| Busted! FHP nabs 13 drivers after judge revoked licenses...Aint it great to be an American? |
DELRAY BEACH -
Judge
Reginald R. Corlew was clear in his orders as he stripped them of their
driver's licenses: "Do not leave this courtroom and drive your car from
this parking lot."
Still, Wayne Nicklo, Ivan DeLapaz and 11 others defied him and jumped in their cars for a quick exit.
They didn't get far, as Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped them as they left the South County Courthouse parking lot.
"Yes, I said I wasn't going to drive but I had to get back home to
North County," Nicklo, 43, of Jupiter, said as his sports utility
vehicle was loaded onto a tow truck. "My mom is working. I got no more
money. I went for months without eating just to pay that $1,700 in
tickets plus I went to three schools. Palm Beach County just wants
money, money, money. It's really ridiculous."
Welcome to Operation DL-Core, a statewide crackdown involving
undercover stings at county courthouses. The operation is a
continuation of FHP's efforts to target individuals who drive to and
from county court appearances despite having their licenses suspended
or revoked by a judge.
During Tuesday's sting, plainclothes troopers monitored court
proceedings for cases in which Corlew suspended or revoked the license
of a motorist. The troopers, some clad in slacks and neckties or shorts
and T-shirts, blended in with others in the courtroom, identified the
offenders, followed them to the parking lot and alerted uniformed
troopers as each defendant attempted to drive away.
Twenty-one troopers, including seven auxiliary members, took part in
the six-hour exercise. In the end, 13 drivers were busted. Two were
arrested and each was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail for an
outstanding warrant violation and a habitual offender charge, said Lt.
Earl Brown, who commanded the blitz.
Brown said he was particularly irked because the drivers knew they were breaking the law.
"They have actually no respect for the laws ... even with the
instruction from the judge they continue to drive out on the roadways,"
he said, as one of his troopers booked DeLapaz, 25, of Boca Raton,
behind a Dunkin' Donuts across from the courthouse. "A great deal of
our traffic crashes or incidents on the interstate involve people with
suspended licenses."
In 2008, the state suspended or revoked almost 2.4 million licenses,
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records show. This
year, there are nearly 16 million licensed drivers in Florida.
Tuesday's blitz was the second in a series of random courthouse stings
that officials plan to conduct around the state. The first was held in
Fort Pierce and officials said they will head to Broward County next month. The date and/or courthouse were not disclosed. More are planned for Palm Beach County, officials promised.
"The judge has just made a ruling and taken their license away from
them and they're walking out, getting in their cars and driving their
vehicles as if nothing happened today," said FHP spokesman Tim Frith,
adding that the operation is the last of a four-part attempt to rid the
roads of scofflaws. "We know that there are many [unlicensed] drivers
who are operating their vehicles out on the roadways today and
unfortunately they're involved in very serious crashes, where people
lose their lives."
C. Ron Allen can be reached at crallen@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6611.
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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Posted By Lloyd Golburgh on September 15, 2009 08:22 pm | Permalink  |