Hertzschuch v. State
Hertzschuch v. State
Opinion of the Court
George Hertzsehuch appeals the circuit court’s dismissal of his petition for writ of prohibition in which he contended that it would be double jeopardy for the county court to try him on four counts of driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages with property damage (to four separate vehicles) during one continuous driving episode [DUI]. We affirm the circuit court’s dismissal of the petition.
While this appeal was pending, the Florida Supreme Court undertook to review Melbourne v. State, 655 So.2d 126 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995), a case in which Melbourne caused the death of two persons and injury of a third in a single driving episode and was convicted of multiple DUI counts. As does Hertzschuch here, Melbourne contended that the multiple convictions arising from one continuous driving episode violate double jeopardy. The district court rejected the contention. The Florida Supreme Court approved the result, holding that a DUI driver may receive multiple convictions arising from injury to each of multiple victims. Melbourne v. State, 679 So.2d 759 (Fla. 1996). Although Hertzschuch is here charged with separate DUI property damage counts, we see no distinction that would lead us to conclude other than the Florida Supreme Court has done in relation to DUI injury to persons.
Accordingly, the circuit court’s dismissal of Hertzschuch’s petition for writ of prohibition is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.