Orange County DUI Lawyer Blog

Newport Beach Police just received about $200,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety for its DUI enforcement program. This grant was approved last week because of the high rates of DUI's in Newport Beach. The grant will fund six DUI checkpoints, 110 DUI saturation patrols, and two DUI court sting operations where police wait by Harbor Justice Center and catch people driving with suspended licenses that were revoked because of a DUI.

It is great that Newport Beach will step up its DUI enforcement because alcohol awareness and DUI prevention is important and pivotal in preventing DUI accidents and fatalities. These days, so many people get DUI's and don't think they are a big deal. Driving under the influence is a big deal however, because it leads to extensive fines for you, probation, a revoked license and possible jail time. Whether you live in Orange, Costa Mesa or Laguna Woods, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Newport Beach Receives $200,000 Grant for DUI Prevention " »

On Saturday afternoon, around 3 p.m., actress Tawny Kitaen was in a car accident in Newport Beach on Bristol North and Campus Street. Police were called and after suspecting Kitaen of being intoxicated, they arrested her. Police were not clear if she was under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs at the time of the arrest. She was released soon after being arrested on $2,500 bail.

Kitaen recently appeared on the reality show "Celebrity Rehab." There, she admitted being addicted to drugs. Her prior criminal past involved domestic violence and drug charges.

Often, if you are addicted to one drug and you try to stop using that drug, you may turn to another one to fill the void. Hopefully, Kitaen has not become an alcoholic and this was a one time event. Whether you live in Laguna Beach, Brea or Orange, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Actress Tawny Kitaen Arrested for DUI in Newport Beach " »

Last week, Javier Hernandez was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence. Gloria Rodriguez, her husband Roman Alvarado and their son Marcos, were all walking along Tyler Street together. Hernandez was driving on that street with a blood alcohol level of .22%, when he accidentally drove off the road.

As Hernandez's car came towards the three pedestrians. Alvarado saw the car coming and grabbed the baby and tried to climb up a fence, but Rodriguez did not get out of the way in time. She was struck and killed instantly. Hernandez was initially charged with murder since his mother and sister told him not to drive, but he was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter instead. He will be sentenced in November.

Juries have consistently convicted defendants of murder if they learn that the defendant had been previously advised that driving drunk could result in someone's death. This warning frequently comes in the form of an advisement on a guilty plea form the defendant initialed after agreeing to plead guilty in a prior DUI case. Among the many sad lessons here: If a court advises you during a guilty plea that when you drive drunk you could cause an accident that results in death drunk, and you are arrested while DUI, causing the death of another, you may very well be charged with murder.

Since he was convicted of manslaughter, it is unlikely that Hernandez will be sentenced for longer than 10 years since the manslaughter was an accident. He will, however, get a sentencing enhancement because his blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit. Whether you live in La Palma, Laguna Niguel or Santa Ana, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Drunk Riverside Man Kills Female Pedestrian " »

Last week, during early morning hours, a woman heard a loud crash in her neighborhood and called police. Police arrived at 1 a.m. to find a red Ford pick-up truck with no tires that had crashed into a parked van on La Zanga Street in San Juan Capistrano. Josue Sanchez Munoz was arrested for driving under the influence.

Recently, The San Juan Capistrano City Council had discussed the problem of parking in this neighborhood since parked cars were frequently hit by passing cars.

Fortunately for Munoz, he just hit a parked car while no one was in it. To his credit, he did the responsible thing and stuck around instead of trying to flee. Since no one was hurt, it is likely that Munoz will have to pay for the damage he caused to his car and the parked van and be put on probation for three years. Had the parked car been occupied, he would have faced felony DUI charges and jail time. If he is convicted of a future DUI, he will likely go to jail and have to take an 18 month alcohol class. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Anaheim Hills or Brea, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " San Juan Capistrano Man Arrested for DUI Crash " »

Matthew Cheeks was driving drunk in Costa Mesa around 2:15 on Friday morning. He was on Canyon Drive and Victoria Street when he crashed into a light pole. The power went out in the neighboring area for a few seconds and then came back on. Police arrived at the scene of the crash and had to cut Cheeks out of the car, since the car was completely totaled. He was rushed to the hospital but only had minor injuries. He is likely going to be charged with driving under the influence.

