by

With a blood alcohol level of three times the legal limit, Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, decided to drive. He ran through a red light in Fullerton in April and hit a Mitshubishi Eclipse. Inside the Eclipse was Angel’s pitcher Nick Adenhart, college cheerleader Courtney Stewart, law student Henry Pearson and former Fullerton baseball player Jonathon Wilhite. Adenhart, Stewart and Pearson were killed. Gallo was charged with three counts of second degree murder, drunk driving causing great bodily harm, hit and run and driving on a suspended license because of a former DUI. He also received sentencing enhancements for injuring Wilhite and a passenger in his car, Raymond Rivera. His pretrial hearing will begin on September 11, 2009. If he is convicted of all these charges, he faces between 54 years to life in jail.

Gallo faces so much time in prison for an act he obviously did not think through or intend to do. Of course in retrospect, I am sure it is clear to him that he should not have driven. If you are ever feeling tipsy or drunk, ask someone else to drive.

An experienced Orange County DUI defense attorney will look at all the facts surrounding the incident and all of the possible defenses. Additionally, they would try to get the DA to drop or lower some of the charges so Gallo would have to spend less time in prison.

Whether you live in Lake Forest, Huntington Beach or Yorba Linda, if you get a DUI, you need an experienced defense attorney on your side.

Continue reading →

by

Andrew Steuber, of Camp Pendleton’s second Batallion and first Marines division, was driving his Ford Mustang this weekend with Cpl. Edmond K. Vandecasteele IV, of Camp Pendleton’s first Batallion and first Marines division, in the passenger side. Steuber was speeding and intoxicated when he crashed his car into a tree in San Clemente on Saturday night. He was taken to Mission Hospital in critical condition. Vandecasteele was killed immediately at the scene of the crime. He was a skilled ammunition technician who had received multiple service awards. Two other Marines were in the backseat and were only slightly injured.

It is unfortunate that such an experienced Marine died. Hopefully Streuber has a speedy recovery, although once recovered, he will likely be facing manslaughter charges along with DUI charges. This incident will likely be grounds for military discharge of Streuber. Whether you live in Irvine, Newport Beach or Fullerton, if you get a DUI, get an experienced DUI defense attorney to help you.

Continue reading →

by

On Saturday night, after dinner with his friends, Westminster City Councilman Andy Tuan Ngoc Quach accidentally slammed his car into a power pole and knocked out power for about 300 homes in the area. Police arrested him because they believed he was driving under the influence. Quach claims that he just fell asleep for a few seconds and the next thing he knew, his black S550 Mercedez Benz had crashed into a power pole on McFadden Avenue. Quach said he was remorseful for what he did and wants to take full responsibility. He hopes that this event does not affect his position at the city.

As people know, DUI’s have major consequences. Besides possibly killing or injuring yourself or others, a DUI is reported on your criminal record which employers are constantly checking. Employees may often lose their jobs for getting a DUI. Losing a job in these tough economic times can mean being unemployed for a very long time. After a while, bills cannot be paid on time and your house and cars can be subject to foreclosure. It is hard to see that far ahead when you are drinking though. The most sound advice is whether you are living in Irvine, Fullerton or San Clemente, do not drink and drive! If you get a DUI, please call a trusted Orange County DUI defense attorney to help you through the legal process. A good attorney may be able to keep that DUI off your criminal record.

Continue reading →

by

Driving up or down a windy and narrow parking structure is hard enough. Being drunk and driving through a parking structure proved impossible for a drunk Downey man last week. Alexander Diaz, a non college student, crashed into 24 cars as he was trying to navigate through the narrow parking structure in the residential area of UC Irvine. He nor anyone else was injured. He was arrested and charged with a DUI, taken to the hospital and then released.

Again, the message is clear, do not drink and drive. Regardless if you are in Fountain Valley, Lake Forest or Anaheim, there are steep legal ramifications for drinking and driving. Diaz will likely have to pay for all the damage he caused to the cars, deal with a DUI on his record, pay steep court fees and even possibly go to jail.

Continue reading →

by

Did you know that you can get a DUI for operating a boat while intoxicated? According to the California Department of Boating and Waterways, the same rules that apply to driving a car also apply to operating a boat. A person who is operating a boat cannot have a blood alcohol level of .08% or higher, or else they will be charged with a DUI. If a person under 21 is operating a boat with a blood alcohol level of .01% or higher, they will get their license suspended.

