St. Petersburg police are planning to run a DUI checkpoint on Friday, June 18, 2010. The checkpoint will cover all southbound traffic at 1700 34th St. N at the Publix supermarket.

According to a media release, the checkpoint will be set up from 10pm Friday night through 4am Saturday morning. All southbound traffic will be required to pass through the checkpoint. Drivers will then be re-directed into the Publix parking lot and will potentially undergo several checks by the St. Pete officers.

Drivers will be expected to show a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Police will also be trying to determine if anyone is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Anyone reasonably suspected of DUI will be asked to perform field sobriety exercises.

A seat belt check will also be conducted.

Sobriety checkpoints like these, also known as DUI roadblocks, are legal under federal and state constitutional law. There are specific legal requirements, however, that law enforcement must follow in conducting the checkpoints, as the traffic stops are made without probable cause to believe that a crime or ordinance violation occurred.

The officers must follow written guidelines as to every aspect of the roadblock including the use of neutral criteria in selecting which cars to stop.

If you are charged with DUI or some other traffic-related offense arising out of a checkpoint like this one, do not hesitate to call an experienced Tampa Bay area DUI defense attorney to advise you during the DUI investigation process and to assist you in court in the event that charges are filed.

DUI

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 17th, 2010 at 11:11 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.