Results tagged “dui”

Former Alexandria Police Chief David Baker is back in the news this week, thanks to agreeing to appear in this PSA for the DUICheckpoint campaign, a joint effort from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation. You'll recall that Baker retired from his position shortly before pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated and serving five days in jail.

There's nothing classy about driving drunk, perhaps especially when you're the Chief of Police. But former Alexandria Police Chief David Baker has at least managed to handle the aftermath of his recent DUI arrest with a healthy amount of respect for the law. After retiring from his position almost immediately following his arrest, Baker today pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, and will serve five days in jail. Baker will also lose his driver's license for a year, pay a $300 fine and attend the county's Alcohol Safety Action Program for DUI offenders. From the statement Baker released after his court hearing, via the Post: "I offer no excuses for my bad decisions and behavior because there are none. And I am, and will be, forever haunted by the personal embarrassment and humiliation I caused to those who have supported, mentored and guided me through my personal life and long and rewarding public safety career."

Alexandria Police Chief David P. Baker resigned this afternoon, everyone in town is reporting. Baker's decision comes amid growing criticism due to his arrest over the weekend on DUI charges, after causing a car accident in Arlington that injured at least one person. In a letter to his entire department, Baker, 58, called the resignation a "retirement."

We missed this City Desk report that D.C. Shadow Senator Paul Strauss pleaded guilty last Friday on charges stemming from his DUI stop in Adams Morgan last year. Strauss is one of the District's two elected shadow senators, a symbolic position charged with lobbying for statehood that carries few privileges and no pay. Following his guilty plea, Strauss received 11 months probation and must pay $400 in fines. The police account of Strauss's arrest stated that he had a 0.16 percent blood-alcohol level, twice the legal limit, that he "appeared confused" and that he flashed his U.S. Senate badge at the arresting officer.

Paul Strauss isn't the only senator in recent history to be brought up on criminal charges, but he may be the only one whose credentials as a senator are somewhat iffy.

The City Paper sent two reporters down to D.C. Superior Court this morning to hear the 'not guilty' pleas of both recently re-elected Shadow Senator Paul Strauss and former At-large Council member Harold Brazil. Strauss's not guilty plea on DUI/DWI charges merited an exclamation point on the City Desk blog, while Brazil's not guilty plea on assault charges stemming from an altercation at a Georgetown tattoo parlor last month did not. Neither men were willing to comment on their legal troubles.

Good morning, Washington. Flickr user zenfrisbee went down to the West Lawn yesterday to catch the festivities surrounding the Dalai Lama's visit and acceptance of a Congressional Gold Medal. China, naturally, had "solemnly demanded" the cancellation of the event, which saw President Bush appear with the Dalai Lama in public -- something no sitting U.S. president has done before. Bush dismissed China's concerns over the event, saying he didn't think it would severely damage relations...

Good morning, Washington. Yesterday we started the Morning Roundup by noting the early stages of what seems likely to be the end of Sen. Larry Craig's political career. Today we have cheerier news: the resumption of another senator's work. Sen. Tim Johnson is back on the job after suffering a brain hemorrhage eight months ago. D.C. Has A Budget Surplus: NBC4 has the goods. Apparently the city collected about $100 million more in tax...

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,...

DCist's highly subjective and hardly comprehensive guide to the most interesting movies playing around town in the coming week. Indie: Sunshine A group of astronauts are on a suicide mission to save a dying Sun, lest the earth perish as well. While it may sound like a plot suitable for Michael Bay's Armageddon 2: Bigger and Hotter, in the hands of director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) and his 28 Days Later screenwriter, Alex Garland, it may...

Previously on DCist, we declared that no jail could hold Marion Barry, albeit a tad prematurely. For those of you not following the case, federal prosecutors were seeking jail time for Barry for violating the terms of his probation after he pleaded guilty in 2005 to misdemeanor charges for failing to file tax returns from 1999 to 2004. The terms of the deal mandated that he comply with all federal tax laws -- and then...

