Donovan’s kid let off on DWI

[MADD]

Remember this when you vote!
Donovan’s kid let off on DWI
By Neale Gulley and Eric DuVall
The Tonawanda News
—— The daughter of a North Tonawanda city councilwoman was arrested for DWI following an accident two weeks ago, but the charges were subsequently reduced by prosecutors to two traffic tickets.
Sara E. Donovan, 23, daughter of Councilwoman Nancy Donovan, was arrested by North Tonawanda police at 3:09 a.m. July 11, charging her with misdemeanor DWI and failure to maintain her lane. The incident occurred on Payne Avenue, where Donovan struck two parked cars. She was taken to DeGraff Memorial Hospital where she was evaluated and released back into police custody.
Her blood alcohol content, which according to police records was verified by blood, urine and breath tests, was measured at 0.13 percent. The legal limit in New York state is 0.08 percent. Police records state she drove her gray Saturn into two parked cars, deploying her airbags while headed north on Payne Avenue on her way home from a bar on Webster Street. Donovan allegedly told police she had consumed two mixed drinks.
The arrest was published in the July 13 edition of the Tonawanda News along with other police reports from that weekend, but no mention was made of her mother’s position as a councilwoman.
That likely would have remained the case were it not for the way the situation was resolved in North Tonawanda City Court on Thursday, which two different New York DWI authorities have called highly unusual.
Despite specific provisions in New York criminal law that make it almost unheard of for DWI arrests to result in non-alcohol related plea deals, Donovan took a plea deal Thursday to one speeding ticket for going 44 mph in a 30 mph zone and one parking ticket, both violations. According to court records, she paid a total of $280 in fines and was ordered to attend a DWI victim impact panel.
“I don’t think that’s right,” said state DMV Communications Director Kevin Brown, who was audibly taken aback when told by a News reporter of the crime and its punishment.
Donovan’s lawyer, former Niagara County Republican Committee Chairman Henry Wojtaszek, confirmed Friday that he contacted Niagara County District Attorney Michael Violante following her arraignment, asking for a reduction based on circumstances of the case he said justify the ruling. He would not say what those circumstances were.

http://tonawanda-news.com/top_stories/x125510...

for the full story click above

[Otis Canpbell]

MADD wrote:

Donovan’s lawyer, former Niagara County Republican Committee Chairman Henry Wojtaszek, confirmed Friday that he contacted Niagara County District Attorney Michael Violante following her arraignment, asking for a reduction based on circumstances of the case he said justify the ruling. He would not say what those circumstances were.

Probably that she only hit a couple cars. So what if it could have been people? What's the big deal?

[R Ortt]

MADD wrote:

Remember this when you vote!
Donovan’s kid let off on DWI
By Neale Gulley and Eric DuVall
The Tonawanda News
—— The daughter of a North Tonawanda city councilwoman was arrested for DWI following an accident two weeks ago, but the charges were subsequently reduced by prosecutors to two traffic tickets.
Sara E. Donovan, 23, daughter of Councilwoman Nancy Donovan, was arrested by North Tonawanda police at 3:09 a.m. July 11, charging her with misdemeanor DWI and failure to maintain her lane. The incident occurred on Payne Avenue, where Donovan struck two parked cars. She was taken to DeGraff Memorial Hospital where she was evaluated and released back into police custody.
Her blood alcohol content, which according to police records was verified by blood, urine and breath tests, was measured at 0.13 percent. The legal limit in New York state is 0.08 percent. Police records state she drove her gray Saturn into two parked cars, deploying her airbags while headed north on Payne Avenue on her way home from a bar on Webster Street. Donovan allegedly told police she had consumed two mixed drinks.
The arrest was published in the July 13 edition of the Tonawanda News along with other police reports from that weekend, but no mention was made of her mother’s position as a councilwoman.
That likely would have remained the case were it not for the way the situation was resolved in North Tonawanda City Court on Thursday, which two different New York DWI authorities have called highly unusual.
Despite specific provisions in New York criminal law that make it almost unheard of for DWI arrests to result in non-alcohol related plea deals, Donovan took a plea deal Thursday to one speeding ticket for going 44 mph in a 30 mph zone and one parking ticket, both violations. According to court records, she paid a total of $280 in fines and was ordered to attend a DWI victim impact panel.
“I don’t think that’s right,” said state DMV Communications Director Kevin Brown, who was audibly taken aback when told by a News reporter of the crime and its punishment.
Donovan’s lawyer, former Niagara County Republican Committee Chairman Henry Wojtaszek, confirmed Friday that he contacted Niagara County District Attorney Michael Violante following her arraignment, asking for a reduction based on circumstances of the case he said justify the ruling. He would not say what those circumstances were.
http://tonawanda-news.com/top_stories/x125510...
for the full story click above

The owners of the parked cars were charged with ITD...Impeding the Travels of a Drunk.

