Articles Posted in DUI

Scooter Patrol, a nonprofit organization that picks up intoxicated people at bars and drives them home, has closed due to financial hardship. The founder of Scooter Patrol, Anthony Panzica, thinks that the company has kept about 12,000 drunk drivers off the road. He started the company after he saw drunk people getting in their cars to drive home. At its peak, the company had about 15 volunteers that drove around beach cities and picked up people that needed rides home. It operated mainly on donations from sponsors and riders. When business started slowing down because of people carpooling, sponsors left and Scooter Patrol had to close. Panzica tried to get local government support but the government said they could not help because of liability issues.

Scooter Patrol is a great idea and it is extremely unfortunate that services like this cannot survive the deteriorating economy. Keeping 12,000 drunk drivers off the road is a tremendous achievement and probably saved so many lives. Hopefully, other programs like this can be implemented throughout California, thereby reducing the number of DUIs and drunk driving accidents that occur. If you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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In 2008, more than 11,700 people died in crashes involving a driver that had a .08 blood alcohol level or higher. In California, there were 1,029 deaths which was a 9% reduction from the year before. Orange County is making a special effort to crack down on drunk drivers by planning DUI checkpoints and police saturation until Labor Day. All 38 Orange County law enforcement agencies will participate in the crackdown. In the OC Register, the Anaheim Police Department listed a schedule of where and when the DUI checkpoints will be held.

Whether you live in Irvine, Santa Ana or Fullerton, if you get stopped at a DUI checkpoint and you are intoxicated, you will get arrested and charged with a DUI. An experienced DUI defense attorney will look at your blood alcohol level and determine if you were over the legal limit or not. Depending on you blood alcohol level, the attorney may be able to drop you charges, lower your charges, or lower you sentence.

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After consuming about 15 beers, Kyle Wygle was seriously intoxicated. Nevertheless, he got onto his motorized barstool and drove home. He was going about 20 miles per hour near his home, when he tried to make a U-turn and suddenly crashed. Officers responded to the scene of the crime to see an injured man on a barstool. The motorized barstool was made with a lawnmower engine and steering wheel. Wygle was charged with a DUI and pled not guilty.

Although it seems strange to think that a motorized barstool could be considered a vehicle, any object that needs to be driven and that requires concentration and coordination is considered a vehicle. A good attorney may be able to reduce Wygle’s DUI charge to a reckless driving charge instead.

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

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In the U.S., the rate of DUI arrests for women has rose 28.8% from 1998 to 2007. The Transportation Department also reports that during the same period, the rate of DUI arrests for men has dropped 7.5%. Even though DUI arrests for women have increased, men still get the majority of the DUI’s. In 2007, 626,371 men got a DUI compared to 162,493 women.

One explanation for the rise in women getting caught driving under the influence is that more women are working and need the stress release that alcohol provides. Another explanation is that police are cracking down on driving under the influence and not letting women get off with just a warning anymore.

Nevertheless, whether you live in Irvine, Santa Ana or Westminster, if you get charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you with your legal matters.

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Last week, Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps was pulled over in Baltimore, Maryland for running a stop sign. After an investigation, officers realized he was driving under the influence. He was charged with a DUI, driving while impaired by alcohol, violation of a license restriction and failure to obey a traffic control device. If he gets convicted of these charges, he could face up to 1 year in jail, have to pay a steep fee and have his license suspended.

Phelps is a role model to so many children. It is disappointing that an amazing athlete like Phelps is letting down his fans. Besides affecting his fans, Phelps may lose endorsements and his wholesome image. Knowing this, Phelps made a public apology and said he regretting drinking and driving. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Whether you live in Irvine, Fullerton or Santa Ana, if you are charged with a DUI, a DUI defense attorney can help you fight your charges and help lower your sentence.

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About three weeks, three armed bounty hunters went to find a man who had skipped bail for a misdemeanor DUI arrest. The bounty hunters arrived at the suspect’s house in Sun Valley and there was a scuffle. The suspect apparently tried to grab one of the bounty hunter’s guns so another bounty hunter pulled out his gun and shot the suspect in the leg.

