Dennis LeRoy Anderson of northern Minnesota has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk. Anderson left a bar in Proctor, MN in August 2008 in the recliner – after drinking eight or nine beers, according to police.

The chair was powered by a converted lawnmower. It had a stereo and cup holders. Anderson was charged with DUI when he crashed the chair into a parked vehicle after leaving the bar. He was not seriously injured but his blood alcohol content was 0.29. Just as in Florida, a driver is presumed intoxicated in Minnesota if his blood alcohol level is 0.08 or higher.

Anderson was sentenced to 180 days in jail but that sentence was stayed and he was placed on two years of probation.

Just in case you were wondering – a motorized recliner just might be considered a motor vehicle (for purposes of traffic and DUI laws) in Florida as well. The official definition of “motor vehicle” (for traffic and DUI purposes) in Florida’s statutes is “[a]ny self-propelled vehicle not operated upon rails or guideway, but not including any bicycle, motorized scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped.” (A “motorized scooter” can’t have a seat or more than 3 wheels and I’m guessing that the La-Z-Boy vehicle wasn’t electric if it was based on a lawnmower.)

DUI

This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm and is filed under Florida Criminal Law News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.