Third Judge in Seven Months Faces DUI Charges in Florida

Three Broward County judges in Florida have been arrested in a seven month time frame. The arrests have prompted defense attorneys to question the integrity of the judiciary in the area.

The latest arrest involved Judge Lynn Rosenthal who allegedly hit a parked police vehicle outside the courthouse. She had no alcohol in her system but reportedly admitted to taking the drug ambien. This arrest followed the arrests of Judge Gisele Pollack who was also involved in a car crash and Judge Cynthia Imperato.

Judges are human and have the same imperfections as the rest of us, but they must be held to a higher standard when they are routinely sentencing people in their courts for DUI.

When I was practicing criminal defense in England, there was one particular judge who routinely took his lunch in a pub adjacent to the courthouse called "The Wig and Pen". He normally drank two pints of beer with his lunch and then returned to court for the afternoon session. He was a reasonable judge in the morning, but it was not advisable to be in his court after lunch as the alcohol made him moody and mean.

At Gold and Witham, we have represented people from a broad cross section of the community including teachers, lawyers, doctors, firemen, police officers, pilots, actors, politicians and sport celebrities. DUI is different from other criminal offenses in that you don't have to be a "criminal" to be arrested for it. It can happen to anyone who drinks alcohol or takes medication and drives. In today's political environment where every politician is quick to approve of tougher laws for DUI, the net is being cast wider and wider to catch as many people as possible and it is becoming harder and harder to defend DUI cases.

If you have been unfortunate enough to find yourself in the company of Judges Rosenthal, Pollack and Imperato and you are facing DUI charges, please contact Los Angeles DUI lawyers Gold and Witham for a free case evaluation.