Calvin Riley’s DUI Conviction: Apology Before Sentencing

TFD – Dive into the case of Calvin Riley’s DUI conviction and the aftermath of a viral body-worn camera video from the Tallahassee Police Department. Learn about Riley’s apology prior to sentencing and the details of the trial leading to his conviction.

A guy whose Florida arrest video went viral last week was found guilty on Monday of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Retouched body-worn camera video of Calvin Riley’s arrest in 2023 by Tallahassee Police Department officers went viral on social media. It seemed to show one cop opening a bottle of booze, spilling its contents, and then putting the bottle back inside Riley’s car as proof.

During the trial, footage of the incident was shown, and modified clips quickly gained popularity online. CNN has made a copy request.

The jury took less than two hours to deliberate.

Riley, 56, received a 10-day sentence to be served in the Leon County Jail. In addition, he received a probationary period of six months. Riley’s license will be suspended for six months in addition to the DUI course, 50 hours of community service, and random breathalyzer testing that are required as part of his sentence.

The three cops who were there when Riley was pulled over testified in front of the jury over the two days of the trial. Riley refrained from testifying.

Riley was initially accused of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and driving with a suspended or revoked license. During the trial, the latter charge was dismissed.

The jury was to determine whether Riley was the driver of the car and if the prosecution had shown that he was intoxicated at the time of his arrest. The Leon County State Attorney’s Office legal certified intern Emma Hirschy contended that Riley acknowledged attending a bar the evening of his arrest and consuming “a couple of drinks.” Riley was “slurring his words, he was not making sense,” she informed the jurors.

Riley’s defense team maintained that the cops in this case lacked credibility. They brought up the fact that two of the cops had altered certain elements in their testimony and that, at some point throughout the investigation, every officer had switched off their body-worn cameras.

A vodka bottle that had never been opened before was opened by Officer Oliver. You hear her unsealing, pouring it out, and replacing it in the car. Defense lawyer Desiree Goodfellow stated, “Then she used that evidence against him.”

The officer acknowledged during the trial that opening the bottle and placing it back in the car was “a mistake.” The bottle was not utilized as evidence to support the DUI allegation, according to her and the second responding officer.

Riley stated he accepted responsibility for his acts and offered an apology prior to his sentencing.