The California Department of Boating and Waterways also reminds you that drinking while on a boat gives you a false sense of warmth because you actually lose body heat when you drink. Additionally, drinking and operating a boat leads to poor judgment and slow response time which can ultimately lead to more boating accidents.

Since it is summer and many Californians own boats, I guess its a good reminder to the residents living in Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach not to drink and operate boats.

Continue reading →

by

Early Thursday morning, a drunk driver was driving through a residential part of Trabuco Canyon when he hit a light pole. After hitting the light pole he decided to flee the scene, running through a resident’s backyard. The homeowners heard the commotion and ran outside to see what was happening. They saw the man running and detained him until officers arrived. The man was taken to the hospital and then jail for suspicion of drunk driving.

A good attorney would check the lab results immediately to see if in fact the suspect was drunk. Even if he was not drunk, fleeing the scene of an accident can carry some criminal charges with it, whether you live in Irvine, Newport Beach or Fullerton.

Continue reading →

by

A Fountain Valley man, was stopped in front of a Newport Beach restaurant on suspicion of driving under the influence.  The individual says he was just waiting for his car at the valet station when police stopped him. Police claim that they had received a call that someone was driving drunk so they stopped him as he was pulling into the restaurant. He had a .18% blood alcohol level at the time of his arrest. At trial, nobody testified that he had been driving, but he was still convicted of a DUI and was sentenced to jail time, an alcohol program and probation.

A good attorney would argue that since no one testified at trial that he was driving, he should not have been convicted of a DUI.

The humorous (albeit sad) part of the story was that during the field sobriety tests, he told officers he needed to use the restroom. As is common police procedure in every city, including Laguna Hills, Fullerton or Irvine, no one can use the restroom until they are taken to jail. The rule is such because suspects may have to take a urine test in jail so officers can get an accurate blood alcohol level reading. He asked several times if you could use a nearby restroom but could not hold it any longer and wet himself during the tests. He claims he is going to sue the city for $100,000 for the pain and suffering he was put through by the officers.

Continue reading →

by

In the city of Gardena this weekend, volunteers of the Safe and Sober Summer Campaign were offering free water bottles to drivers as they were waiting at red lights in busy intersections. This program is geared towards quenching the community’s thirst so that they don’t have to reach for liquor and then drink and drive. Additionally, on hot summer days when violence is high, water can cool off hot tempers and hopefully reduce violence and crime in the community. One driver even exchanged a can of beer for the bottle of water, proving that the program is effective. Volunteers of the program have all come from troubled backgrounds and are ready to help resolve problems in the community instead of causing them.

I think that this program is a great idea that should be implemented in Orange County cities such as Westminster, Garden Grove and Santa Ana. Crime and DUI’s are higher in summer months because people are hot, irritated and bored. Someone offering free water bottles and a smile to drivers may change someone’s mood and make them think twice before doing something that could get them in legal trouble.

Continue reading →

by

After drinking four Crown Royal and colas, two patron tequila shots and three Jagermeister bombs earlier that evening, Yanira Ramirez was very drunk. However, she still managed to get into her car on November 30, 2007. Unfortunately for Pauline Portes, Ramirez was so drunk that she drove the wrong way on the 55 (Costa Mesa) freeway, crashing into Portes and killing her. Portes’ boyfriend, Nguyen, was driving when the crash occurred and was injured.

Ramirez is a single mom of a 5 and 9 year old. She has no criminal past. She said she made a poor decision when she decided to drive home that night and will now be facing 10 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter. It just takes one poor decision to end a life. Regardless if you live in Irvine, Anaheim, Fullerton or Westminster, drinking and driving is a serious offense.

Continue reading →

by

Last week, the Los Alamitos City Council discussed possibly charging drunk drivers who cause accidents, up to $1,000 more in fees. In addition to the court, attorney and DMV fees DUI offenders already pay (that sometimes exceed $10,000), the city wants to charge for the fire, ambulance and police assistance that may be required if the offender causes an accident. Already, a few Orange County cities including Anaheim, Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa have a similar program. The city of Westminster has had a similar program for about 10 years and says it recovers about 60% of the costs of a DUI accident.

Some people argue that DUI fees reach between $10,000 and $15,000 already and most DUI offenders cannot afford anymore. Others argue that DUI offenders should pay for the costs that they incurred, instead of the city having to pay for it. Either way you come out on the issue, DUI accidents affect everyone involved, so if you get a DUI, please call an attorney right away to help you through the legal system.

Continue reading →