According to
WPTV News Channel 5, a former ‘Bachelor’ star was
arrested in
Tampa, FL, for
driving under the influence. Maribel “Mary” Delgado, 42, had her claim to fame as a contestant on the ABC TV reality show ‘The Bachelor.’ She was pulled over around 12:45 a.m. Thursday and
arrested for
driving under the influence.
She refused a
blood alcohol test and was released on a $500 bond.
Delgado was a contestant on ‘The Bachelor’ in 2003 and 2004. Byron Velvick, the bachelor of the show, proposed to her during the November finale, and she accepted.
This incident is Delgado’s second arrest. She was
arrested in 2007 in Seminole, and
charged with battery for punching Velvick in the face. The couple never married and later separated, according to
WPTV News Channel 5.
DUI in Florida
The most important thing in
DUI/DWI cases is early intervention by your
criminal defense attorney. This proactive involvement will help you avoid the consequences of a
conviction, which are very serious in
Florida.
According to
The Florida Statutes regarding Driving Under the Influence:
A person is guilty of the offense of
driving under the influence and will be punished if the person driving is in actual physical control of a vehicle under the influence of alcoholic beverages or any chemical substance that impairs a person’s normal functions.
Any person who is
convicted of a violation of operating a vehicle while under the influence of any substance will be punished by:
- A fine of $500 to $1,000 for a first conviction
- A fine of $1,000 to $2,000 or more for a second conviction
- Imprisonment for 6 months or less for a first conviction
- Imprisonment for 9 months or less for a second conviction
DUI Defense
If you have submitted to a breathalyzer test and failed, that is not the end of your case. The Intoxilzer 5000 and Intoxilzer 8000 breathalyzer machines used to measure BAC in
Florida have significant problems. If you have an expert witness and an experienced
criminal defense attorney who can challenge the accuracy of the machine in court, the BAC evidence may be thrown out.
Criminal defense lawyers have obtained not-guilty verdicts due to machine failure for clients who have had blood alcohol levels of .229 and .227.