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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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Heather Elizabeth Azkoul was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the death of Virginia Cordier, a mother of 5 children. In January of 2007, Azkoul got drunk with a friend at Alcatraz Brewing Co. at the Block in Orange and then drove home. On the way home, she hit a bicyclist and sped away. She was found later crying in her car with a blood alcohol level of .18. She was convicted of DUI manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated with prior convictions, including two past DUI charges. She was also found guilty of hit and run resulting in permanent injury or death.

At trial, one of the children of Cordier discussed that her father killed himself soon after her mother was killed. Azkoul did not intend to kill anyone that night and just wanted to get home. Unfortunately, she did kill someone and she will likely have to spend the rest of her life in prison thinking about her terrible decision to drive that night.

Whether you live in Fullerton, Laguna Niguel or Westminster, if you are charged with a DUI, you will need an experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney to assist you in fighting your charges and lowering your sentence.

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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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In March of 2009, Donte Stallworth got into his car after a night of drinking. He struck and killed a man and was charged with DUI manslaughter. He was only sentenced to 30 days in jail and served just 24 of them. This short sentence sparked a lot of controversy and anger. The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decided to further punish Stallworth because of his violation of the league substance abuse rules by suspending him for the full 2009 season, without pay.

Besides killing someone and having a DUI manslaughter on his criminal record, Stallworth’s career is also affected. It is hard to think so far in advance when you are drinking, but a DUI affects all parts of your life. If you get a DUI, an experienced DUI defense attorney can help you get through the legal system.

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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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On Friday night, Costa Mesa police set up a DUI checkpoint at Newport Boulevard and 22nd Street. Police screened about 212 of the 647 cars that drove through and investigated about 25 possible DUI incidents. Police arrested 3 people for driving under the influence and 1 person for suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale. Police also cited nine drivers for not having their license and 10 for vehicle violations. The next checkpoint in the area will be on August 26.

DUI checkpoints are effective because police stop all people in one busy area to see if someone has been drinking. Once you get close to the checkpoint, any turning around is prohibited. Checkpoints have many standards they have to follow. For example, the pattern of stopping cars must be neutral and mathematical (ex- every other car, every fourth car…etc). Additionally, the stop can not be overly burdensome or intrusive. Lastly, there must be a sign in the area warning drivers about the check and the area must be well lit and safely done to minimize fear for drivers.

Whether you get a DUI in Anaheim, Fullerton or Irvine, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you in the legal process.

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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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