Category: DUI Defense

According to a recent Time.com article, police aren’t catching a large percentage of drunk drivers each day. Statistics show that there are 300,000 occurrences of drunk driving on a daily basis; however, a mere 4,000 of these end with rides in a police car.

Other notable statistics include the fact that drunk drivers kill 10,000 U.S. citizens annually. That number accounts for a third of all car accident deaths.

Some argue — including James Fell who worked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for three decades, according to Time’s article — that there are proven methods of reducing drunken driving. Implementing more traffic stops in neighborhoods has shown to be effective in reducing drunken driving.

Another effective way to help reduce deaths from drunken driving, as proven by research, includes sobriety check points — unannounced traffic stops where drivers are randomly selected to complete sobriety tests.

Yet recent studies have shown that only 3 percent of U.S. citizens drive in areas where law enforcement conducts weekly check points. Why are they not being done with more frequency? Some have cited costs and manpower needs. Some law enforcement agencies believe their staff is more useful patrolling neighborhoods than manning a DUI check point.

Drivers in Los Angeles can also turn away from a check point without the risk of being followed by police.

However, California DUI laws are becoming stricter, even for first-time offenders. If you are pulled over for drunken driving, it is important to know your rights. You must be read your Miranda rights. Do not refuse the chemical testing, which can cause your license to be suspended for a minimum of one year in California.

Criminal defense lawyer Lawrence Wolf has been providing legal advice those accused of drunken driving for four decades. If you need legal help, please visit our website or all [number type=”1″].

Many tourists visit California each year from other states. Some percentage of these tourists inevitably end up receiving a DUI while visiting California. Many think that because they aren’t residents of California, nothing will happen to them as an out of state driver receiving a California DUI.

The procedures surrounding a California DUI are the same for both residents and non-residents of California, except that the California DMV does not have the right to take driver’s licenses issued by another state. Following a DUI arrest, the DMV will hold a hearing, just as it is done for a resident. The non-resident is not required to attend the hearing but can have a California attorney attend in his or her place.

Following the hearing, the DMV may suspend the individual’s driving privileges in California. California will then notify the individual’s state of residence of the California DUI, and that state may take action against the individual’s license. Non-residents of California may be required to fulfill all the requirements to get their California driving privileges restored, even if they never intend to drive in California again. This is because the non-resident may be required to meet those requirements under the law of his or her state to get driving privileges restored. In addition, a DUI in many states will count as a prior offense for the purposes of determining punishment for a California DUI.

Out of state drivers are also required to participate in any criminal proceedings, or to hire a California drunk driving attorney to attend on their behalf.

Are you an out of state driver who was charged with a California DUI? Hire an experiencedCalifornia driving under the influence attorney to help with your case. A DUI in California can result in both criminal punishments in California as well as a possible loss of driving privileges in your home state. Call the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at [number type=”1″] for a free consultation.

There continues to be national outrage at repeat drunken drivers. According to amercurynews.com story, Sen. Jerry Hill of California will be presenting legislation that will force former DUI motorists in the state of California to put ignition locks in their vehicles. The locks will detect blood-alcohol levels via the driver’s breath.

This new law would matter to not only repeat offenders but also first-time offenders. The new law would build off a pilot program in place in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Tulare and Alameda. Beginning in 2010, California’s pilot program demands that the locks be installed for five months for first offenders. Repeat offenders could have them installed for up to four years.

In an effort to take a serious stance on this issue, 24 U.S. states have implemented comparable legislation regarding drunken driving.

More than 1,000 individuals in the state of California are killed annually. Even more people than that are injured due to drunken driving.

The new measure was unveiled in Redwood City during a press conference in late December last year. Members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and law enforcement representatives from Santa Clara and San Mateo were present. MADD has been a proponent of ignition interlock devices since the mid-2000s. The locks are seen as a better solution than merely suspended licenses. The point is that the driver is sober every time she or he gets behind the wheel. The driver must submit a breath sample prior to driving and also while driving.

States that have implemented the locks like Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Louisiana have seen 35- to 43-percent drops in DUI-related deaths.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study in 2011 that confirmed the effectiveness of ignition interlock devices. It found that these devices are 67 percent more effective than license suspensions when it comes to individuals getting DUIs.

AAA, the CDC and the National Transportation Safety Board support the implementation of these locks.

If you are in need of an experienced DUI criminal defense attorney, please call the You Are Innocent Offices in Los Angeles to assist you today. With 40 years of experience, Lawrence Wolf and associates will help you through this difficult time. Call [number type=”1″].

