She noted he previously had a spotless record for 14 consecutive years as a bus driver. A phone number for Watson could not be found in several telephone directory listings.

If convicted, Watson faces two days to 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

Guy said seat belts are not required on school buses, but the heavily padded seats may have contributed to the children’s safety.

“None of the kids had a scratch on them,” Guy said. “The padding on the seats are heavy and kids complain about them at times because they are so tight to get into.”

The accident occurred on Highland Park Road, about two miles from U.S. 219, Guy said.

“Apparently, Mr. Watson over-corrected the steering after running off the right side of the road during his morning bus route,” she said. “The bus left the one-lane road, taking out a telephone/power pole, traveled over 120 feet down an embankment and then came to rest upright at the bottom of a ravine.”

Guy said no injuries were reported from the students, ranging in age from 5 to 16, or Watson. The first person at the scene of the accident, Guy said, was the father of two of the children on the bus. The parent was driving to work when he stopped after noticing the downed telephone pole.

“The parent went down into the ravine and got on the bus with the children and checked them out,” Guy, who was unable to identify the parent, said. “He checked out the kids and everyone seemed to be fine.”

Guy said the bus came to rest with its front wheels across a small creek. Prior to the rescue, Allegheny Power crews responded to the scene because of the downed, live power lines. The rescue could not take place until power was cut to the downed lines, Guy said.

Ronceverte Fire Chief Jody Campbell said more than 30 emergency responders aided in the children’s rescue and subsequent bus recovery. The Union and Ronceverte fire departments, Union Ambulance, Greenbrier County Ambulance, state and county police all aided in the rescue effort, he said.

“First we went in and cut a trail with power saws and we were able to get the children and they walked out of the bus under their own power,” Campbell said. “We constructed a hand rail with the ropes and individually escorted everyone up the rope line and the steep embankment.”

The children were then loaded onto an awaiting school bus and transported to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, he said.

“Within an hour and a half, all victims from the bus were transported to the hospital,” Guy said.

Campbell said the bus was not recovered from the ravine until about 2 p.m., and that required the assistance of two large wreckers. The bus sustained heavy damage to its front end and a broken windshield, he said.

The bus was transported to the county’s bus lot, where it will stay until state inspectors review it, Guy said.

Note: See UPDATE here.