Category: DUI Defense
A 54-year-old woman was arrested and booked for felony driving under the influence (DUI) after allegedly causing a fatal school bus accident while under the influence of a controlled substance. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the fatal bus accident occurred at Brookshire Avenue and Woodland Street in Ventura. Officials say the bus driver was transporting 11 children when she turned left and struck a 75-year-old female pedestrian. The elderly pedestrian suffered critical injuries and died at the hospital. The driver was released on bond and is due in court this month. There are many charges that can… Read More
Los Angeles drivers convicted for the first time of drunken driving can expect to receive a sentencing of three years of informal probation, a license suspension, fines and fees of approximately $2,000, and four months of alcohol education classes. There is even the potential for jail time on a first offense. All of these charges increase dramatically if the driver is a repeat offender. A second driving under the influence (DUI) offense could result in a two-year drunk driving license suspension, mandatory jail time, and an 18-month alcohol education program. Under the law, a second offense can result in a… Read More
According to The California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP), there were 195,879 people were arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in California in the year 2010. The average blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of convicted DUI offenders was .15 percent in the year 2009. That is nearly twice the legal limit. In California, individuals with a BAC of .08 percent or higher can face serious penalties. Drivers convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol face mandatory jail time of at least 48 hours, three to five years of court probation, fines and court fees between… Read More
Los Angeles County law enforcement agencies arrested 2,098 people for driving under the influence (DUI) through sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and regular routine patrols as part of the Avoid the 100’s anti-DUI campaign. According to The Glendora Patch, the arrests occurred over an 18-day period leading into the long Labor Day weekend. Officials made 2,795 arrests during the same period in 2011. The DUI campaigns are likely to get even more intensive during Halloween and later during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year holidays. The campaigns are made possible by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. When… Read More
After receiving an adverse ruling from the DMV relating to a Los Angeles DUI charge and having your driver’s license suspended, it is normal to think of appealing their decision. This may be in response to a belief that the DMV ignored evidence, misapplied the law or that the effects of a license suspension harm one’s employment, health or schooling. However, there are only two options to review the Hearing Officer’s decision. The first option is to file a Request for Administrative Review with the DMV in Sacramento within 15 days after the ruling. You need to request for the… Read More
According to Patch.com, Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint throughout Los Angeles this weekend, looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. Most checkpoints looking for Los Angeles DUI occurs between the hours of 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. Other than checkpoints, DUIs are often and commonly discovered when a vehicle is pulled over for a minor infraction such as a malfunctioning tail light or an expired tag. How well or poorly a driver does on the standardized field sobriety tests are often key pieces of evidence in the prosecution’s case charging a driver with a DUI… Read More
Two days after being arrested in Los Angeles on March 26, 2012, Bobby Brown faces two DUI-related counts and another charge that he was driving on a suspended license. Allegedly, the R&B singer had a blood alcohol level of more than .08, which is the level at which is presumed to be driving under the influence. The singer was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol for driving unsafely and talking on a cell phone without a hands-free unit. The officer suspected the singer was impaired and later on Brown failed the field sobriety test. If convicted, he will face… Read More
Almost 11,000 people are killed in alcohol-related each year and Labor Day weekend has historically had a high number of DUI accidents, which is why many states and local law enforcement agencies will be doing their part for the end of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign for the holiday weekend. California will be increasing DUI enforcement during the last weekend of this national campaign, which ends on September 5. During the almost month-long campaign, 41 Avoid DUI task forces and more than 100 individual local jurisdictions conducted extra sobriety checkpoints and… Read More
KTLA reports that Rodney King was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, July 12, for allegedly driving under the influence in Moreno Valley in Riverside County. King was driving a 1994 Mitsubishi when he was observed by police officers committing “multiple infractions.” He was taken into custody by authorities after they determined he appeared to be under the influence. King was arrested and then booked for driving under the influence. He was later released on a $2,500 bail. Police have not yet released information regarding what substance he was allegedly under. In 1991, King was famously beaten by four Los Angeles Police… Read More
When stopping a driver on suspicion of drunk driving, a police officer may require the driver to take a chemical test to determine the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC). Although a chemical test for BAC can be done on a driver’s breath, blood, or urine, most officers begin with an alcohol breath test administered by using a breathalyzer or similar machine. Like all machines, however, a breath test machine is only as reliable as the person running it. Mistakes in using the breath test machine can cause the reading to be higher than the driver’s BAC actually is, resulting in… Read More
