Comedian Bill Murray’s Brother Charged with DUI in St. Augustine Florida

Bill Murray’s brother, John Collins Murray, was arrested on DUI charges last month after driving through front yards of the World Golf Village St. Andrews neighborhood, which is located near St. Augustine.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office reports the 55 year old was seen driving through the yards by a security officer after 12:00 a.m. He was driving a 2000 Oldsmobile Aurora.

The security officer called the police and proceeded to follow the vehicle.

When the police arrived, Collins was in the vehicle, slumped behind the steering wheel, while the car was still running. This was on Island Green Drive.

When the deputy yelled to wake him, Murray got out of the car slowly. His eyes were blood-shot and he smelled of alcohol.

According to the police report, Murray said:

I was trying to get away from you. I’m not a bad guy. I just want a cigarette and for you to take me home.

The deputy asked Murray to take a sobriety test, but he refused. He did agree to a breath test.

The breath test showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.222 and 0.214. These levels are above Florida’s legal BAC limit of .08%.

Murray was taken to St. Johns County jail and was released after paying the $2,500 bail.

Murray is the co-owner of Murray Bros. Caddyshack in the World Golf Village.

Murray’s Possible Defense for a DUI Charge

In the state of Florida, there is an Implied Consent Law. When residents sign a Florida driver’s license, they are agreeing to take a sobriety, blood, and/or breath test at the request of law enforcement. Disagreeing to this can lead to fines and imprisonment.

While Murray refused the sobriety test, he did agree to the breath test. The breath test is often thrown out of court because if it’s not conducted properly, it is invalid. Usually, the prosecution will use the sobriety test in place of the breath test, if it’s inadmissible in court.

In Murray’s case, there is no sobriety test to show he was intoxicated at the time of the eradicate driving behavior. That means a DUI defense attorney has a chance to prove the breath test was inaccurate, which could lessen or rid Murray of his charges.

It’s worthwhile to note the breath test officers give at the time of arrest are less reliable than the one given at the police station. So if you were given a breath test by the arresting officer, you do have some hope in trying to discount the reliability of the test.

Every case is different though, so that means there are many ways to defend a DUI case. The only way you can get the defense you need is by hiring a professional attorney who has represented others in a similar situation as yours.

With an experienced prosecutor trying to prove you were intoxicated while driving, you need an experienced attorney to refute all of his claims. Call us today for a consultation to find out how we can help you win your case.