On January 22nd, 2025, officers in Florida were reopening a closed road when they spotted a blue BMW SUV stopped in the middle of the roadway. An officer approached the female driver to check on her, but the encounter took an unexpected turn when she identified herself as a public defender. Despite her profession, her confused state, and admission to drinking would quickly turn the welfare check into a DUI investigation. For for a while now. Okay. Okay, can you put the car in park for me? It's in park. Okay. Is it a push to start? Yes. Okay. Would you mind just uh giving me your license and registration for me, please? 244 dispatch. Can you show me how to do a 10-50? Florida tag 8 for 8 4 boy boy king XL. Going to be a blue BMW right 4th and Coconut. All right. Where are you coming from? Caragiulos. Where is that? Caragiulos. Caragiulos? Okay, is that downtown? I'm not familiar. Palm Avenue. Palm Avenue? Okay. Did you have anything to drink when you were there? I did. Okay, what did you have to drink? Two um I usually get um Uh-huh. Sorry. I usually get um two You're fine. What did you have to drink? Lemon drop martinis. Two. Two lemon drop martinis? >> Yes. Okay. But, I usually get two um I can't think of the name of it. Okay. So, um how long did you think you were stopped here? I was stopped here for quite a while because I could not figure out how to put my car in drive. You couldn't figure out how to put the car in drive? Well, no, no, no. That's not true. It stopped. My car stopped. Why do you have my flashlight in your face? I just want to make sure that I I I can see. It's dark out here, so. So, um can you go ahead and just stay here for me? I'm going to go to the car. I'll be right back, okay? >> That's fair. All right. Hey, so where did you say you were coming from? Care Journey. Care Journey. How long were you there for? Um I left there I think 6:00. 6:00? Mhm. Can you move that over there cuz I have a brain injury. A brain I have a brain injury? Okay, what what is that Is that Is it affecting you? >> The light, yes. Okay. It affects me. Okay, in what way? I'm just asking, just Seizure. Seizures? Okay. Um How often do these seizures come on? With light. Just with >> Last time light. >> Okay. Like Like epilepsy? Like epilepsy? >> Yes. Okay. No. No, no, no. That's not true. Okay. So, you know epilepsy. I don't have epilepsy, but I have a brain injury cuz I got run over by a car. How long ago was that? 2019. 2019? Um >> [snorts] >> Is there Orlando working? Orlando? Yeah. He's on the other shift. >> Yeah, he's on the other shift. Yeah. Um He knows me. Does he? Yeah. Okay. What's your name again? Michelle Ace. Michelle Ace? Mhm. Okay. Um how many How much did you say you had to drink tonight? Two Um so, I usually drink Um hold on. I know it's not fair. What do you mean what's not fair? This. What do you mean? I'm trying to think, but it's not fair like I usually drink two Not a cappuccino. Espresso martini? >> Espresso martinis, but the espresso mar- martini thing was down, so I got two lemon drop martinis. Okay, how long ago was What did you say? got there like 6:00. Okay. Got there at 6:00, it's 8:30 now. Okay. All right. Um >> I have a brain injury, so I'm telling you right now Mhm. I am This is going to sound so weird because whatever, but Judge Jackson does the judicial Okay. court thing. Okay. I have a brain injury. Okay. >> my words. Yep. I cannot stand I cannot do balance. Okay. Okay, give me one moment, okay? >> And I have natural Asian or in the eyes before 6:00, whatever. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. All right. Yeah, cuz we're What What we're What we're worried about is you driving, right? So I don't understand that. >> yeah, yeah, cuz we were parked here and then you just sat here for a while, you know what I mean? >> car. >> And then we we started talking to you and then you're telling us that you have, you know, um that you had drank two alcoholic beverages not too long ago. I mean, it's It's 8:30 now. By the time you left, it would have been around the 8:00 8:00 to 8:00 to 8:30 mark. So, you know, And you have a tow truck? Tow truck, no. We had a gas leak here. So, that's why the streets were blocked off. Okay. You know, and then I moved my vehicle that which you were sitting right here and then you continued just to sit here. So, that's why we were concerned about you. >> my car shut off. My My car literally shut off and I was like I cannot No problem. Okay. >> I understand where y'all are coming from. >> Yeah. So, you said you had >> Cuz I sat here and I was like, how in the hell No problem, you all? Huh? No problem? Mhm. All right. Okay, so another thing so I was at the corner over there and I was taking down some caution tape and my lights were my my car was parked at the corner over >> you. I saw you. >> did you see me flashing my light at you? I stopped you cuz you were going pretty fast on this road and I didn't want you to come No, I saw you but my best friend lives in the City Side Apartments right there. Okay. Okay. Yeah, so Is that where you were going? No. I'm going to sell of ass. Okay. My best friend lives there. Her and I were at Caragiulos. Uh-huh. And I left