Broward DUI lawyer William Moore reminds motorists to be careful this upcoming holiday weekend — DUI patrols are typically ramped up for summer holidays, including the Fourth of July. This year is no different: following sobriety roadblocks set up over Memorial Day, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office is setting up similar checkpoints in preparation for the Fourth of July weekend.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office has just announced that it will be conducting a DUI checkpoint from 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 1 to 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 2 at 9401 Stirling Road in Cooper City, Florida, which is at or near the Cooper City High School. (Cooper City is located west of Hollywood and southwest of Fort Lauderdale here in Broward County.) The BSO press release is available here, detailing the sobriety checkpoint and noting that the advance publicity is being issued in compliance with a Supreme Court decision.
Sobriety checkpoints, or DUI roadblocks, are set up to screen drivers for impairment. In reality, these checkpoints frequently result in numerous citations for improper equipment, expired drivers licenses, driving without insurance, and the like, which are money-makers for many law enforcement agencies. The Supreme Court has ruled that police agencies must abide by strict guidelines due to the intrusiveness of stopping motorists. Supervisors must make the decisions, such as stopping every third card or every sixth car to pass through. Officers on the ground cannot simply profile individuals based on their appearance or their vehicles. Sites should be selected for public policy reasons and have a high instance of driving under the influence in the area. The checkpoint must be clearly marked with signs and lights to warn approaching motorists. Advance publicity of the checkpoint is an absolute requirement, which is why you may hear such announcements made by local law enforcement agencies on the radio stations here in Broward County.
Independence Day is not the only holiday that DUI arrests are made, however, notes Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer Moore Defense. A local man was charged with DUI and child neglect on Father’s Day in a story published in local newspapers. The toddler was unharmed, but had been riding in the backseat while his father was allegedly swerving and starting and stopping abruptly as the pair traveled down Okeechobee Boulevard in Broward.