Category: DUI Defense
A recent article in The Seattle Times reported on an alarming trend that can have an impact on motorists anywhere in the country, particularly Los Angeles, where commuting via passenger car is as commonplace as taking the subway is in New York. According to the article, the number of women arrested for driving under the influence nationwide rose 28.8% higher in 2007 than it was in 1998. Interestingly enough, the number of men arrested for DUI decreased 7.5% over the same time period, indicating that woman are now more likely to engage in reckless behavior than they ever have been… Read More
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, both the number of DUI arrests and DUI convictions in the state of California rose during the time period of 2001-2007. In 2001, there were a total of 176,490 DUI arrests in California. In 2007, that number rose to 203,866. As far as convictions go, 2001 boasted 140,440 convictions of DUI in the state of California, while in 2007 there were 153,348 such convictions. Interestingly, while the number of overall arrests and convictions has risen over the years, the percentage of convictions in relation to arrests has actually dropped. In 2001, 80%… Read More
According to an article posted on howstuffworks.com, law enforcement officers rely on a variety of tactics and devices to reasonably determine whether or not a person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Some of the most effective methods of this determination involve devices used to measure blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level. Breathalyzers, Intoxilyzers, and Alcosensor III or IV are the three major devices that are used to determine BAC levels. Breathalyzers are the most commonly talked about type of test. This type of test relies on a chemical reaction involving alcohol to determine whether or not a person… Read More
According to the Los Angeles Police Department’s website, “the purpose of the Sobriety/Driver’s License checkpoint is to reduce the number of traffic collisions involving intoxicated and unlicensed drivers through enforcement and public awareness.” For all intensive purposes, sobriety checkpoints are a great addition to the policing of any community. Under ideal circumstances, these checkpoints can reduce the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the road, thus making it safer for all other motorists. However, it is imperative that these checkpoints are properly maintained, and that innocent drivers are not singled out and punished for infractions relating to Los Angeles DUI offenses… Read More
A recent article in The Miami Herald discussed the long-winded debate over texting and driving, and whether or not texting should be banned altogether. For Californians at least, this debate ended some time ago, with texting while driving now being against the law, just as cell phone usage without a hands-free device is. However, not even half of the states across the country have imposed such rules on texting, despite the fact that there have been numerous studies warning of the dangers involved with driving while being distracted with any task other than simply driving. The article cited a study… Read More
Nevada’s The Record-Courier recently reported about a 50-year-old man who had a previous DUI felony conviction in Los Angeles in 1997, and was recently sentenced again to a second prison term for felony driving under the influence in Gardnerville, Nevada. His blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was .209, about two and a half times the legal limit. The man was sentenced to five years in prison, but could be out on parole as early as two years. Though it was reported that the man had previously sobered up since his last conviction, even attending Alcoholics Anonymous… Read More
According to The Orange County Register, an 18-year old, male from the North Tustin area was recently charged with second–degree murder for crashing his parents’ car, resulting in the loss of life of his 16-year-old, female passenger. The driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash boasting a blood alcohol content of 0.11. His female passenger, though wearing a seatbelt, died from massive, blunt-force trauma. It was reported that the young driver had previously, the very day of the crash, in fact, been warned by a juvenile court judge that driving involved taking on a… Read More
The latimes.com website reported in an article on March 14, 2009 that a driver of a Porsche hit a Ferrari driven by Charles David Lewis Jr. Lewis Jr.’s Ferrari was flung into a light post in Newport Beach where his car was sliced in half. Lewis Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Driving the Porsche was Jeffrey Kirby, 51 of Costa Mesa, who is in serious need of anexperienced California criminal defense attorney. Kirby has had 2 previous DUI’s, one in 1985 and one in 2002. He was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter, drunk driving and leaving the scene… Read More
The cbsnews website reported in an article on March 14, 2009 that a judge in Beverly Hills has issued an arrest warrant for Lindsay Lohan, 22. It is unclear though why the warrant was issued. It is possible that it is connected to an incident in 2007 when Lohan was driving under the influence and crashed her Mercedes-Benz into a tree. Mike Foxen, Sgt. said that the warrant carries a bail of $50,000. Foxen said, ‘We believe it has to do with her arrest for DUI.” He added that there were no other details disclosed to him. Lohan’s attorney, Shawn… Read More
On July 27th, 2008, Shia LaBeouf, a 22-year-old actor known for his work in films like Transformers and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was arrested for causing a DUI accident in West Hollywood. Fortunately for the parties involved in the accident, no one was seriously hurt, although LaBeouf himself was whisked away to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for minor injuries. LaBeouf’s DUI collision occurred at the intersection of Fountain Avenue and La Brea Avenue. This wasn’t the first time that LaBeouf has been caught in altercations with the law. In 2007, he was arrested at a Chicago… Read More