Anytime a person is contacted by law enforcement, they should comply with the requests and be as cooperative as possible. Resisting arrest or fighting will just make it harder on you once you get to court.

Once you are arrested and charged with a DUI, it is important that you pay all necessary court fees and attend all court appointments. If not, you will face repercussions. Once you get a DUI, an experienced California DUI defense attorney may be able to assist you in lowering court fees or your sentence.

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After rolling through a stop sign in Coto de Caza on Saturday, police tried to stop Matt Keough. Keough did not stop however, and drove all the way to his house before police stopped him. Once there, police thought he was drunk so they tested his blood alcohol level. His blood alcohol level turned out to be 3 times the legal limit. He was arrested and taken to jail. In 2008, he was arrested for a probation violation of a DUI arrest in 2005.

Matt Keough is a former professional baseball player and reality star in the show “Real Housewives of Orange County.” Although the show is more about his ex-wife Jeana Keough, he was seen on the show a few times in the first few seasons. After suffering head injuries from baseball, Keough suffered from memory and mood problems which drove him to alcohol.

With his blood alcohol level being three times over the legal limit, Keough will need an experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney on his side.

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Matt Thomas was in the passenger side of a car driven by his drunk friend about 15 years ago. The car fell off a 30 foot bridge and nearly killed Thomas. The crash caused severe brain damage and paralysis on his left side. Thomas had to learn to walk, talk and read all over again. During therapy, a friend of his gave him some hydro bikes. Because of those bikes, he was able to make a speedier recovery and can now walk, drive, go back to school and use his own man power to go on hydro bikes, paddle boats, and kayaks. He has started a charity event in Newport Beach called Paddle Pedal to raise money to support the charity of your choice. Since his accident, he has been speaking in classrooms all around Orange County about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Driving under the influence can have serious impacts on not only the driver, but also passengers. Amazingly, Thomas has turned the tragedy he faced into triumph by organizing charity events and spreading the message of the dangers of drinking and driving throughout the community.

Although the article did not mention the fate of his friend who drove drunk, it is assumed that he is probably still in jail because of the DUI. Whether you live in Huntington Beach, Garden Grove or Anaheim, if you get a DUI, you will need an experienced defense attorney to help you.

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Last month the California Supreme Court unanimously held that breath test results used in driving under the influence cases, can be inaccurate. Breathalyzer results may be inaccurate because they do not take into account a person’s body temperature, atmospheric pressure, medical conditions or calibration of the machine, all of which can cause varying results. This is a huge step for defense attorneys who can now argue that breathalyzer results may not be accurate or may not be a true indication of someone’s intoxication level. This decision came after many complaints by defense attorneys and people falsely accused of driving under the influence.

Alcohol has different effects on different people and may result in slurred speech and blurred vision for some at a .08 level. For others, these effects are not felt until the blood alcohol level is much higher. Regardless whether you are stopped for a DUI in Irvine, Fullerton or Santa Ana, an experienced DUI attorney may be able to argue that the results of your breathalyzer tests are inaccurate.

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Last week I blogged about Westminster Councilman Andy Quach being suspected of driving under the influence. More details emerged that affirmed that Quach was in fact driving drunk. Officers claimed that when they arrived at the scene of the accident, Quach’s car had hit a power pole that knocked out power to over 300 homes and he looked intoxicated. He had blood shot eyes, slow and slurred speech and smelled like alcohol. His blood alcohol content was at a .26%, three times over the legal limit. His friend, Assemblyman Van Tran came to the scene of the crime after being called by Quach. Tran says Quach looked shook up, but was not injured. Quach says he will not step down from his position and instead will educate Orange County citizens about drinking and driving.

It is disappointing when a person that is considered a model citizen and a role model does something like this, however, we are all human. This was clearly a case of bad judgment and likely taught him an important lesson. Besides just being charged with a DUI, he will receive an enhancement since his blood alcohol level was about a .20%.

Whether you live in Newport Beach, Yorba Linda or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney.

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