They will pay $280. each in fines and stand the cost of repair on the Drunks vehicle.
In addition, they must each forward $500. to the North Tonawanda Republican Party as well as sport signs at the Canal Fest declaring themselves ITRers.

God Bless North Tonawanda.

[BPD BLUE]

Big deal! You have defendants charged with felony assault getting the same kind of deal everyday in Buffalo City Court!

[Harold Hoskins Jr]

Buffalo City Court does make these sneaky deals everyday for the well connected etc...but the Buff News paper will not investigate or report on anything the courts do in WNY...because they get calls from important..impotent judges to cover-up courthouse politics...and your "can fanning" paper... always...always complies.
You will never get the truth about these deals because the justice system enjoys the perks of always being above the LAW.....always!
A public entity that has the protections of a private business.

[PJD]

This stinks to the high heavens!!! How can these people sleep at night!!

[Kuddlin in Kaisertown]

PJD wrote:

This stinks to the high heavens!!! How can these people sleep at night!!

It's easy to sleep in Kaisertown.
Enjoy a bowl of czarnina, gobble a fistfull of nervous pills, pass some wind and nod off.

[Seen It Before]

Amazing aint it what politics can do?? On the other hand though I have to give the Lockport Police some credit for charging and suspending an officer on their force for DWI...

[Life Coach]

Pull a string- a puppet moves

[Salad]

The DA now refuses to explain himself now in this case?!?!? Are you F**k**G kidding me?!?!?! YOU WORK FOR US!!!!!!

I’d say right about now you azz should be under investigation and suspended WITHOUT PAY until the truth comes out….

The freaking audacity to go in front of the public and deny explaining your actions…..

[Your Name Here]

When the government does not obey the law or enforce the law or does not enforce the law unilaterally then the government is ineffective and needs to be replaced. If those charged with upholding the law are found to be the ones doing this then they need to be given a mandatory prison term of at least 10 years. I would just as soon see them shot because that's what happened when this country was a colony run by a corrupt government.

Just for shits and giggles, everyone charged with DUI or DWI should stand in front of the judge and state they are not guilty of the charge by reason of the Donovan precedent and they are only allowed to be charged with speeding.

[Salad]

It's because she would have lost her CPA job and the judge says that punishment didn't fit the crime....(grinding teeth) AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!

So she now has a free pass to drink and drive!!!!!

[Your Name Here]

Salad wrote:

It's because she would have lost her CPA job and the judge says that punishment didn't fit the crime....(grinding teeth) AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
So she now has a free pass to drink and drive!!!!!

DWI is a subscription service - it's voluntary. Like jumping off a building and deciding you don't like the outcome after you go splat. If you don't want to lose your job, go back to square one and don't drink. Her job obviously means nothing to her if she deliberately risks losing it. The judge and prosecutor both need to be removed from office.

[Salad]

Your Name Here wrote:

<quoted text>
The judge and prosecutor both need to be removed from office.

Amen to that brother!

The DA too!

We need to start making calls!!!!

[Harold Hoskins Jr]

Whenever you see a law and order scandal reported..it is ONLY because the information is going to be leaked, the information is known to too many on the inside who might tell friends, or that person in government is too volatile for them to control and this is their out.....otherwise the info...is controlled and the News is informed not to report it or report only if they know it is going to be outed soon.
The NEWS has their reporters in every corner....and they always have the goods when it happens...so these agencies that DO the right thing...often do it before they lose their careers.
There is little to NO ETHICS in these government jobs...so don't rush to praise them if you don't have the inside scoop!

[Yeah]

Mommy is behind it all.....

And Ooops! the judge and DA should lose their jobs for this F-up

[Seen It Before]

Yeah wrote:

Mommy is behind it all.....
And Ooops! the judge and DA should lose their jobs for this F-up

GEEEE Do ya THINK?? Time to clean house.

[channel4 skeletons]

I remember moving to WNY to attend college up here and gpt popped for going 42 in a 35 on Robinson Road near the church in NT. I'd just moved up here from downstate and went to court to plea. This was over 20 years ago and my plea was a "Violation of the city noise ordinance" in the amount of $135. I would of been cool with that (although Amherst gave me a $60 parking ticket for a similar infraction) except for the fact that a couple of the others in court for similar speeding infractions got parking tickets for $50 ! It seemed the judge knew them personally. So in closing, this crap doesn't surprise me today in NT. They enable and protect their own. Didn't Nathan get a couple DUI's years back and it took him making an embarrassment time and time again before he was forced out? Go to Canal Fest or Canal Series and it's white trash drunks in those beer tents probably getting wink winks from NT officers after leaving the area.

[Salad]

Looks like Nancy Donovan and Niagara County District Attorney Michael Violante are still pulling strings.

There were two polls up here questioning if they should resign from office (with 100% voting YES). They are now gone.

The only one left is about the Judge.

[QQQ]

It's no wonder Nancy is single; she's so ugly she could get a job standing outside doctors offices making people sick.