Hit & Run Driver Dumps Woman Out of Car at 40 MPH
A high speed chase recently led to a man who had apparently just been released from jail being arrested on a number of charges including leaving the scene of an accident without stopping. This case is a little different than the one we recently reported on where a Hit and Run Driver’s Car Turned Informant on him.
But nonetheless, the circumstances are a little strange and it is hard to fathom what was actually going on in the mind of Alaskan resident, Randal Scott Adkins, as he sped down Florida’s interstate highway I-10 with a female passenger.
It seems that Adkins’ post release problems began when he allegedly failed to slow down sufficiently as he closed in on the Chipley exit. His Nissan Frontier collided with another vehicle, but instead of stopping to check whether there were any injuries, he sped on. The vehicle that was hit, a 2008 Honda Accord, pulled up on the side of the highway.
Adkins was spotted by state troopers further west along I-10 doing around 100 mph. They gave chase and at some point, the female passenger inside the Nissan apparently jumped out of the passenger side just as Adkins slowed down to 40 mph.
The troopers stopped to provide first aid treatment to the woman who it appeared had jumped out of the vehicle and in the meantime, Adkins had disappeared. According to the troopers’ report, the woman told them that Adkins had said that “he didn’t want to go back to jail”.
Presumably she was referring to the fact that he had collided with the other vehicle further back along the highway. But Adkins had a number of Felony warrants for his arrest from Florida and Alabama. At this stage, it is not clear whether the woman managed to jump out under her own volition or whether she was pushed. She apparently claims that Adkins pushed her out.
It wasn’t long before the ex-prisoner was spotted again, getting gas at a Wal-Mart gas station in DeFuniak Springs. On being approached, it was alleged that he ran off into nearby woods, but was eventually apprehended by a number of Florida troopers who used a K-9 who went in and took down Adkins. He had to be taken to a nearby clinic to address bruises caused by the dog before being hauled in to the county jail.
He has been charged with a whole number of offenses, ranging from misdemeanors like DUI, driving without a license and reckless driving to much more serious Felony charges like false imprisonment, aggravated battery with a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, aggravated fleeing and eluding, and resisting arrest without violence.
Many of these offenses are felonies and at this stage it doesn’t look good for the 49 year old. From this angle, it looks like he is headed back for a long stint in state prison. Of course, as with anyone who has been charged with criminal offenses, he cannot be convicted unless prosecutors have sufficient evidence to prove his guilt in court beyond a reasonable doubt and Adkins will have his chance to be defended by a competent Florida Criminal defense attorney.
Even if he gets out of this one, he will then be transported to the different circuits where he has pending warrants and later possibly extradited to Alabama to answer his charges there. Despite all of the above, the defendant must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Why do so many prisoners in Florida re-offend?
It could be because Florida has a reputation for its enthusiasm for locking up a large number of its citizens in jail without considering what is going to happen to them when they are released and whether they are going to be prepared for their release.
Many prisoners are released from the Florida State Prison system and are given $100 and a bus ticket to wherever they are going. Then the criminal record follows them around making it almost impossible to obtain employment. The state does not provide a means to gradually ease a person who has been locked up for years back into society nor does it provide them with work or temporary housing to keep them from resorting to robbing, stealing or resorting to drugs, guns and violence.
Florida also has a high recidivism rate of around 60%, meaning that the state’s taxpayers are spending large amounts of money seeing offenders continuing to re-offend rather than spending the money on ways of keeping ex-criminals out of jail.
Despite having paid for his crime, a former convict is called a “convicted felon” and is not given a chance to get a clean record. Not even a gubernatorial pardon will entitle a person to seal or expunge a conviction in Florida. So, it looks like at this stage, yet another ex-inmate is heading right back to where he came from which is nothing to be proud of from anyone’s point of view.
Expungement of Criminal Record in Florida
If you are lucky enough to have had an arrest and your case was dismissed, take advantage of the one opportunity that Florida law gives you to expunge your arrest and court records. Otherwise, despite having won your case, you will be haunted by a public criminal record and people will assume you are guilty.
Even if you had to plea bargain, so long as adjudication was withheld and you were not convicted, you’ve never been adjudicated guilty of any crime or previously sealed or expunged a record, in many cases a good criminal defense attorney can get your first arrest and court records sealed from public view then expunged.
After that, you are on your own and at the mercy of the system again, even if you are found innocent of a future charge. That is, until some day the Florida Legislature re-addresses these statutes and allows a person who was not proven guilty to have all cases expunged.
Increase your knowledge! If you want to know more about how to resolve the problems you face when charged with a criminal offense in Florida, then you can follow Miami Criminal Attorney Albert M. Quirantes on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
If you have any questions about this or any other criminal accusation, call Miami Criminal Defense Lawyer Albert Quirantes at: 305-644-1800 or visit our homepage www.CriminalDefendant.com for a direct link to the office or a text message or a map and directions to our office.
