According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune a DWI suspect asked “Do you know who I am?” and “Do you know who my uncle is?” to New Orleans Louisiana Police after being pulled over for a suspected DWI. The gambit didn’t work for a New Orleans Louisiana firefighter:
The suspect, although politically connected throug his father, has yet to reach trial more than a year after his drunken driving arrest.
The latest of four postponements in the case came this week, when new New Orleans Louisiana Traffic Court Judge Herbert Cade punted it to another judge because of a conflict: the suspect’s lawyer, is suing Judge Cade in a separate matter.
Cade also has old political ties to the suspect’s dad who has managed some of the judge’s political campaigns.
But at some point, the suspect, 40, may need to explain his allegedly sodden plea for freedom.
According to police, he drove through two red lights while heading east at Robert E. Lee and Canal Boulevards in New Orleans Louisiana about 3 a.m. on Jan. 26, 2011.
“Look, man, I’m on your team. I’m a fireman. Is this really necessary?” the suspect slurred at New Orleans Police Department Officer Ernest Bringier, according to Bringier’s report.
The suspect smelled of liquor, swayed and performed badly on several roadside tests, the officer wrote.
“Once (the suspect) realized he was going to jail, he pleaded with Bringier to call any one of the local judges because he once worked for them all,” the report said.
The suspect also “advised Bringier that his uncle was New Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, and it would be in his best interest if Bringier would call him so he could clear all this up.”
The gambit flopped. the suspect was booked at Central Lockup. He refused a breath test.
The city attorney’s office, not the district attorney, handles DWI prosecutions in New Orleans Traffic Court.
No new trial date has been set.
If you or anyone you know has been arrested for a DWI, call Harmon Smith & Vourvoulias, L.L.C. immediately at 504-717-2093 for a free consultation. Our experienced DWI lawyers will provide you with the help and guidance you need to protect your rights.
