Tampa Florida native Dwight Gooden, whose baseball career was cut short by legal troubles and substance abuse, was arrested for child endangerment and being under the influence of drugs among other charges, after he allegedly collided with another car from behind. Gooden was taking his 5-year-old son Dylan to school in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Gooden faces a litany of charges including child endangerment, driving while under the influence of drugs, driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, reckless driving, being under the influence of drugs and other minor charges. Of these charges, child endangerment is the most serious, which by itself can result in a sentence of 10-20 years in state prison.
Officers say they were summoned to the scene after Ronald Schmidt called 911 to report that he was involved in a traffic accident where another vehicle collided with his car from behind. Gooden has a prior arrest in Tampa for driving on a suspended license, which was suspended for a prior DUI offense. In Gooden's most recent criminal case prior to this incident, he served seven months in jail for violating probation by using cocaine. He lives less than a mile from the accident scene. While no one was injured in the accident, Dylan rode in the vehicle in the backseat without a seat belt. Gooden has a history of cocaine related arrests, but it was unclear what controlled substance he was suspected of using at the time of the accident. Gooden's agent Ronald Goldstein also indicated that Gooden had been taking Ambien to help him sleep, which had affected his ability to drive.
While it is not clear at this time what illegal drug is suspected of being in Gooden's system, the Ambien alone could be the basis for a drug related DUI explained Tampa criminal attorney John Musca. Musca indicated that the prosecutor will emphasize that Gooden colliding with the rear of the other vehicle shows he had enough "controlled substance" or prescription drugs in his system so that his driving ability was impaired. "A case like this where a minor child is in the vehicle during a drug related DUI accident can result in a long prison sentence and significant fines as well as other penalties," said Musca. "It is not a defense to drug related DUI that the drug in the suspect's system was obtained legally over the counter or by prescription." Further, Gooden may be convicted of being under the influence of a "controlled substance" if ANY measurable amount of a controlled substance is detected in Gooden's blood.
Musca Law provides the highest quality criminal litigation services to the residents of Tampa. Our Tampa Criminal Defense Attorneys have successfully tried and defended, and appealed hundreds of cases in both State and Federal courts throughout Florida. These cases include, but are not limited to, felony cases and misdemeanor cases, DUI, drug crimes, domestic violence, theft crimes, sex crimes, probation violations, white collar crimes, violent crimes and motor vehicle crimes.