her. Continue. You're good. Sorry. Oh, sorry. Sorry. We're both attorneys. She works for the state attorney. I work for the PD. Okay. Well, actually No. Public Defender. Public Defender, okay. She just got back from Alaska. We met up. Okay. And we had drinks at Caragiulos. I told you I had two drinks. Okay. Okay. Um >> You can like go there and like pull it >> No, we're not worried about it. So, we're just worried about you driving. Make sure you're okay to drive. No, I'm fine. Um I'm going to pull you out of the car and just run a couple exercises, okay? Here's the thing. Okay. I'm not willing to do field sobriety exercises because I have a brain injury. Okay. Which causes me to slur my words. >> Okay. It causes me to What? Actually, with my brain injury I do way better. Way better >> Judge Jenkin uses me in the field sobriety exercises with the judges training. Okay. All right. This is a >> I'm not trying to be an [ __ ] you guys. No, no, no. I I I I get you. We're not We're not trying to be We're just trying to make sure you're okay to drive. This is a long drive and if if you're saying >> drive, but yes, I understand what you're saying. >> I I just don't for the safety. I mean, if we can just if I do my exercises, just I can just test your eyes real quick and make sure they're okay. I know you said you had a traumatic >> You're going to do the HTN. Yes, ma'am. I have four in the eyes before you even test me. >> Yeah, that's what you said. You have a traumatic brain injury with that. It does. Okay. So, where is that like going to put me? Okay. Is your Do you have Have you notified David or anything like that? Like the DMV or anything? >> David, but if you look, I got hit by a car in a crosswalk in 2019. Okay. In a crosswalk walking to my office, she ran me over. Okay, and you're diagnosed with the traumatic brain injury. I am. And have you notified the DMV at all? No. Like, why would I? Well, I I Okay. So, fair enough, right? Yeah, well, yes and no, because then the incidents like this happen to where like now we're we're potentially involved >> nothing out of that. Okay. The lady ran me over. No, no, no. So, with the traumatic >> a year. >> Okay. All right. So, are you willing to do exercises? What if I don't? You're going to take me to jail. Not necessarily, no, cuz we can >> Yes, that's true. I I'm a public defender. I know you're going to take me to jail if I don't. >> necessarily. We're not doing that. That's what I'm saying is if I do the exercises, based on the exercises, >> HTN, I already have four in the eyes before you even start. >> Okay. So, with the Will you call Orlando? I can call Orlando and see what he says. He knows you? Yes, he knows me. All right, I'll call Orlando and see what he says. But, regardless of if we do these exercises, okay. If I am not drunk. >> Okay. All right, just stand by with real quick, okay? I'm sorry. Like, I'm not trying to be difficult. >> So, the only thing I'm seeing here, right, is that we just don't want to send you off not knowing how to drive safely. >> car shut off right here, and I'm like I hit the button. I hit the button, I hit this, I hit that, and I was like, I'm 52 years old. >> Which button turns the car on? This. Okay, you don't have to hit it. All right. But >> have you had this car? Um, I got it in I got it for my 51st birthday, so I would say 2 years ago. Okay. And literally, when I went to get So, my battery died. Mhm. And the guy told me, "You just have to hit this over here to stop." Cuz every time I went to go to the to the um BMW place, he's like, "You just You should have just put that." Mhm, okay. Yeah, these electronic cars, they're But, every time I stopped to go get the battery changed, I hit my thing because I was like, "It's going to shut off." But, literally, when I got here, I could not start my car again. Okay, cuz you were saying to me that um you just didn't know how to put it back in drive. I couldn't. I was doing my thing. I was hitting that the start button. It wouldn't It would not let me go. Okay. It's crazy. Yeah, that's that's really weird. Marston. Officer Marston. Officer Marston. Seriously. Yeah, it was just all kind of weird. That's why I was like, let me >> and I'm like, I'm an old lady just trying to go. Mhm. >> And it wouldn't I hit park. I pulled So, for a BMW, instead of going forward, you go backward. I was hitting drive. It would not go. And I'm like, oh my god, I saw you back there with your lights on. And I was like, I'm going to get pulled over because I thought I was going to >> Why would you think that? What do you mean? Why would you think you're going to get pulled over? I wasn't even I wasn't even behind you yet. You were over there. >> Yeah, on the corner. I wasn't even in the car. I saw you. I'm a public defender. I saw you. I know, yeah. I Nothing would make me go. Okay. I understand where you're coming from. I really do. >> Yeah, I mean, listen, the biggest thing is that we want you to be safe and we want everyone else to be safe. >> that. >> So, um Do you have any friends or anyone nearby? Like, who do you Do you live by yourself or Do you have any family in the area? My boyfriend lives with me. Your boyfriend