| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: BLOTZ, GEOFFREY 0752 (AR15-14145) DID, KNOWING HIS DRIVERâS LICENSE OR DRIVING PRIVILEGE HAD BEEN CANCELLED, SUSPENDED OR REVOKED, DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE UPON THE HIGHWAYS OF THIS STATE WHILE SUCH LICENSE OR PRIVILEGE WAS CANCELLED, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 322.34(2). ON 030615, WHILE CONDUCTING ROUTINE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT IN THE AREA OF WEST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY AND NORTH TURKEY OAK DRIVE, IN CRYSTAL RIVER, I OBSERVED A WHITE DODGE PICKUP TRUCK PULLING A TRAILER WHICH HAD NO OPERABLE LIGHTS. DUE TO THE NON OPERABLE LIGHTS, I CONDUCTED A TRAFFIC STOP AT WEST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY AND NORTH TURKEY OAK DRIVE. UPON ACTIVATING MY EMERGENCY OVERHEAD LIGHTS, THE WHITE DODGE PULLED OVER IN THE PARKING LOT OF BLACKSHEARS ALUMINUM. UPON THE VEHICLE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, I OBSERVED THE DEFENDANT, LATER IDENTIFIED AS MR SHAWN CARUTHERS, EXIT THE DRIVERâS SEAT AND WALK TO THE BACK OF THE TRAILER. AT THAT TIME, I EXITED MY PATROL VEHICLE AND ORDERED HIM TO GET BACK IN THE VEHICLE. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT, LOCATED AT THE DRIVERâS SIDE FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. I OBSERVED THE DEFENDANT TO BE VERY DISTRAUGHT, AT WHICH TIME THE DEFENDANT SPONTANEOUSLY UTTERED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A VALID FLORIDA DRIVER'S LICENSE AND THAT HE WAS SUSPENDED. AFTER OBTAINING THE DEFENDANTâS FLORIDA IDENTIFICATION CARD AND THE REGISTRATION FOR THE VEHICLE, I RETURNED TO MY PATROL VEHICLE, WHERE I RAN A DRIVER'S LICENSE CHECK THROUGH TELETYPE. THE TELETYPE OPERATOR ADVISED ME THAT THE DEFENDANT HAD MULTIPLE SUSPENSIONS, WITH THE LATEST BEING 122914, WHICH WAS SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY. AFTER RUNNING THE DEFENDANT IN THE DRIVER AND VEHICLE INFORMATION DATABASE, IT CAME TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT THE DEFENDANT WAS CHARGEABLE UNDER STATUTE 322.058. AT THAT TIME, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT AND PLACED HIM UNDER ARREST. I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT HE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED (KNOWINGLY). AT APPROXIMATELY 2051 HOURS, THE DEFENDANT WAS READ HIS MIRANDA RIGHTS, VIA AN AGENCY ISSUED PREPRINTED CARD, TO WHICH THE DEFENDANT ADVISED HE KNEW HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT. THE DEFENDANT THEN STATED THAT THE ONLY REASON HE WAS DRIVING WAS BECAUSE THE PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE, MR BRIAN ACUIRRE, WAS NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE TRUCK WITH THE TRAILER. THE DEFENDANT THEN RELEASED THE VEHICLE AND THE TRAILER TO MR ACUIRRE. THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED WRITTEN WARNING, NUMBER 396866B, FOR NO TRAILER LIGHTS. THE DEFENDANT WAS ALSO ISSUED FLORIDA UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION, CITATION NUMBER A1BUTCP, FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED (KNOWINGLY), WITH A MANDATORY COURT DATE OF 032315, AT 0815 HOURS. THE DEFENDANT WAS HANDCUFFED, (DOUBLE LOCKED) HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK, AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. THE DEFENDANTâS BOND WAS SET AT $500.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. |
