Defendant Convicted of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Drugs
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that a Middletown man was convicted following a jury trial in the City of Middletown Court of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Drugs and Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign. Because the defendant was eighteen (18) years old at the time of the crime, his identity cannot be disclosed.
As alleged at trial, on September 29, 2024 at approximately 11:00 p.m., members of the City of Middletown Police Department were patrolling in the area of Wisner Avenue when they observed a black Mercedes fail to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with Grand Avenue. After initiating a traffic stop, an officer approached the vehicle and observed the defendant to be the driver. The officer smelled the odor of burned marijuana and that the defendant had the indicia of impairment. The defendant was asked to perform field sobriety tests which confirmed that he was impaired. The defendant admitted to the police that he had been smoking marijuana throughout the day and had only stopped right before driving. A subsequent blood test confirmed the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, in the defendant’s blood.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation which led to the arrest of the defendant.
“Impaired driving is dangerous driving, and far too often results in tragic outcomes,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “This defendant made the conscious decision of operating a car after a day spent smoking marijuana and by doing so, put everyone else driving on our roads in peril. Thankfully, the proactive policing by the City of Middletown Police Department stopped this defendant before anyone could be hurt. I am grateful that the jury in this case held the defendant responsible for his actions. My Office will continue to prioritize intoxicated and impaired driving cases.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorneys Mark Butler and Cassidy Turi who prosecuted the case.
This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
