Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Police will be on the lookout for motorists driving under the influence more than usual this Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday.

Statewide, 12 people were killed in alcohol-involved collisions on Super Bowl day last year, and another 167 were injured. The California Highway Patrol arrested 403 for drunk driving. In Orange County, two alcohol-related collisions were reported, three people were injured and 20 cited for DUI, according to CHP statistics.

“We’re not discouraging the celebration,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a statement. “We’re asking fans to make the right call, so they won’t find themselves benched in a jail cell.”

Coastal cities like Costa Mesa and Newport Beach rank poorly in alcohol-related crashes and DUI arrests, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety – so beware of your neighboring motorists if you plan on traveling through there.

For the most part, Orange County cities are not planning any special DUI patrols or checkpoints for Super Bowl Sunday. But Brea police Sgt. Bill Smyser said officers will make sure to keep an eye out at popular spots around town.

In Santa Ana, officers expect to increase its number of patrol officers on Sunday.

If you need an Orange County DUI Lawyer, or have questions for an Orange County DUI Attorney, call me — anytime! — at (714) 568-1560.

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

The California Avoid the 28 program announced that they will be having special saturation patrols for Superbowl Sunday, which is this upcoming Sunday, February 1, 2009.

Be careful out there.  If you need an Orange County DUI attorney, visit my website at www.orangecountyduilawyercom.

Information at:

http://www.californiaavoid.org/about_enforceperiods.php

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

The Riverside Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, January 30, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., in an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved collisions. DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.

Last year, the City of Riverside had experienced eleven fatalities as a result of DUI driving; there were six in 2007. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint will be conducted as an effort to reduce those tragic incidents that result in a loss of life due to a DUI driver.  Additionally, officers will be checking that drivers possess a valid driver’s license.

By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the Riverside Police Department believes motorists could be deterred from drinking and driving and encourages sober designated drivers.

Traffic volume and weather permitting, all vehicles at the chosen location may be checked. Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will be arrested. Our objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs – Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest.

The public is encouraged to help keep roadways safe by calling 911 if they see a suspected impaired driver.

MEDIA NOTE:  Reporters are invited to join the checkpoint by contacting Sergeant Dwayne May, Riverside Police Traffic Division, at (951) 353-7991 or via email at dmay@riversideca.gov.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you have questions for a Riverside DUI Attorney, call me anytime at 877-568-2977.

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Traffic Sgt R. Lawhead explains that the San Bernardino Police Department will be conducting a citywide DUI saturation patrol program during the evening hours on Friday, January 30, 2009.

This operation is part of the Department’s ongoing effort to address drunk driving and reduce alcohol-related injuries and fatalities. The State of California Office of Traffic Safety provided funding for this program.

If you need a San Bernardino DUI Lawyer, call me at 877-568-2977

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

The Moreno Valley Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, January 30 from 6:00pm – 12:00am within the City of Moreno Valley. In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.

A major component of these checkpoints is to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.

Traffic volume and weather permitting, all vehicles may be checked and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will be arrested, police said.

If you have questions for a Moreno Valley DUI Attorney, call me at 877-568-2977.

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

On Saturday, January 17, 2009, the Long Beach Police Department conducted a Driving Under the Influence / Drivers License checkpoint at Del Amo Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue.  “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” is the campaign for 2009. Long Beach Police Explorers and Long Beach Search and Rescue aided the Police Officers at the checkpoint.

The checkpoint operated from 6:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.  During the eight-hour operation, 1,018 vehicles passed through the checkpoint with 332 being screened.  Of the vehicles screened, 4 people were arrested for driving under the influence, 17 vehicles were impounded because the drivers were unlicensed, and 56 drivers were issued traffic citations.

4 arrests from 1,018 vehicles in the checkpoint?  That’s a 0.0039% success rate.  DUI Checkpoints don’t work.

If you need Long Beach DUI Lawyers, call me at 877-568-2977.