Good morning, Washington. Enjoy that cool temperature outside while it lasts (60° right now!), because the heat will be back before you know it (i.e. this weekend), so much so that you'll probably need to switch on the old A/C come Sunday. Mayor Fenty's nominee for Schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee, knows a little something about sitting around in expectation of feeling the heat herself right now -- there's the questions about the secret way Fenty...

There's so much going on across the Ist-a-Verse that it's almost impossible to keep track these days. Fortunately, we do it so you don't have to! Londonist took a walk through Oliver Twist's London, thanks to a gorgeous map layer for Google Earth. They also caught up with modern-day fictional London, with the Fantastic Four and 28 Weeks Later. It was a week of insanity over at DCist. They started the week off with...

Good morning, Washington. We really wish we had some good news to share in regards to the local weather forecast, but it's starting to seem as though the more often we refresh the weather page, the worse the predictions actually get. So new rule this morning. We'll only talk about kittens and lollipops and pretty pretty ribbons until we get at least two days in a row with sunshine. Our strategy is clear: annoy the...

Good morning, Washington. It looks like it's going to be much warmer today, with the sun peeking out from behind those clouds later this afternoon. Hope those gray skies didn't fool you into dressing in too many layers like it did for us, because we're currently sitting here sweating at our desks with nary a promise of air conditioning at this time of year. If only we had some kind of web site we...

Sex-Slave Trafficking Ring Broken Up: We'd always heard rumors that certain massage parlors in the District offered, ummmm, "happy endings" and other such services. Apparently, the rumors were true. Federal officials yesterday arrested 31 people along the east coast involved in a sex-slave trafficking ring that forced Korean women to work as prostitutes in massage parlors and spas, some of which were located in the District. Four men were arrested in the District following raids...

Interminably troubled Council member Marion Barry suffered a minor traffic incident last night, which resulted in a traffic ticket but also, predictably, some speculation about his behavior. Shortly after midnight, Barry wrecked his car after pulling out of a parking space into an oncoming car. The collision took place near First Street and K in Southeast, near nightclubs and fast food restaurants and the site of the new Nationals baseball stadium. Barry was given a...

Police Officer Killed at Station Shooting in Virginia: The local news is leading with this story that DCist brought you yesterday: WTOP and the Washington Post are reporting that, in the 66-year history of the Fairfax County Police Department, this is the first time an officer has been killed by an assailant. Detective Vicky O. Armel was shot at the Sully District Police Station when 18-year old Michael Kennedy, in a stolen van after an unsuccessful carjacking, and in possession of multiple weapons, opened fire on a group of officers. Two other officers were wounded. CNN mentions the story this morning.

Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, already under fire for his questionable off-season personnel moves and his team's underachieving start, added fuel to his own fire today as the club revealed Bowden was arrested on DUI charges last Sunday while in Florida. According to the AP, Bowden released a statement today saying, "I intend to plead not guilty at a future date in a Miami Dade court. I deeply regret any embarrassment that my...

We spend plenty of time complaining about the state of the region's public transit network, be it delays on Metrorail, unpredictable arrival times for Metrobuses, or just too much traffic along area roadways. But at least we don't have to hitchhike to work. Today the Post features an entertaining feature on John Schindel, a Stafford County man whose decade-old DUI conviction has left him at the mercy of fellow motorists to get him to and...

Is there anything that particularly frustrates you about the District's police force? If so, today WTOP is giving you the chance to throw a hardball at D.C. police chief Charles Ramsey, who will be fielding questions and complaints online and over the phone starting at 10 a.m. DCist only wishes the city's police force were wracked with corruption and instances of police brutality, because in all honesty, clean cops don't exactly make for gripping headlines. "Ramsey a Nice, Honest Guy!" wouldn't really have newspapers flying off the racks.