In looking at the pictures of Cheeks' car after the incident, he is lucky he was not killed. Driving under the influence can lead to serious consequences. Luckily, it was so late at night that not many cars were on the road. Cheeks needs a good DUI defense attorney to assist him. A good attorney would look at his blood alcohol level to see if he was actually intoxicated. Additionally, the attorney would look into road conditions to see if there was another cause for the accident. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Fullerton or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Costa Mesa DUI Suspect Crashes into Light Pole " »

As I mentioned before, Lynette Ann Hunt was found guilty of 2 counts of DUI vehicular manslaughter for a crash that occurred in July of 2008. Hunt had been drinking at a friend's party and still decided to drive her friends home with a blood alcohol level of .15%. The car skidded off the road and her two friends, Vanessa Herrada and Maria Zamarripa, were killed immediately. After being found guilty in August of the manslaughter charges, last week the judge announced that she would be facing 6 years in custody for her actions.

It is unfortunate that Hunt decided to drive that night, while so heavily intoxicated. Even though she had no intentions of killing her friends, a drunk driver assumes the risk of being held liable if something should happen while driving. For her bad decisions, she has to spend 6 years in prison, thinking about her actions. Besides prison, Hunt will likely be on probation after release and have to take alcohol classes. Whether you live in Laguna Niguel, Santa Ana or Orange, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Fullerton Woman Sentenced to 6 Years for DUI Vehicular Manslaughter " »

Last week, Gerardo Perez of San Diego, was pushing his broken down Toyota off of Interstate 805 in the middle of the night. A 1988 Honda Accord came speeding towards him and hit him and his car. Perez received serious leg injuries and was taken to the hospital immediately. The driver, Charlene June Festa, was taken to the hospital after the collision as well. She was then arrested and taken to jail for felony drunk driving.

Festa will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist her. A good attorney would look at how well the roads are lit and road conditions to determine if there was another cause of the accident. Additionally, the attorney will look into Festa's blood alcohol level to see if she was in fact intoxicated. Lastly, the attorney would find out the details of the accident scene, including if the car was in the middle of the road or on the side. With these details, a good attorney can prepare adequate defenses to the DUI charge.

Continue reading " California Man Struck By Drunk Driver While Pushing Car " »

In California, driving with a blood alcohol level above a .08% is against the law. Most people do not know when they get to the .08% level, though. This article put forth guidelines to gauge what your approximate blood alcohol level is at at any given point. Of course, these factors vary depending on a person's weight, if they are sick, taking medications, or drinking on an empty stomach.

Using the example of a person that weighs between 150 and 170 pounds, if a person drinks two drinks within an hour, they are likely between a .01% and a .04%. If they drink three drinks within an hour, they are likely at a .05% to a .07%. If they drink more than that, they are well over .08%. In this example, a drink is defined as a 1 1/2 ounce shot of liquor, a 5 ounce glass of wine or a 12 ounce glass of beer. To see other examples, click here.

The safest bet is to not drink and drive because even if you have less than a .08% blood alcohol level, you may still be pulled over for reckless driving or you may still cause an accident. Whether you live in Foothill Ranch, Yorba Linda or Lake Forest, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Factors in Alcohol Impairment " »

Howard Lee, a 20-year-old from Newport Beach, was in an accident this weekend, while under the influence. Allegedly, he was speeding while under the influence of alcohol, when he got into a car accident and his SUV flipped over and trapped him in it. Paramedics were called to East Coast Highway and Bayside Drive in Newport Beach, where they worked to get him out of the car. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and taken to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.