does? Where is he at? At my house. But, I'm telling you right now, I saw you over there. Literally, my car shut off. Okay. Like a Tesla. All right. Yeah, I'm not sure how these electronic cars they work, right? They're kind of crazy. I understand you. Do you know Amanda? No, she works for the sheriff's office. Never mind. Um yeah, like literally I saw you there and I was like trying to put my car in gear and whatnot. It's okay. Not fair to you, to me, whatever. I get you, girl. >> Mhm. And you said you told him you didn't want to do any of the exercises, right? >> I have a brain injury, so I will fail every single one of them. Okay. Um can I just ask you not in any like bad way. Like if you if you fail all of those, like have you talked to the doctor about being able to drive? Like is it something that >> I got cleared I got cleared by the doctor in 2019. You can look it up. I wouldn't I wouldn't have access to that. That's all HIPAA, so No, you can look it up. Okay, I I looked on your on your David. I didn't see see much there, so I mean you doesn't look like you've ever really been pulled over or anything. Just like one speeding ticket, right? So >> I got run over by a car as a pedestrian. Where at? Here? No, Manatee County. Oh, jeez. Walking. So I'm a criminal offense attorney. I was walking to my office and 87-year-old lady ran me over. I got run over. Like literally run over. Like in the crosswalk on her windshield flat out on the crosswalk. Zero out of Wow. that. That's unfortunate. That's awful. That was in 2019. 2020, March 2020, I got cleared to to >> Mhm. I still have a speech impediment. I still have whatever, but I got cleared to practice law. Okay. Judge Duncan Mhm. uses me every year as his misdemeanor DUI Okay. So, you guys are pretty you're you work with him a lot. >> tight, but he uses me to teach the judges that I got a slur. I got this, I got that. I got H4 in the eyes Uh-huh. for HGN. Okay. Does um when you have alcoholic beverages, like you said you had the two uh lemon drop martinis, does that affect affect it in any way? Like, does that make it worse? Make Does that make it harder >> I mean, I wouldn't say it makes it better, right? Okay. But I would say I got there at 5:00. What time is it now? I believe it's like 8:30. >> Yeah. So, I don't think >> 8:25. Oh, don't do the flash. Sorry. It's so cold. My fingers are like frozen honestly. >> I wouldn't say that Yeah, I'm not trying to make you say anything that's going to make yourself look bad. I'm just asking cuz I just want to make sure that you're all right. No, I am fine. Like, I wouldn't say No. I'm good. Okay. All right. Do you >> I think we we also got Well, they got food. I didn't eat any of it, though. >> eat anything? Well, what um how long ago was your last drink? It's 8:45 >> there No, I got there at like 6:00. Yeah. So, you said you had >> my office at 5:45. Yeah, so 6:00. Okay. So, when was the last drink? About how long ago? Maybe 8:00 8:15. Okay. About 30 minutes ago? Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be a jerk. >> No, you're not. You're not being at all. I I I understand. We don't want >> 52 years old. I have a car that it literally shut off right here and I'm like I saw you. You were sitting right there. I I'm like, "How do I turn this car on?" And I literally sat here for like 5 10 minutes. "How do I turn this car on?" Mhm. I have no idea. If my daughter was sitting right there, she'd be like, "Mom, shh shh shh Yeah. But you've had it for 2 years. Yeah. And you know what's funny? There was something on my thing here Mhm. today. No, 3 days ago. And I'm like, "That's never been there before." And I called my daughter. My daughter's in college in Orlando and I was like, And she looked it up. She's like, "Mom, it's nothing." Okay. So So what's the problem with the car then? There's nothing wrong with this car. No, there's nothing wrong with this car, but I got I got Yeah. And literally my car stopped. My best friend lived in City Side Apartments for >> Sergeant Manning is back. >> sorry. I spoke to a sergeant. Um so, what we're going to do cuz we are I am getting indications that, you know, you possibly may have had s- Okay, that's fair. Are you willing to do SFSTs? I'm going to be straight up. If you do not do SFSTs, I have to go We have to go I have to go >> then you can you can blow. You can do the breathalyzer. >> Oh my goodness. >> And if you do the breathalyzer and it's below the 0.08, then we can go from there. If you could stop I'm vaping. Sorry. >> Okay. I'm going to fail. I fail 100%. The breathalyzer? >> Yes. Oh, breathalyzer. >> Correct. I just told you, yeah, if Oh, yes, I will take a breathalyzer. >> do a breathalyzer? >> Yes. Okay. All right. So, we're going to go that route. If you're not willing to do SFSTs, then we we can take all that into account. >> do SFSTs? Yeah, I'm going to take that into account. >> Okay. >> Okay. Fair enough. And then we'll do the breathalyzer. And then from there, um if if you blow a certain percentage or the whatever the 0.0 under 0.08 >> That's fair. then we'll go from there. Okay? Okay. Is that all good on that? >> Yes. >> perfect. Let me get Give me 1 second. I'm going to give a call again and we're going to go this route. >> Okay, that's fair. Yes. