Lawyer's claimed mid-trial DUI arrest set-up by opposing counsel leads to panel review of many cases
A six-person team including a retired Florida judge and a lawyer from the state attorney general’s office will review all open drunken-driving cases involving two Tampa police officers accused of setting up a lawyer for a driving-under-the-influence arrest with the help of his opposing counsel at a then-ongoing civil trial.
The panel will also review a random sampling of all DUI cases being pursued by the Tampa police department, its police chief announced this week. Prosecutors in Hillsborough County also recently sent a copy of a blistering review by the state’s attorney’s office, which led to the dismissal of the DUI case against lawyer C. Philip Campbell, to 24 defense lawyers in cases in which one of the two police officers is a witness, reports the Tampa Bay Times.
A lawyer for Campbell called the plan “a baby step” toward the accountability which he and his client are seeking.
Attorney John Fitzgibbons said retired Circuit Judge Barbara Fleischer and prosecutor Nick Cox of the AG’s office are “very distinguished members of the legal community,” adding that he hopes they are given “a broad mandate to look at anything and everything they want.”
A Tampa Tribune article provides additional details.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “DUI case dropped against lawyer who claimed he was set up, mid-trial, by opposing counsel”
Tampa Bay Times: “Tampa DUI sergeant offers his take on controversial arrest”
Tampa Bay Times: “Young paralegal at center of case involving Tampa lawyers, police sergeant”
