Articles Posted in DUI

Last week, Nora Reyes of Santa Barbara was driving northbound on southbound Highway 101 in Santa Barbara. Passing motorists called the police to report her. When officers arrived, they saw her driving about 70 miles per hour and going the wrong way. They tried to stop her but she kept driving. Officers stopped the other drivers tho were traveling southbound so no collision could take place. The car eventually drove off of the freeway and into a ditch. The driver was taken into custody after officers noticed obvious signs of intoxication. She will likely be charged with driving under the influence and evading arrest.

Luckily, Reyes did not kill anyone while driving drunk the wrong way on the freeway. A similar incident occurred on the same highway weeks before and two people were killed. A possible defense to this DUI is that the freeways may be confusing and lead people to get on the wrong on-ramp. If you drink too much and want to get home, call a cab. Do not drive. If this woman would have killed someone she could have faced life in prison. Whether you live in Irvine, Lake Forest or Anaheim Hills, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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In October, John Hansen was driving erratically and gesturing to other drivers on Highway 395 in California. After officers told him to pull over, he stopped in an alley and would not get out of the car or cooperate with officers. Officers had to close off the highway and then force Hansen out of the vehicle. Officers realized that Hansen was intoxicated so they arrested him for driving under the influence and resisting arrest.

Just as bad as fleeing the scene of a crime is resisting arrest. Both are added charges and add more time to your jail sentence. Hansen will likely have to spend time in jail, take alcohol education classes, have his license revoked and be put on probation. When someone does not come out of the car when officers tell them to, officers think that the suspect may have a weapon and try to kill themselves or others. This is a very dangerous situation and it deserves extra penalties. He likely thought that if he waited in his car long enough, officers would not be able to detect that he had been drinking. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Laguna Woods or Laguna Beach, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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The Salinas Police Department thought of a creative way to get people to go through their DUI checkpoint instead of avoiding it. Officers will be offering free turkeys to some of the drivers who successfully pass through the checkpoint. This is the seventh year the police department has been doing this and it has attracted many people to pass through. While at the DUI checkpoint, besides the chance of winning a turkey, drivers also get DUI information and may be given field sobriety tests.

I think giving away a free turkey is a great way to attract people to a DUI checkpoint. The only problem I have with it is that most people who go to the checkpoint to get a free turkey, will not pass through drunk and the purpose behind the checkpoint is defeated. This may just be a waste of resources that instead could have been used during a night when most people do not know a checkpoint will be set up. Nevertheless, even if officers catch a few drunk drivers, the streets are safer and they have done their job. Whether you live in Tustin, San Clemente or Brea, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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This weekend, Robert James Feenan was arrested for the 13th time for driving under the influence since 1983. On Friday, Feenan got into a non-injury crash in Santa Rosa and when police arrived, they determined that Feenan was under the influence. He was arrested and booked in jail on suspicion of driving under the influence with a felony DUI conviction, driving with a suspended license and violation of probation.

Habitual DUI offenders have alcohol problems and court ordered alcohol education classes and rehab are not enough. Even if the government makes a person take alcohol education classes, suspends their license, puts them on probation, and gives them jail, once that driver gets out, they may still drive drunk. The next step would be to install an ignition interlock device that would not allow a driver to start the car until they breathe into a machine installed in their car. This may be the only way to prevent habitual DUI offenders and alcoholics from driving under the influence and is now being used in some counties.

Whether you live in Orange, Fullerton or Stanton, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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Donald Clark, a former Pittsburgh news anchor who worked under the name Don Cannon, was arrested this week for failing to report for sentence for two prior DUI convictions from 2007. Clark had pleaded guilty to both DUI charges and was supposed to report to jail in October to serve his time. He failed to appear though, and two bench warrants were issued. Police found his address through another officer who had talked to him earlier that day in court regarding another DUI. Police went to his house and arrested him.

Failure to appear in court or report for a sentence can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony. Besides the time Clark will have to serve for the two prior DUI convictions, he will have to serve more time for failing to appear. If you are sentenced to jail time for a DUI, you MUST serve. A lawyer may be able to reduce your sentence, prevent you from going to jail, or recall your warrant though. Whether you live in Laguna Niguel, Villa Park or Westminster, if you are charged with a DUI or have a warrant out for your arrest, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Alexandra Forbes Kerry was pulled over this week for a traffic violation in Hollywood. Police officers detected signs and symptoms of Kerry being under the influence, so she was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor DUI. After posting bail, she was released and has to appear in court in December. Senator Kerry said that she was pulled over for expired vehicle registration and was released from jail after her breathalyzer results were below the legal limit.

