DUI charges dropped against police officer

[larrymeyer]

http://www.examiner.com/a-1139903~DU...ania_Headlines

DUI charges dropped against police officer

Filed under: EAST GREENVILLE, Pa. , Officer Crash

EAST GREENVILLE, Pa. (Map, News) - Montgomery County authorities have dropped charges against a former police officer accused of driving his cruiser while under the influence of drugs.

Michael L. Bramlett, 30, was charged in March as a result of a blood test taken after he was involved in a crash. Investigators said the test revealed byproducts of cocaine and marijuana.

Judge William J. Furber Jr. ordered that the tests could not be used as evidence because when Bramlett consented to have blood drawn, he was not told the results would be used against him in a criminal case.

Risa Vetri Ferman, the county's incoming district attorney, said prosecutors did not have enough evidence to convict Bramlett without the test results.

Bramlett resigned from the Marlborough Township police department shortly after the Feb. 3 crash. Defense attorney Joshua Scarpello said his client feels vindicated and is now living in Illinois.

Court documents stated that Bramlett was on duty and using his police cruiser as a road block to stop a drunken driver when the collision happened.

The district attorney's office on Dec. 20 filed a motion to withdraw the charge


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Judge William J. Furber Jr. ordered that the tests could not be used as evidence because when Bramlett consented to have blood drawn, he was not told the results would be used against him in a criminal case.

He was a LEO and he didn't know the law ???? If that was anyone other then a LEO you may have gotten jail time

[Agent Smith]

He wasn't told that the blood being drawn would be used against him?! What the hell else would it be used for?! This is a load of crap.

[sgt7546]

If the blood draw is required for any Officer involved in a motor vehicle accident (as some agencies have as policy), then this guy's successful argument was that the blood draw was for department policy, not a criminal investigation.

[carterbeauford]

Grove City PD is re-hiring an officer convicted of DUI after City Council fired him.

would love to get pulled over by him. "had anything to drink tonight sir?" "have you?" nice double standard.

[TaePo]

What irks me as well is that the substances in question are controlled substances. Not alcohol.

[Michele]

He's a police officer. He should have know better.
He also should have been aware of what would happen when the blood was drawn. Did he think it was for DNA? Was he unaware of procedure? Wouldn't it be unlawful for a police department to draw blood from an officer and keep the findings within the department? When the department finds drugs in your blood, doesn't it become a criminal matter? Sadly there was an accident involved. He should suffer the same consequences as anybody else when getting caught driving under the influence. Having a badge is not immunity from the laws.
Total Bullshit!

[Seneca Arms Co. Inc.]

The officer in question, Mike Bramlett was a customer of mine and someone who I thought I could trust. Mike seemed like the perfect cop. Super nice, sincere, even tempered, and acted like the most wholesome man on earth. Sadly we know the real Mike today and he violated a lot of people's trust. He got real lucky due to some errors in handling his blood test otherwise we would have seen another outcome. Lets just say that all the "locals" felt like we had been had by this guy.

[sjl127]

And you're surprised? They're above the law, for heavens sake.

[JayBell]

"feels vindicated"...over a legal error?

does not change the fact that he was caught with controlled substances that hes tasked with preventing others from selling/using.

"vindicated" must have a different meaning in his universe.

[sgt7546]

I'm just glad that this individual in no longer a Police Officer, although, I would have much rather seen him come up in a drug investigation and get charged that way.