Bon Secour Salt Life Suspect’s Salty History
Debbie Williams with WKRG reported that a suspected impaired driver crashed into The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar on Thursday night.
Alabama State Troopers responded to the scene and discovered what they believed to be heroin in the vehicle. As reported by Williams, the crash could have been much worse considering the driver crashed into a table where just moments before a family of four with a baby was seated. However, at least one person was injured according to the WKRG report.
As is so often the case with impaired driving cases , the defendant, 50-year old David Emmons, has a lengthy criminal history . So it is not a shock to learn that on May 22, 2017 Emmons was granted a pretrial diversion and allowed to enter the Butler County Alabama Drug Court on charges related to his arrest in 2015 for trafficking in—you got it, heroin.
On May 22, 2017, it looks like the heroin trafficking charge was dismissed in lieu of a plea to possession of a controlled substance.
It appears Emmons made it a whole ten (10) days before violating the terms and conditions of his pretrial diversion. He is set for drug court docket/hearing on June 16, 2017 in Butler County. It appears he had sage legal counsel considering Emmons had been granted pretrial diversion in a prior felony drug case stemming from a 2006 arrest in Lauderdale County.
Syringes & Heroin Found in Vehicle
Authorities say that they found syringes and heroin in Emmons vehicle. The manager of the restaurant, Brittney Briand, snapped this photograph of the interior of the defendant’s vehicle after the crash.
Photograph from Restaurant Manager Brittney Briand
“THE ENTIRE RESTAURANT JUST STOOD UP”
According to Briand, the crash shook the restaurant. “It was clear there was something amiss. There was a loud commotion and the entire restaurant just stood up.” And even then the defendant kept going according to Briand: “The car did not stop that first time, it kept going, ended up smashing that table up against the wall.”
Photograph from Restaurant Manager Brittney Briand
It sounds like as bad as it was, it could have been much worse., although one person was injured. According to witnesses, Emmons passed out behind the wheel across the street at a stop sign at a 4 way stop on County Road 49. Motorists behind him laid on their horns causing him to speed through the intersection and crash in to the restaurant.
Emmons, like all accused of criminal conduct, is presumed innocent of his charges. He is currently in the Baldwin County Jail.
I am sure his counsel will ask for another shot at drug treatment. Do you think he deserves it? If guilty, perhaps it may be time to consider alternative sentencing options.
Hopefully he has automobile insurance to cover any bodily injury he caused and coverage to repay the The Tin Top in Bon Secour for the damage he caused.
Emmons ultimately pled guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (Meth) and Assault, 3rd degree.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Green is a solo practitioner who represents personal injury and victims of criminal wrongdoing. He served as a municipal court traffic court judge in the City of Mobile and the City of Saraland for nearly a decade. Before that Matt prosecuted major felonies, traffic homicides, and violent crimes in the Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office. He teaches trial advocacy to Mobile Police Cadets and speaks to the Mobile County Court Referral Victim Impact Panel. Matt also defends the constitutional rights of his clients. He may be reached at 251.434.8500 or by e-mail at mattgreenlaw@comcast.net
The Alabama State Bar, Rules of Professional conduct, Rule 7.2 (e), requires the following language in all attorney communications: No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
