St. Petersburg lawyer arrested on DUI, cocaine charges

ST. PETERSBURG - A well-known St. Petersburg lawyer and restaurant owner was arrested early this morning on charges of drunken driving and cocaine possession.

David J. Sockol, 50, (left) was arrested about 12:30 a.m. in the 4700 block of Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach during a DUI checkpoint. The arrest was made by a Pinellas Park police officer who was working at the checkpoint. The officer noted that Sockol had the odor of alcohol on his breath, had bloodshot eyes and had poor balance, an arrest report states.

The officer also found cocaine in two plastic bags in Sockol's wallet, the arrest report states.

Sockol was released from the Pinellas County Jail this morning on $2,500 bail.

Sockol is co-ower of Fresco's Waterfront Bistro in downtown St. Petersbsurg, which has been the subject of long-running noise complaints from some neighbors. In 2007, a Pinellas jury found Sockol not guilty of violating a city noise ordinance. As a lawyer, Sockol represented the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that resulted in a $36-million verdict in 2007, among the largest in Pinellas County history.

Sockol's lawyer, John Trevena, said his client is "factually innocent." Trevena also said he believes the DUI checkpoint wasn't legally set up. "We plan on attacking this charge from many angles," Trevena said.

Photo courtesy Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

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