A Palmetto man arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Holmes Beach pleaded no contest April 27 to a reduced charge of wet reckless.
Twelfth Circuit Judge Charles Sniffin found Andrew Brownewell, 38, guilty of reckless driving and sentenced him to a 12-month probation — requiring him to complete an advanced DUI course and, for 60 days, to wear a remote alcohol monitor.
A plea bargain from DUI to reckless driving, including a DUI probation, is referred to as a “wet reckless.” The monitoring bracelet detects alcohol consumption through the skin and substitutes for check-in probation testing.
Brownewell was charged with DUI in May 2015 after he rear-ended a vehicle at Gulf and Marina drives and refused to perform field-sobriety and blood-alcohol-content tests, according to a Holmes Beach police report.
With his sentencing, the judge impounded Brownewell’s vehicle for 10 days and ordered the man to 50 hours of public service with an option to pay a $500 fine in lieu of the service.
Brownewell was allowed travel between Ohio and Florida until May 27. After 30 days, the order states that out-of-state travel is to be approved by his probation officer.
Brownewell was assessed $3,236 in court costs and fines.