01/18/2011 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // Sandra Quinlan // Justice News Flash
West Palm Beach, FL—Prosecutors decided not to file charges against a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy who was legally intoxicated when she became involved in an injurious June 2010 boating accident. The watercraft crash forced deputy, who suffered a broken neck and head injuries, to have her arm amputated, according to information provided by WPBF.
Reports indicated a Cheryl Griffith, a deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, was riding in a boat with her friend, Melissa Burdeen when it smashed into a boat lift on the Intercoastal Waterway.
According to officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a boat that was hanging on the lift, which was located behind a home on Paradise Point Road, subsequently fell onto the women.
While the extent of Burdeen’s injuries was not specified, Griffith suffered a fractured neck, head wounds, and an undisclosed injury that resulted in the amputation of her arm. Court documents show Griffith had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent, or more than double Florida’s legal limit.
Nevertheless, state prosecutors contended that although both women were reportedly drunk when the accident occurred, it would be hard to prove that Griffin had indeed been operating the boat at the time. Four unopened beers and an empty bottle of tequila were found on the wrecked watercraft.
The prosecutors also claimed that due to the extent of Griffin’s injuries, it was doubtful that a jury would convict her in connection with the Florida boat crash. Griffith remains on unpaid leave as she recovers from her wounds.
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