Driving under the influence is a serious charge. Driving under the influence when you are not yet 21 is an even more serious charge. Under California law, a person under 21 can get a DUI even if their blood alcohol level is at a .01%. Also, people under 21 are not allowed to refuse a blood alcohol test and have to give consent. Consequences of getting a DUI before you are 21 include fines, jail time, license suspension and probation.

Whether you live in Fullerton, Newport Beach or Mission Viejo, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " 20 Year-Old Newport Beach Man Gets DUI " »

Danny Boissiere was arrested this week for a hit-and-run, a DUI and possession of a stolen vehicle. He was driving in a Ford Explorer that was stolen from Pacifica. A man called officers because Boissiere appeared to be intoxicated. Officers tried to stop the car but Boissiere accelerated to 90 miles per hour. The driver then made an abrupt turn and crashed into a near-by Jeep Wrangler. Inside the Wrangler was Mr. and Mrs. McCurdy and their 2-year-old son. The Jeep flipped over and all the passengers were injured. Boissiere kept driving until he collided into a fence. He jumped out of the car and tried to run from officers but he was immediately apprehended.

Driving a stolen vehicle, driving under the influence and a hit-and-run are all serious crimes that will come with a long prison term. Boissiere will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist him in fighting these charges. A good attorney would read the lab results to see if Boissiere was actually intoxicated. He would also look at road conditions to see if there was another possible cause for the accident.

Whether you live in Foothill Ranch, Stanton or Corona Del Mar, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Drunk California Man Injures 3 People " »

Ashley Johnigan, 24, was convicted on Tuesday of second-degree murder and drunken-driving charges. In 2008, Johnigan had just left a bar in Santa Ynez when she got into a 2-car collision with Laura Cleaves and Lisa Raines. Johnigan and Raines suffered minor injuries. Cleaves died instantly at the scene of the accident. She was a District Attorney in Santa Barbara.

Prosecutors argued that Johnigan's blood alcohol was a .20%, which was the equivalent of drinking 16 drinks. The defense argued that although she admits she drove drunk, she was driving to get away from some men that were harassing at the bar and she was just trying to find a safe place to sober up.

Johnigan was sentenced to 15 years to life for the accident she caused. She can apply for parole once she has served 85% of her sentence. Whether you live in Orange, Santa Ana or Lake Forest, if you are charged with a DUI or DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Drunk California Woman Gets Into Accident with District Attorney " »

Daniel Howell was arrested on Wednesday in Joshua Tree for vehicular manslaughter caused by driving under the influence and felony hit and run. While under the influence of inhalants and prescription drugs, Howell drove his Mazda pick-up truck off the road and into a fashion photographer, who was conducting a photo shoot in Joshua Tree. Howell did not stop the car after the accident, however, and kept driving. The photographer, Alberto Jose Serejo, died at the hospital from his injuries. An hour later, Howell got into another traffic accident nearby and was immediately arrested.

Howell should obviously not have driven if he knew he was under the influence of mind altering drugs. Once he veered off the road and hit Serejo, he should have stopped the car and gotten out. Since he kept driving, he will be charged with felony hit and run in addition to vehicular manslaughter which can add more prison time to his sentence. If convicted for both charges, he may face up to 15 years in state prison.

Whether you live in Aliso Viejo, Stanton or La Palma, if you are charged with a DUI or DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " California DUI Driver Causes 2 Accidents in 1 Hour " »

A Bakersfield program called "Life Interrupted Mobile Exhibit" won the Program of the Year award from The California Crime Prevention Officer's Association this past week. The program is aimed at showing children the dangers of drinking and driving. The presentation consists of a DUI crash trailer exhibit which shows an actual car that was involved in a DUI accident and a video that tries to relay the emotions behind a DUI crash. The Life Interrupted program is taken to junior high and high schools in Bakersfield to lower the high rate of DUI fatalities. Since the programs start in 2002 to 2007, teenage fatalities went from 12 in 2002 to 1 in 2007.

