Talk of Our Town - By Joan Fleischman

Day in Court

• The Miami Herald
• February 1, 2003

When attorney xxxxxx xxxxxxxx broadsided the Honda of Carla Somoza Portocarrero, daughter of deposed Nicaraguan president Anastasio Somoza Debayle, [causing it to flip over], he stepped out of his Jaguar in May 2001 and blew a .135 and .121 on the breath alcohol machine. Florida's limit for driving is .08.

xxxxxx went to court Thursday and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor "simple'' DUI. Miami-Dade County Judge Israel Reyes adjudicated him guilty. Sentence: six months' probation, six months' license suspension, and a $750 fine plus $504.75 in court costs. xxxxxxxx, 56, also attended DUI school and agreed to contribute $2,500 to charity. (He picked Catholic Health Services; the Miami Archdiocese is one of his clients.) He also paid restitution to Portocarrero, 46. As part of the deal, the state dropped more serious charges including DUI with [serious] bodily injury and property damage. Prosecutor: Andrea Ricker Wolfson. Defense attorney: Robert Reiff. xxxxxxxxxx obtained a "hardship'' license that allows him to drive for business and other essential purposes.