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After drinking several shots of Sailor Jerry rum at a small house party at his house last year, Milad Moulayi was very drunk. However, he thought he should drive a few of his friends/classmates home that night. Jessica Dove and a few of her friends told Moulayi that he was too drunk to drive and refused to get into the car with him. However, Mackenzie Frazee was anxious to get back home, so she got into the car with Moulayi. As Moulayi, who was 17 at the time, was driving her home, he lost control of the car driving at 100 mph, drove over the center median, knocked over two road signs and slammed into a light pole. The crash cut the Mercedes into two. Frazee died immediately from massive blunt force trauma. Moulayi had just a few scrapes and was taken to the hospital. His blood alcohol level was a .10%.

Moulayi is being charged as an adult for the crime of second degree murder. The District Attorney claims that Moulayi was warned by his friends that he was too drunk to drive but he decided to drive anyway and endanger human lives so he should be charged with second degree murder instead of manslaughter. If he gets convicted, he will likely spend 15 years to life in prison.

At 17, juveniles do not know what alcohol can do to them and their decision making part of their brain has not been fully formed yet. Unfortunately for Moulayi, because of one stupid decision, he will be spending the majority of his young adult life in prison. If you are in a similar situation, whether you live in Laguna Niguel, Fullerton or Newport Beach, a good attorney may be able to help you.

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After celebrating her friend’s 30th birthday party at California Girls Gentleman’s Club in Santa Ana in July, Lynette Ann Hunt was drunk. Nevertheless, she still decided to drive her friends, Vanessa Herada and Maria Zamarripa, home that night. Witnesses said they saw Hunt weaving in and out of lanes on the 91 freeway before her car skid out of control, went down an embankment, rolled over and ejected Herada and Zamarripa. California Highway Patrol arrived and noticed Hunt’s breath smelled like alcohol, she was slurring her speech and her eyes were bloodshot. Her blood alcohol level was a .15%. Herrada was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime from major head trauma. Zamarripa was taken to the hospital and died from severe internal injuries. Hunt suffered a few broken bones.

On Monday, in Fullerton, Hunt pled guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, misdemeanor driving on a suspended license and to the sentencing enhancements of causing great bodily injury and having a blood alcohol level of above a .15%. She is expected to serve about 6 years in state prison.

It is so unfortunate that Hunt decided to drive her friends that night. Even when you are drunk, you know when your friends are drunk and her friends should have known not to get in that car. Unfortunately for Hunt, she killed her close friends and will think about it for the rest of her life. If you get a DUI, you will need an experienced attorney to help you through the legal process.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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