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry for interrupting you. No, it's it's it's it's all right, right? We're just here to make sure everyone is getting getting to where you got to be safely. So, that's why we're out here. So. It is freezing. I know. I'm sorry you got to stand out here. >> No, that's all right. I layered up tonight, so we're okay. Do you know Orlando? Or- Orlando who? Perez? >> Perez, yeah. I I'm I've never met him personally, but I know of him. Okay. So, um Do you want me to get out? >> I'm going to have you step out. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. So, the way the way this is going to go, I still have to technically put you under arrest, okay? I'm going to be I'm going to be I'm going to be fully I'm going to be fully I'm going to be fully transparent. So, the reason why we're doing this, right, is cuz we are getting indications. If I could have you stop blowing out just so it makes it easier and more time can go faster when we get there. Um So, the way this is going to be, I want to be fully transparent. I'm doing these because we're having indications. You've disclosed to me that you have a traumatic brain injury. We'll take that all into full account. You're saying you're going to have HGN. You're not willing to do SFSTs because you said that you're going to fail them. It's not a pass or It's not a pass or fail exercise. I want you to know that. >> understand that. So, well, I did felonies, so I don't defend that anymore. Um so, we're going to go the route cuz I am still getting indicators that you could be possibly >> Fair enough. under the influence of alcohol. >> Yes. So, we are going to go um the arrest route. I'm going to still going to place you under arrest. Do you want us to park your vehicle somewhere else? So, it doesn't We don't have to get a tow truck. There's a parking lot >> Yes, please. I think we can park it up on the side of the road. >> City side, yeah. Over on the other side. >> Okay, fair enough. >> And then, so you don't your vehicle doesn't get towed or anything like that. >> That's fair. Thank you so much. >> Yep. And then, um You're great. >> to take you down to the jail. We'll do the breathalyzer. We'll get that done, and I know I know. It's just because you've disclosed to us that you're you're done the alcohol you've had a a couple alcoholic beverages. Okay. I But, if everything that you told us is true, then you'll blow, and and then we'll be able to go from there. >> But, can I get my car after that? Yeah. I So, we're going to >> I know everyone down there. This is embarrassing. Okay. Oh my goodness. All right. >> Okay. Okay. Yes. I agree to that. Okay. All right, I'm going to have you turn around, okay? We're going to put place your hands behind your back. >> goodness. Oh my goodness. >> [crying] >> You got gloves on? Oh my god. Oh wow. Oh my god. So you can drive my car because my purse is in there with my key fob. Okay. Oh my goodness. She's going to She's going to take you back to the car to my vehicle. And then she's going to search you and then I'm going to Is it okay if I drive your car down to the road? Yes. Okay. Oh my goodness. Oh my god. This is so embarrassing. Just take deep breaths, okay? I understand. It's a lot. Oh my god. This is embarrassing. Oh my This is so embarrassing. Just face the vehicle like this for me, okay? Oh my god. I watch this video every [ __ ] Oh my god. All right. Michelle, do you Do you have anything on you that's going to pose me any weapons, any knives, anything like that? I just have [ __ ] cash in my pocket. I mean, it's just like $2 in change. Okay, no problem. I'm just going to go ahead and search you, okay? That's fine. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my god. Do you just mind spreading your feet for me? >> There's cat cash and change in there and from 7-Eleven like 8:00 this morning. I got vapes. Oh my goodness. This is unreal. I did not drink and drive like [ __ ] takeovers. This is crazy. Anything in the shoes? No, do you want me to take them off? Um it's okay cuz they're they're all laced up. Do you want me to take them off then? I will. Uh if you want to. >> do drugs or anything like that. >> Yeah, it's just policy, right? Oh my goodness. I [ __ ] don't even drive drunk. Like I Ubered. All right. You can go ahead and put those back on. I don't know if I can. Yes. You don't have to slide them all the way on, just enough to cover your toes. Can you put that sock back on? Sure. Oh my goodness. Oh my god. god. All right, I have a brain of a tree, so I'm not good with Okay. Can you help me? Can you take a step for me and then we can Just do a big All right. Got it? No. Yeah. God. One second. I'm just making sure if they're not like on my heels. I can try. Uh I can't. They're going to give you new ones at the jail anyway. Oh my god. After the incident, the DUI charge was downgraded to reckless driving. She pleaded no contest and received 12 months of probation along with 50 hours of community service. The outcome serves as a clear lesson. Legal expertise does not grant immunity from the law.