| Apr 22, 2019 | Case: 2019-CT-056456 | Judge Koenig |
| Facts: | The officer was on foot patrol and noticed the defendant in the parking lot of a bar having difficulty walking in a straight line holding a key in his hand. The defendant tried to conceal himself then ducked behind a fence. The officer observed the defendant open the driver’s door and sit in the driver's seat. The officer then made contact and observed an odor of alcohol, mumbling speech, and glassy eyes. According to the officer, he performed poorly on the roadside tests and was arrested for DUI. After his arrest, he blew a .215 and a .210 in the breath machine. | |
| Defense: | An officer must have reasonable suspicion of a crime in order to lawfully detain a person. Here, there were legally insufficient specific articulable facts justifying the officer to detain the defendant as he initially sat down in his seat. | |
| Result: | The State dropped the DUI. | |