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

From the Orange County Register:

SUNSET BEACH – Beer and junk food seem to be synonymous with Super Bowl Sunday, but a local nonprofit warns that getting behind the wheel after the big game could ruin all the fun.

Scooter Patrol, an organization that looks to keep drunk drivers off the road year-round, will offer transportation services Sunday to patrons of Tsunami Sushi in Sunset Beach.

And the offer is more than tempting. It’s free. Your car goes with you. You arrive safely home and keep other drivers safe in the process, organizers said.

“Super Bowl Sunday is one of the worst days of the year for drunk driving,” said Scooter Patrol founder Anthony Panzica. “We’re looking forward to making our community safer… by providing free rides home.”

Panzica, 42, of Seal Beach, started the patrol as a one-man show in 2003 using an old scooter with a light duct-taped to the front.

His endeavor quickly grew as friends stepped up to help with the service and sponsors started showing interest.

“This is my way of helping my community,” Panzica said. “It’s really heartening and humbling to be in a position where we’re saving people’s lives.”

Today, GoPed provides the scooters, Scott’s Motor Sports offers maintenance services and 15 volunteers are signed up as drivers.

Although the Scooter Patrol will focus on Sunset Beach and Seal Beach on Sunday, they also provide services for Huntington Beach, Huntington Harbour and Newport Beach from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Friday and Saturday. They also offer a reservation service for people going out on off days.

The Scooter Patrol usually visits bars early on the weekends to let patrons know of the service. They field about six to 10 calls a night, on average, and pick up people from Main Street in Huntington Beach to Belmont Shore in Long Beach.

Tsunami Sushi is one of the Patrol’s early supporters. This will be the sixth year the Scooter Patrol has offered its services at the restaurant’s annual Sunday-Funday Super Bowl Party, when the Arizona Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Scooter Patrol will have a booth at the restaurant ready to cart away intoxicated football fans up to 10 miles from the bar. They also will offer their on-call service in other Sunset Beach and Seal Beach locations.

Designated drivers take bar-goers home in their own car, return the keys then zip back via scooter.

If safety isn’t a priority for a partygoer, perhaps avoiding an expensive driving-under-the-influence charge would be enough incentive to take Scooter Patrol up on their offer, organizers said.

The Office of Safety and Traffic this year was awarded about $165,000 in grants for law enforcement agencies to step up their DUI checkpoint efforts in eight Orange County cities including Tustin and Laguna Beach, according to Register archives.

OST named Super Bowl Sunday as one of the premier holidays for police to host a sobriety checkpoint — right up there with St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve.

Scooter Patrol also offers a reservation service for people going out on off days.

If you have the need for an Orange County DUI Lawyer, call me at 714-568-1560.  Thank you.

Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

A South Korean national who flew home to Seoul a day after an alcohol-related crash that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist on the 55 freeway in October 2005 is being extradited back to Orange County to face vehicular manslaughter charges.

Youn Bum Lee, who was an executive with Hyundai, has been arrested in South Korea on a fugitive warrant signed by an Orange County judge and will be returned to Orange County later this week, according to Deputy District Attorney Susan Price.

Lee, 41, was charged in 2007 with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs with injury, and hit-and-run with injury or death in connection with the death of Ryan Dallas Cook, 23, of Huntington Beach.

Lee, according to CHP reports, had been drinking heavily at a Hyundai company outing before he got in his vehicle and drove away.

Witnesses later told police they saw Lee’s dark SUV weaving in the southbound lanes of the 55 freeway before it crashed into the concrete barrier outside the car-pool lane north of MacArthur Boulevard.

The SUV was stalled in traffic with no lights when Cook, riding his motorcycle, drove up. Cook was unable to stop. He was thrown to the pavement after running into the SUV, where he was then struck by other motorists.

Lee grabbed a late-night flight to South Korea the next day before he could be interviewed by police.

Cook’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lee, and against for the Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley and Hyundai Motor Finance Co. and several company executives, accusing them of helping Lee flee the country to avoid prosecution.