If an officer believes you were driving under the influence of any substance and it is impairing your driving, they can arrest you for a DUI. If you have had anything to drink, wait until you are sober to drive or have someone else drive you. A DUI comes with possible jail time, probation and alcohol education classes. It can also stay on your record and disqualify you for jobs, degrees or licenses. Whether you live in Orange, Stanton or Laguna Niguel, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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Last week, a Thousand Oaks woman was driving on the Highway 23 and 101 connector when she made an unsafe turn and crashed into the guardrail on a bridge. The woman was not wearing her seat belt so she was thrown around the vehicle and was seriously injured. When the ambulance arrived, she was not breathing and her heart had stopped. Emergency responders were able to revive her and she was rushed to the hospital. Investigators beleived that she was drunk at the time of the incident so she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Even though this woman nearly died, she will still be charged with the crime she committed. She nearly killed herself and likely learned a valuable lesson about drinking and driving. People that get DUI’s sometimes have drinking problems and it would be valuable for them to take alcohol education classes or go to rehab. With the economy the way it is, more people are drinking away their problems and that leads to DUI’s, DUI accidents and DUI fatalities. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Laguna Hills or Stanton, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Lake County is forming a new DUI program called the Lake County DUI Intensive Response Team. The purpose of the program is to prevent DUI accidents and prosecute DUI suspects. The program involves five different components. First, the program funds vertical prosecutors to handle felony and misdemeanor DUI’s from the beginning to the end. This would allow the prosecutor to become familiar with the case and have their own investigators to assist with the DUI cases. Second, it requires DUI offenders to take counseling and alcohol education classes to prevent multiple DUI’s. Third, the program provides a victim assistance program that assists the victim by explaining the court process to the victims and contacting them regarding any developments in their case. Fourth, the program would provide more probation officers to look after DUI offenders and make sure they are complying with the probation conditions. Lastly, the program provides education to the community, and especially the youth, on the dangers of drinking and driving.

This program sounds like it has all of the elements to be very successful and effective at reducing DUI offenses and fatalities. If successful, many other counties may model its multi-faceted approach. If you are charged with a first time DUI, you will likely have to pay court fines and get your license revoked for a few months. With this program, you would also be mandated to take alcohol education classes to prevent future DUI’s and have active probation officers ensuring compliance to all probation conditions.

Whether you live in Fullerton, Newport Beach or Lake Forest, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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The Orange County Sheriff’s Department just received a three year, $874,852 grant for DUI prevention and enforcement. The grant will pay for DUI checkpoints, extra patrols, warrant searches and court stings (where officers follow people from court who have suspended licenses to see if they drive). The money will also be used to increase enforcement around big events like the O.C. Fair or sporting events. Additionally, money will be spent on extra officers around holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco De Mayo, to ensure that the roads are free of intoxicated drivers.

More DUI enforcement means more driving under the influence charges for the people of the county at first. After that, people will be aware that there are more cops around and that they are specifically targeting drunk drivers and people will be too scared to drive drunk. If you are celebrating an event and want to drink,arrange for a driver so that you do not have to worry about getting arrested. A DUI arrest will stay on your record and cost you quite a bit in fees. Whether you live in Westminster, Aliso Viejo or Stanton, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Joseph Anthony Phillips and Timothy O’Brian of Winchester, California were off-roading in Menifee on Wednesday of this week. These men had been drinking beers throughout the day and while off-roading and were not wearing seat belts. As they were driving on a dirt road, they picked up speed and the car lifted up over Leon Road and landed on an embankment on the other side of the road. Both men hit the dashboard and the windshield and were killed instantly.

The combination of alcohol, speeding and no seat belts often leads to death whether someone is driving on a paved road or not. It is very unfortunate that these men were killed while doing something that they likely thought was harmless and fun. Even while off-roading, a person may be charged with a DUI if they are driving while intoxicated. Whether you live in Laguna Hills, Santa Ana or Tustin, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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