District Attorney Hoovler Announces Trial Conviction in Driving While Intoxicated Case

Blooming Grove Man Convicted of Driving While Intoxicated and Related Traffic Offenses

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, James Cassidy, age 50, of Blooming Grove, was convicted following a six-day bench trial in the Orange County Court of all charges against him including Driving While Intoxicated as a Class “D” Felony and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the First Degree. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced onJune 27, 2024.  

As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, on July 12, 2023, at approximately 6:00 p.m., a Deputy Sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was seeking to serve civil paperwork at the Clover Stables horse farm in the Town of New Windsor.  After being unable to locate the individual to serve the civil paperwork, the Deputy started to leave the property when she encountered Cassidy who was driving up the driveway.  After a brief conversation, Cassidy displayed the tell-tale signs of intoxication.  Cassidy admitted to the Deputy that he had been drinking and that he was coming from Montgomery and had been on the road leading to the farm.  Cassidy failed several field sobriety tests, and subsequently refused to submit to a breath test.  It was later learned that Cassidy had a revoked license and had previous convictions for Driving While Intoxicated.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation and the arrest of the defendant.

“Intoxicated drivers are a grave risk to everyone else on our shared roads,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “This defendant chose to place his interests before those of society and I am grateful that the judge in this case held him responsible for his actions.  Repeat offenders pose a troubling danger and law enforcement must do everything to keep them off the street.  I commend the dedicated work of the members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office who patrol our streets to make sure that they are safe for us all.  My Office will continue to seek justice in intoxicated and impaired driving cases.”

District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Emily Worden who prosecuted the case.

A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.