Law Student Arrested for DUI at Almost DOUBLE the Limit

Around 9:46 PM on May 26, 2022, Officer Perez with the St. Petersburg Police Department observed a black 2019 Lexus SUV swerving in the area of 4th Street North and 81st Avenue North. She initiated a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over in a parking lot in the vicinity of 4th Street North and 93rd Avenue North. She exited the patrol car and made contact with the driver of the Lexus, who was identified as Jillian.

As she was speaking with Jillian, she noticed that her eyes were watery, detected the odor of alcohol, and observed indicators of impairment. She asked for her documents, and based on her suspicion of impairment, another officer was called on scene to assist with a DUI investigation. After the other officer arrived on scene, Jillian was asked to exit her vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Jillian told the officer that she was a law student, and that she was in Florida to attend law school

Officer Perez started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), test. During the HGN test, she observed 6/6 indicators of impairment, along with vertical gaze nystagmus. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Jillian failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, turned improperly, and counted in an incorrect sequence. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and she failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion.

Following the field sobriety exercises, Officer Perez read Jillian her Miranda rights, and she agreed to answer questions. She told the officer that she had been at a restaurant with her friends earlier that evening, and admitted to drinking wine before operating a motor vehicle. Based on the odor of alcohol, her erratic driving, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily perform all field sobriety exercises, Officer Pererz told Jillian that she was being placed under arrest for DUI.

Jillian was transported to the St. Petersburg Police Department for further processing. At the station, she agreed to submit breath samples. Her breath test results indicated BAC levels of 0.155% and 0.155%, which were nearly double the legal limit of 0.08%. She was then transported to the Pinellas County Jail, charged with a DUI – BAC Over 0.15 (316.193(4)), and eventually released pending her court appearance.

Court records indicate that on December 6, 2022, Jillian pleaded no contest.

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