Programs like this are a great way to teach kids the dangers of drinking and driving. Lecturing students is one thing, but actually showing them a car that was involved in a drunk driving accident and showing a video on the family's reaction and the emotional toll it takes on them, is something else. Once students feel the pain of the families and see the damage, they will definitely think twice before drinking and driving. I think the next step that this program should take is to take the exhibit to college campuses. In college, the students are actually old enough to drink and the program may be even more effective at that point. Nevertheless, the program is a great way to deter driving under the influence and reduce DUI fatalities.

Whether you live in Orange, Santa Ana or Newport Beach, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " California DUI Prevention Program Wins Award " »

The Automobile Club of Southern California has teamed up with County of Orange Health Care Agency Alcohol and Drug Prevention Team (ADEPT) and announced the launch of the Orange County DUI Prevention Task Force. The goal of this task force will be to address DUI issues in Orange County and do what they can to prevent them. Sub committees plan on addressing issues in law enforcement, public policy, marketing and community education. Although this is the first year in 10 years that DUI's have decreased, the task force feels that there needs to be more DUI prevention to prevent future DUI fatalities.

I think it is great that there are more DUI prevention programs emerging everyday. DUI arrests among women are on the rise, so the DUI prevention program will also target women to explain the effects of drinking and driving. I think an important factor that the program must stress is that, besides staying on your record and possibly requiring you to spend time in jail, DUI's can cost around $10,000 each because of attorney's fees, court fees and restitution. If the legal consequences won't scare people, maybe the financial consequences will.

Whether you live in Santa Ana, Huntington Beach or Brea, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Launch of Orange County DUI Prevention Task Force " »

Lawrence DiLeva Jr. was driving teenagers Molly Huckabey and Nicole Tropea home in his Dodge Ram in 2005. DiLeva had a blood alcohol level of .1% and was speeding down a residential street in Norco, California. He drove through two stop signs, swerved to avoid hitting another car and lost control of the car. Huckabey and Tropea were killed instantly due to impact. DiLeva was thrown out of the car, suffered brain damage and was in a coma. After he came out of the coma, he was arrested for gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI with bodily injury. Last week, he was convicted of those crimes and was sentenced to 9 years and 8 months in prison for his actions. Before this accident, DiLeva had been in prison for statutory rape and receiving a stolen vehicle. In addition, he had been charged with drug possession.

Anytime someone offers to drive others, they become liable if anything that happens to them. DiLeva was driving drunk, negligently and not obeying traffic signs, which in turn caused the death of Huckabey and Tropea. Even though the accident was not intentional, DiLeva is still guilty of manslaughter and it will always be on his record. Whether you live in Irvine, Santa Ana or Fullerton, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " California Drunk Driver Kills Two Teenage Girls " »

Matthew Craybas of Huntington Beach was driving drunk on Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday. While driving, Craybas crashed into a barrier that separates the road from the sidewalk and the whole car flipped over. His female passenger was thrown out of the car and received severe head injuries. When officers arrived, they took her to the hospital immediately since she was in critical condition. Craybas was then arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and taken to Laguna Beach jail.

Driving drunk is so dangerous because driving requires plenty of concentration and coordination. Pacific Coast Highway is known to be a long stretch of windy roads filled with pedestrians crossing and other distractions along the way. Craybas should have known better than to drive drunk and now he will face serious charges against him. Whether you live in Anaheim Hills, Mission Viejo or Fullerton, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced Orange County defense attorney right away.

Continue reading " Drunk Laguna Beach Man Causes Serious Injury to Passenger " »

While under the influence of narcotics, a woman in Los Angeles drove on the wrong side of the road in her pick-up truck and crashed into a van full of people. The collision killed van passengers Maria Luisa Dominguez and 6-year-old Angela Giron immediately. When police arrived on scene, they immediately arrested the suspect on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs and DUI manslaughter.