A 54-year-old man faces four felony counts of DUI causing injury after being involved in a wrong-way accident. According to a KABC news report, the alleged DUI accident occurred on the northbound lanes of the 14 Freeway in the Antelope Valley during rush hour traffic. Officials say the man was driving the wrong way on the highway when he caused a collision that involved eight vehicles and four serious injuries. It is unclear from the report what his blood alcohol content (BAC) level was at the time of the crash. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.

The penalties for driving while impaired are significant in Los Angeles. Even first-time offenders can face a jail sentence as well as fines, fees, suspensions, treatment program requirements, and the installation of an ignition interlock device. These penalties increase substantially if the DUI incident resulted in a serious injury.

Breath tests are among several tools used by the police to determine if drivers are under the influence of alcohol. An important part of fighting DUI (driving under the influence) charges in Los Angeles is breaking down all of the evidence against the defendant. Depending on the circumstances of the arrest, challenging the results of the breath test may be an important part of fighting the charges. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to challenge breath tests.

One of the most effective ways to fight the results of a breath test is to prove that the breath machine was not working properly. The most important question to ask is whether the machine was calibrated properly and when that was last done. A skilled DUI criminal defense attorney will review the device’s calibration records.

More than 500 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles County over the busy Memorial Day weekend. According to a CBS Los Angelesnews report, 529 people were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol countywide from Friday through Sunday. These arrests were made as part of the “Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County DUI Campaign.”

The DUI (driving under the influence) campaign that took place during Memorial Day weekend barely marks the beginning of summer DUI enforcement. Drivers in Los Angeles can expect to see increased DUI enforcement efforts this summer. If you are stopped for a DUI this summer, here are a few important DUI prevention tips to remember:

• Remain polite and concise with your answers during the traffic stop.
• Simply provide your name and insurance information without engaging in lengthy conversations about your recent activities.
• Refuse a breath test or to take part in a field sobriety tests. You will be required under the law to take a blood test. Refusing a test at the station will result in additional criminal penalties including a lengthy license suspension.
• Do not answer any questions without a DUI defense attorney present.
• Do not admit fault without considering all of your legal options. It may be possible to have the charges dropped or your penalties reduced.
• Call an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney right away.

This summer, you can expect to see an increase in the number of patrol cars on the roadway. There is usually heightened DUI (driving under the influence) enforcement in Los Angeles County during the summer months. There will likely be saturation patrols in beach communities and an increased number of sobriety checkpoints in busy areas, especially near bars and restaurants. However, there are a number of ways in which you can avoid being arrested for a DUI.

First and foremost, it is vital to your own well-being that you do not get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. Depending on your body mass and food recently consumed, it may only take a couple of drinks to exceed the legal limit. California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a) states that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Under current law, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. The enforcement of this alcohol limit results in hundreds of thousands of arrests in California each year. For example, the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs reports that there were 203,866 DUI (driving under the influence) arrests made in California in the year 2007. During that same year, there were 42,736 DUI arrests in Los Angeles County alone. The number of DUI arrests could increase significantly if the alcohol limit is reduced to .05 percent.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for government incentives to encourage states to lower their drunk driving standard. They believe that a driver with a BAC above .05 percent has impaired abilities and is more likely to cause a fatal crash. Therefore, they recommend lowering the legal limit to help reduce the number of fatal DUI-related crashes.

Alcohol-related traffic fatalities have gone down since Bill Clinton signed legislation 13 years ago requiring states to enforce a .08 percent BAC or risk losing millions in federal highway funds. It is not clear, however, as to what type of cost the NTSB’s new recommendations will have. Their suggestion of lowering the legal limit will certainly prove costly for thousands of drivers in Los Angeles. They also want more high-visibility enforcement and an expanded use of ignition interlock devices to prevent impaired drivers from operating vehicles.

Los Angeles BAC LimitAccording to The Los Angeles Times, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for government incentives to encourage states to lower their drunk driving standard. They believe that a driver with a BAC above .05 percent has impaired abilities and is more likely to cause a fatal crash. Therefore, they recommend lowering the legal limit to help reduce the number of fatal DUI-related crashes.

Alcohol-related traffic fatalities have gone down since Bill Clinton signed legislation 13 years ago requiring states to enforce a .08 percent BAC or risk losing millions in federal highway funds. It is not clear, however, as to what type of cost the NTSB’s new recommendations will have. Their suggestion of lowering the legal limit will certainly prove costly for thousands of drivers in Los Angeles. They also want more high-visibility enforcement and an expanded use of ignition interlock devices to prevent impaired drivers from operating vehicles.