During the early morning hours of Sunday, March 3rd, 36-year-old Jesse Mockler was driving northbound on U.S. 19 when a Florida State Trooper attempted to pull him over after clocking his rate of speed at 72 mph in a 55 mph zone. The trooper stated that Mockler's vehicle drifted out of its lane twice before Mockler finally stopped at a gas station at the corner of U.S. 19 and State Road 50. When the trooper approached the vehicle, he reported he could smell alcohol on Mockler's breath. Mockler also allegedly admitted to the trooper that he was an alcoholic in need of help. Due to the fact that the Trooper suspected Mockler was intoxicated at the time, he administered field sobriety tests, which Mockler failed. Mockler refused to do a breath test. As a result, Mockler was charged with refusal to submit to a breath test (a misdemeanor offense) and DUI.
This is not the first DUI charge for this 7th grade social studies teacher from Powell Middle School. His first DUI charge occurred back in 2007 when he was charged with DUI, drug trafficking and possession of illegal drugs. He was never convicted of those charges, however, as the possession and trafficking charges were eventually getting dropped, and Mockler pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. He was then ordered to attend counseling, perform community service, attend a DUI school and receive an alcohol-related evaluation. Had Mockler been convicted of an earlier DUI he would now be facing fines up to $4,000, the suspension of his license, mandatory DUI school, possible impoundment of his vehicle, community service and up to one year in jail. He would also be required to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicle when/if he was allowed to operate a vehicle again.
Having an aggressive DUI attorney on your side is essential whether you are facing first time DUI charges or multiple DUI charges. The Law Office of Timothy Hessinger has helped hundreds of clients, facing all levels of DUI charges and we are ready to help you.
When you contact a seasoned Tampa criminal lawyer at our firm we will review the charges and evidence against you, advise you of your legal rights, and work with you closely to build the strong defense needed to obtain the most optimum results on your behalf.