The suspect will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist her. If charged with DUI manslaughter, the suspect faces years in prison, a revoked license, probation and alcohol/drug classes. Some possible defenses could be that the suspect was not actually under the influence of any substance or that the van caused the accident and not her. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Garden Grove or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call a good DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Californian Driver Kills 6-Year-Old Girl While Under the Influence " »

Ruperto Lopez Rojo was sentenced to 1 year in jail and 5 years of probation for vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence with great bodily injury. In 2008, Rojo was driving his Mustang with passenger Pablo Macias. Rojo was so drunk that he was driving on the wrong side of the road. He saw oncoming traffic and suddenly veered off the road and crashed. Macias was killed instantly and Rojo sustained injuries. Rojo could have received 17 years for this crime, but instead the judge took his age, remorse and criminal history into account and sentenced him to just one year in jail. After serving his time in jail, Rojo will be deported since he is an illegal immigrant.

Many illegal immigrants are charged with crimes. If they commit a violent felony, they may be deported back to their country of origin. It has been found that once someone is deported, they are more likely to commit a crime when they come back to the U.S.

Rojo was lucky to get such a minor sentence for vehicular manslaughter. A good DUI defense attorney may be able to lower your sentence if you are charged with a DUI. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Orange or Laguna Beach, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " California Man Sentenced to 1 Year in Jail for DUI Manslaughter " »

Proposed Bill AB 91 involves a new device called ignition interlock device. The Bill would require Los Angeles County, Alameda, Sacramento and Tulare to establish a pilot program that would require DUI offenders to have an ignition interlock device installed in their car as a condition of them getting their license back. This device would detect if the driver has been drinking alcohol and would not let the car start. The results would then be reported to the county, court, or DMV. The program would take into effective in 2010 and by 2015, the Legislature would evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine if it should be permanent.

I think that this program will be very effective in reducing second and third DUI charges. Some concerns I do have, however, are if there are false positives or inaccurate results and how that would affect being charged with another DUI. For example, what if the passenger is drunk but the driver is not, but the device picks up the scent and the driver gets reported to the DMV. There would be no way of proving that the passenger was in fact drunk and not the driver. I think there will be a lot more litigation surrounding the ignition interlock device, but it will be effective in reducing DUI charges and accidents.

Whether you live in Anaheim, Orange or Mission Viejo, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you in court.

Continue reading " Proposed California Bill Pertains to Driving Under the Influence " »

Nancy Nevins was the lead singer of a band called Sweetwater, a band who had opened for Woodstock. They had been performing with legendary bands, making albums and making T.V. appearances. Then, in the winter of 1969, while Nevins was driving with one of her friends, an accident shut down the Glendale freeway. As everyone was breaking in front of her, a drunk driver driving 65 miles per hour, hit the car. Doctors initially thought Nevins would die because of the extent of her injuries. After she made a little bit of recovery, doctors said she would be in a coma for the rest of her life. She proved doctors wrong by coming out of the coma and becoming a fully functioning woman again. The only problem was, her vocal cords were pretty much destroyed. Her dreams of singing again were shattered.

The band disbanded and Nevins was crushed. She tried to get her singing voice back, but it was gone. She hit rock bottom and could only come up. At that moment, she realized that she was a good writer and could use that to her advantage. She became an English teacher at Glendale Community College. She has been working there for years and loves her job and it has given her the confidence to start singing again. Her voice and her style is not the same but she says she is still a success story after a tragic accident.

Driving under the influence can lead to serious consequences. This drunk driver almost killed Nevins and would have been charged with manslaughter. Luckily, Nevin pushed through and survived the accident. Whether you live in Brea, San Clemente or Orange, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you in court.

Continue reading " California DUI Victim Reinvents Herself After Accident " »

If you are charged with a DUI or alcohol is a contributing factor in an accident you caused, the court or the DMV will likely sentence you to an alcohol program or class. These are the different types of programs:

If you get a reckless driving charge with alcohol as a contributing factor, the court will likely require you to take a 12-hour alcohol program that discusses the dangers of drinking and driving.

When you get charged with your first DUI, you will likely have to go to a three month or 30-hour program. If your blood alcohol level was very high, you will have to go to a nine month 60-hour class.

