Clearwater Criminal Defense Law Blog

Last July, Brittany Wentz of Tampa died from injuries sustained in a car crash at Interstate 275 and Himes Avenue. More than six months later, the driver of the car she was riding in has been arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter.Law enforcement alleges that test results show the driver, Dale Alan Thompson, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.174. In Florida, a person is presumed to be impaired with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08. Thompson was arrested last week in Ohio and also faces two counts of DUI property damage.Wentz was a front seat passenger in the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt that Thompson...

As reported by the Tampa Bay Times and Channel 8 News, the Pinellas County murder trial of Stephanie Spurgeon began last week. Ms. Spurgeon is being defended by attorneys Bjorn Brunvand and Ron Kurpiers. Ms. Spurgeon is a former Palm Harbor day care owner accused of killing a 1-year-old by shaking the girl to death, despite no one witnessing any abusive action.In late August 2008, 1-year-old Maria Harris was dropped off at Spurgeon's in-home day care in Palm Harbor. She appeared to be asleep when she was picked up by her family at the end of the day but they soon discovered that something...

A federal judge in Tampa sentenced Elias Estupinan Rengifo of Colombia to 135 months in federal prison for conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine on-board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He previously pled guilty to the drug charges in October.Rengifo was charged along with three co-conspirators - Horacio Aguirre Perea, Vicente Aguirre Perea, and Wilson Vallejo, all of Colombia. All three were arrested in Colombia, extradited to the United States, subsequently pled guilty to the same drug conspiracy charge, and...

Kristian C. Brooks-Marlar of Lakeland has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Matthew Ross McCraney, also of Lakeland. Polk County sheriff's detectives allege that Brooks-Marlar and McCraney got into a fight early last Sunday morning. The two men were apparently at the same party at the time but did not know each other previously.Authorities say that, during the fight, Brooks-Marlar beat and kicked McCraney even after he fell to the floor. McCraney died from bleeding in his brain, caused by the beating, according to the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office. The sheriff's...

Two and a half years after the August 2009 car crash that killed Leigh Ann Hallett and Robert Hallett of New Port Richey, 27-year-old Michelle Marie Jensen was charged with DUI manslaughter and arrested. After being booked into the Pinellas County Jail this week, she was released on $40,000 bond.According to the Florida Highway Patrol, investigators believe that Jensen was traveling at 83 mph on McMullen Booth Road in Palm Harbor when her car collided with a Toyota Camry. The Halletts' Camry was reportedly in the intersection of Boot Ranch Boulevard when Jensen's car hit the driver's side....

Earlier this month, Tampa police arrested Zachary Manning of Land O'Lakes for driving under the influence. Manning, listed in jail records as a bus driver for Pasco County schools, was driving his 2008 black Mustang when he allegedly hit the back of a parked van in the parking lot of Tampa Letter Carriers Hall on Cypress Street in Tampa.According to the law enforcement affidavit, Manning had vomited on himself and his car. Officers also noted that Manning had glassy and bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and was unable to stand.Manning ultimately gave a breath sample to law enforcement and...

As reported in the St. Petersburg Times last week, Phillip J. Peterson and his attorney Bjorn Brunvand of this office reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in the midst of his trial for second-degree murder. Peterson was accused of shooting and killing Jimmy Lee "Tank" Adams at the Citrus Grove Apartments in St. Petersburg in August 2007.The trial had begun and prosecutors had called several witnesses to the stand. But rather than let the case go to the jury for deliberation, prosecutors decided to reduced the charges against Peterson from second-degree murder to manslaughter. If he had...

A 44-year-old father and his 24-year-old son were arrested last week by Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies for trafficking in cocaine in Tampa. Joseph Quintana Sr. and Joseph Quintana Jr., 24, both Tampa residents, had reportedly been the subject of a five-month investigation.According to the Sheriff's Office, the Quintanas were distributing cocaine from a business at 2502 East Wilder Ave., Tampa, which is directly across the street from Middleton High School.Joseph Quintana Sr. was charged with trafficking in cocaine, delivery of cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, delivery of...

A federal judge in Tampa sentenced Shawntrece Sims to nine years in federal prison for tax fraud and mail fraud earlier this month. Sims pleaded guilty last March, admitting to preparing and electronically filing false income tax returns to get tax refunds exceeding $250,000 for 2008.Sims took identifying information from others and electronically filed dozens of false income tax returns, according to prosecutors. These fraudulent returns claimed income on a Form 1099-Misc. and most listed occupations such as barber, hair stylist, lawn care, and care taker. Sims generated the false returns...