A Bradenton man pleaded no contest to driving under the influence in Holmes Beach after he petitioned the court to exclude evidence from a roadside sobriety test.
Fortunato Salvietti, 54, pleaded April 26 to an elevated DUI charge and Judge Mark Singer sentenced him to 12 months on probation. With his no-contest plea, Salvietti abandoned a motion to exclude evidence gathered by Holmes Beach police during a roadside sobriety test.
HBPD stopped Salvietti for a traffic violation in March in the 4100 block of Gulf Drive, where an officer observed signs of impairment. Salvietti provided breath samples measuring 0.178 and 0.175 blood-alcohol.
The blood-alcohol limit for drivers is 0.08. Cases involving repeat offenders and levels exceeding 0.15 BAC call for stiffer penalties.
With Salvietti’s probation, the judge ordered a 120-day house arrest, a 30-day treatment program, an advanced DUI school, a victim-impact panel, 100 hours of public service and an alcohol-detection ignition device in his vehicle for two years.
The judge also suspended his driver’s license for one year, with an exception for a business trip to New York in May.
The judge assessed Salvietti $2,631 in fines and costs. As of July 9, he paid $805.