Second time offenders are sometimes given jail time along with an 18-month program. In the program there are 52 hours of group counseling, 12 hours of drug and alcohol education, six hours of community reentry monitoring, and biweekly individual interviews for the first year of the class.

Even with all of these programs, DUI's and DUI fatalities are still high. In 2006, there were more than 31,000 alcohol related traffic injuries in California. Whether you live in San Clemente, Orange or Santa Ana, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " What Happens Once You Get a DUI in California? " »

Between Friday night and Monday morning in Orange County, about 73 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Last year, there were only about 67 arrests during the same time period. Officers did a good job of patrolling the area and setting up DUI checkpoints, which prevented any DUI fatalities from occurring in Orange County. In all of California this weekend, about 10 people were killed in DUI accidents, whereas last year there were 23 deaths.

In summary then, DUI's are going up but fatalities are going down. Although it is unfortunate that so many people still drive drunk, luckily they are not killing as many people as before. I think this has to do with people being more educated and aware of the dangers of drinking and driving as well as police officer's heightened efforts to prevent DUI fatalities. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Tustin or Garden Grove, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Orange County DUI Arrests over Labor Day Weekend " »

Jeffrey David Kirby was driving home drunk in the early morning hours in March in his Porsche when he collided with a Ferrari driven by Charles David Lewis in Newport Beach. Lewis, one of the founders of a mixed martial arts clothing line, died at the scene of the crime. As for how the accident happened, the prosecution claims that Kirby was so drunk that he lost control of his speeding car and hit Lewis. The defense claims that Lewis was driving fast and was trying to get Kirby to race with him when they collided. Since there has not been a trial yet, there are no set facts as to what happened.

As for now, the judge declined a plea deal that would give Kirby a lighter sentence if he would plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter. The judge said that since Kirby had a few DUI's on his record, he should have known better than to drive drunk and this case should be heard before a jury.

Besides just getting charged with vehicular manslaughter, Kirby will also be charged with a DUI with a blood alcohol level of over .08% and felony hit-and-run. If Kirby is convicted of all of these charges, he will face serious time in prison. Whether you live in Tustin, Buena Park or Mission Viejo, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced OC DUI attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Drunk Porsche Driver Crashes into Ferrari Driver in Orange County " »

Three's Company actress Joyce DeWitt was pulled over during the July 4th weekend in El Segundo, California. Officers observed DeWitt commit a traffic violation so they pulled her over. Officers noticed she looked intoxicated and after administering field sobriety tests, they concluded that she was driving under the influence. Last week, Dewitt was charged with 2 misdemeanor charges: driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol level of above a .08%.

During long weekends or holiday weekends, many people chose to celebrate by drinking alcohol. Officers are aware of this and will be heavily patrolling the area. If you are driving drunk and get pulled over, officers will want to give you field sobriety tests. If you take them and pass them, they will let you go. If you take them and fail them, they will arrest you. If you refuse to take them, they will arrest you and ask you to do those tests or a blood test in the station. If you get pulled over for a DUI in Orange County, Los Angeles County or Riverside County, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Actress Joyce DeWitt Charged with Driving Under the Influence " »

In May of this year, actress Lori Petty was arrested for a DUI in which she hit a skateboarder with her car. She was arrested on May 30 in Venice CA after she was pulled over for a DUI and was charged with a DUI with injury, a DUI above a .08% and no proof of financial responsibility. The only charge that Petty pled guilty too was the DUI with injury charge and the other two charges were dropped. Petty was sentenced to 60 months of probation, a 60 day alcohol treatment program and about $500 in fines and court fees.

