Mass. High Court Restores Man's 7th DUI Conviction

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that an off-duty police officer acted legally when he took a suspected drunken driver's car keys following a traffic accident even though he was still in his uniform and out of his jurisdiction.

In its ruling Friday, the Supreme Judicial Court reinstated the seventh drunken driving conviction of Joseph Limone.

The state Appeals Court had tossed out Limone's conviction based on what the court called an illegal stop and seizure by Robert Kelleher, an off-duty Somerville officer.

Limone was driving in Woburn on Aug. 4, 2006, when his car struck a vehicle driven by Kelleher.

The SJC said off-duty police officers should not have to act like "Superman" and be required to change into civilian clothes before interacting with private citizens following traffic accidents.