Last Monday, the Post profiled ousted American University president Benjamin Ladner. Gina Maria Schulz, who served as "Personal Assistant to the First Lady" -- yes, Ladner's wife -- described the man as such: "He was the most ethical man I ever met." Ladner himself has this to say: "I do feel I've done what I've done with intentional integrity." How the Post's reporters didn't break out in hysterics is beyond us, given the emerging news of Ladner's intentionally lavish lifestyle. And today's news brings us more of Ladner's "intentional integrity." After having milked the university of close to $500,000, Ladner yesterday agreed to walk away from the university with a $950,000 settlement, a deferred retirement package of $1 million in life insurance and $1.75 million from retirement accounts, and $20,000 in moving costs, writes The Eagle. He and his wife even get another 90 days in their well-appointed university mansion. Some university deans and faculty are unhappy with the decision, adds WJLA. Farewell, Dr. Ladner, and please let us know where your ethically-driven intentional integrity lands you next.

The new stadium for the Washington Nationals often provokes heated debate -- Who will pay for it? What will it look like? Which way will it face? How many women's restrooms will it have? Yes, this last question has been asked. The Washington Times is reporting that John Banzhaf, a public interest law professor at George Washington University famous for suing fast food restaurants and tobacco companies, has written a letter to the City Council warning that the new stadium is lacking in facilities for the ladies, an oversight which could cause long lines and, this being America, lawsuits. Long an advocate for "potty parity," Banzhaf notes that the current plan of one toilet for every 75 women falls short of emerging standards that call for twice as many restrooms for women than for men in stadiums, theaters, and other large venues. The stadium is slated to have one toilet for every 350 men and one urinal for every 100 men. City officials argue that they are well within the standards.

Although this photo wasn't snapped in the District, we thought it would serve as a good reminder of some of the seasonal activities available in the region. If you still haven't picked out the perfect pumpkin or are planning another seasonal escape, check out our list of pumpkin patches, mazes, and other fall attractions in the area. The crisp fall weather will continue today with sunny skies and highs in the 70s.

Fear no longer, social drinkers -- that glass of wine with dinner won't land you in jail for the night. Today the D.C. City Council passed emergency legislation establishing .05 as the blood alcohol content level below which a driver is presumed not to be intoxicated. The measure, sponsored by Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), passed on a 9-3 vote. Only Sharon Ambrose (D-Ward 6), Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), and Phil Mendelson opposed the legislation, while...

A few weeks back DCist explored downtown Silver Spring, a neatly organized if sterile shopping district populated with the usual suspects -- Chipotle, Starbucks, Potbelly, Borders. We spied what seemed to be a park, full of playful children and couples. We approached. It seemed a little bright to be real grass. A little too well-manicured. Surprised were we to find out the park was nothing more than an expanse of AstroTurf, a carpet of fake grass amidst blocks and blocks of concrete and asphalt. Today the Post informs us that it's actually called SoftLawn, and it's a hit with local residents. Though the faux lawn only cost $96,000 and is a breeze to maintain, DCist is still old-fashioned enough to prefer the real kind. We can, though, only imagine what the National Mall would look like covered in this stuff...

Up and at 'em, Washington. "Early to bed / early to rise / makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," goes the saying. Well, two area initiatives are in healthier, wealthier positions this morning. First, City Administrator Robert Bobb has confirmed that D.C. will enter negotiations with Deutsche Bank for a stadium financing deal. The proposed package would apparently ease the tax burden placed on city businesses by giving the bank a piece of...

It's Finally Official: Now that Mayor Anthony Williams has signed stadium financing legislation into law, it appears that this chapter in the District's baseball history has come to a close. The Post quotes Williams as saying that this was one of his "proudest days as mayor."

As if things weren’t bad enough for the Redskins this season, rookie standout Sean Taylor was pulled over and charged with DUI early Wednesday morning. Virginia State Police Lt. Harry Newlin pulled Taylor over at 2:45 a.m., on the Beltway. Taylor was taken into custody after he failed a sobriety test at the scene and then refused a breathlizer. He was later released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and is due in a...