Since this DUI incident injured someone else, Petty may consider herself fortunate in that she did not receive any jail time. Had her case gone to trial, she might have asserted defenses DUI such as insufficient evidence, lack of probable cause or malfunctioning blood alcohol testing machinery. These defenses are technical in nature and depend upon the lawyer's knowledge of the machinery used by law enforcement and its inherent weaknesses. Whether you are in Fullerton, Orange or Laguna Beach, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Actress Lori Petty Pleads No Contest to DUI in California " »

This weekend, officers will be regulating traffic and checking for drives who are not wearing seat belts, who are speeding and who may be driving under the influence. In Orange County during Labor Day weekend last year, around 67 people were arrested on suspicion of DUI. California DUI rates are down compared to last year though, so hopefully there are not too many people driving under the influence.

Checkpoints will be set up in Dana Point and Newport Beach. There will be a task force operation in La Habra and saturation officers in Orange. Click here for the detailed schedule. Since there are many parties during the Labor Day weekend, it is likely that alcohol will be involved. If you drink, please do not drive! Whether you are in Laguna Beach, Anaheim or Irvine, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Orange County DUI Checkpoints During Labor Day Weekend " »

As previously mentioned, Westminster City Councilman Andy Quach had been charged with a DUI in August when he crashed his car into a power pole, knocking out power to 300 Westminster residents. Officers say that his blood alcohol level was a .26% which is three times the legal limit. As soon as the accident occurred, Quach felt bad and embarrassed but took full responsibility for the crash. This week, Quach's attorney plead guilty on Quach's behalf. He was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a nine month alcohol program, 10 days of Caltrans community service and a $390 fine.

Luckily for Quach, he did not receive any jail time or lose his job. A first DUI will rarely come with jail time but in this situation, Quach's blood alcohol level was so high that he could have been put in jail. There are many legal and personal consequences that a person may face when they get a DUI. If you are charged with a DUI in Huntington Beach, Buena Park or Lake Forest, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Westminster City Councilman Pleads Guilty to DUI " »

Earlier this month, singer George Michael slammed into a truck on a British highway and was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The truck driver said Michael was speeding over 100 mph and weaving in and out of lanes. After the accident occurred, Michael came to talk to the driver but the driver said Michael was completely out of it. Once at the station, police did not find him under the influence of any substance so they released him without any charges. Michael had just received his license back after a 2 year suspension for driving on drugs.

Some people think that celebrities get special treatment when it comes to the law. Often we hear of celebrities getting out of tickets and spending short amounts of time in jail whereas a normal person convicted of the same crime would face a much longer jail/prison sentence. It seems unfair that just because someone is well known, they should get a shorter sentence. A good attorney will try and help you get the lowest sentence, regardless of who you are.

Whether you live in Santa Ana, Mission Viejo or Yorba Linda, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " George Michael Detained for Possible DUI " »

In June, Dodger's relief pitcher Ronald Belisario was pulled over by California Highway Patrol in Pasadena for driving while talking on a cell phone. After being pulled over, officers realized he was intoxicated so he was immediately arrested and charged with a DUI. He was released on $5,000 bail. Last week, Belisario entered a plea of not guilty for the DUI charge. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for October.

Belisario spent 10 years in the minor leagues before becoming a Dodger. If he is convicted of the DUI, it may affect his baseball career. He may have to spend time in jail and miss important games. Drinking and driving has such a major effect and such severe consequences that no one should do it. Whether you live in Artesia, Westminster or San Clemente, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Dodger Ronald Belisario Charged with DUI " »

On Friday night, Laguna Beach PD set up a DUI checkpoint from 9pm to 2 am on PCH. They hoped to catch any drunk drivers that passed them. In total, about 1,996 cars drove through the checkpoint in the 5 hours the checkpoint was set up. Around 15 motorists were given field sobriety tests and only 6 were actually arrested. Four others were cited for license violations. Representatives from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control were there to hand out information about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Also on Friday night, Irvine PD set up a DUI checkpoint on Barranca Parkway and Von Karman St. Four people were given sobriety tests but only two were arrested for driving under the influence. Five citations were also given.

DUI checkpoints are an easier way for officers to check driver sobriety in a busy area. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Huntington Beach or Fullerton, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Laguna Beach and Irvine DUI Checkpoint Results " »