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Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

The following article was published today in the San Diego Union Tribune:

CHULA VISTA — If you make a habit of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Cally Bright is looking forward to meeting you.

The District Attorney’s Office is assigning Bright to the South Bay Court in Chula Vista for the next two years. She will spend those two years exclusively prosecuting DUI drivers in the South County, especially repeat offenders, those involved in crashes resulting in property loss, injury or deaths.

The goal, she said at a news conference Friday, is “to prosecute these cases from start to finish, aggressively.”

At the same time, the region’s law enforcement agencies – the police departments of Chula Vista, National City, Coronado and San Diego, as well as the Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol – will be teaming up for extra DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols in the area, looking for DUI driver to send in Bright’s direction.

They also will be conducting sweeps for DUI drivers who have failed to appear in court and have had warrants issued for their arrest.

All this is being made possible by a $525,000 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety issued to the Chula Vista Police Department, the first such grant of its kind in San Diego County.

“This is exactly what needs to happen in our county,” said Patricia Hodgkin, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers in San Diego County.

The grant application was written by Chula Vista police Agent Rusty Rea, a veteran traffic investigator who has seen his share of vehicular tragedy.

“Your typical DUI offender may have driven under the influence 75 times in a year before we catch him,” Rea said.

The idea of using grant money to pair increased law enforcement with a full-time DUI prosecutor was pioneered a few years ago by Tulare County, in central California. Chula Vista police chief Rick Emerson said the need for a similar pairing exists in the South Bay, noting that officers generate about 800 to 900 DUI arrests annually.

“That’s a significant workload on the District Attorney’s Office,” Emerson said. “It’s a significant workload on the courts.”

Another change: no more “catch and release” for repeat DUI offenders in Chula Vista. The city has its own jail in police headquarters, and Emerson said he plans to acquaint suspected drunken motorists with it.

“We will hold them in our facility until they can post bail, or (until) arraignment, rather than releasing (them) on citation,” the chief said.

A third leg to the grant program is education, Bright said. She plans to visit major employers and high schools in the region to try to drive home the message against driving under the influence.

“We want to shift the focus from ‘think before you drive’ to ‘think before you drink,’ ” she said.

Emerson sounded a bit skeptical on the education aspect.

“It would be nice if we could educate our way out of this problem,” he said. “We haven’t been able to. People don’t think they’re above the .08 blood-alcohol limit and they continue to drive.”

MADD’s Hodgkin sounded a similar note.

“Our question has always been, why do people drive drunk?” she said. “And the answer keeps coming back, because they can.”

If you have questions for an experienced DUI attorney in San Diego, call me at 877-568-2977.

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Archive for January, 2009

Orange County using DUI patrols for Superbowl Sunday

Friday, January 30th, 2009

The Costa Mesa Police Department will be conducting a sobriety / driver license checkpoint on Friday evening, January 23, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. The checkpoint will be located on northbound Santa Ana Avenue, at 18 th Street. The checkpoint is to educate the public about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or without a valid driver license.

“We have been committed to saving lives by aggressively seeking out and removing impaired drivers from the roadways of Costa Mesa for nearly three decades,” said Traffic Safety Bureau Sergeant Rob Sharpnack. “For those who don’t make the intelligent and safe decision to avoid driving after they drink, CMPD will diligently continue to remove them from our roadways.”

CMPD works closely with M.A.D.D., which provides their crashed car trailer, displayed at checkpoints as a reminder of the consequences of drinking and driving.

Along with M.A.D.D. OC, the Costa Mesa PD also works with the O.C. Health Care Agency, to maintain a Taskforce on Drunk Driving, which focuses on education and Responsible Beverage Training. Training is free to local alcoholic beverage selling establishments. The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce can be contact for those interested in receiving the training.

Media are highly encouraged to attend the checkpoint and requested to assist in educating the public about the dangers of making the worst possible decision, namely to drive after drinking or without a valid driver license.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you need a Costa Mesa DUI Attorney, or Costa Mesa DUI Lawyer, call me at 714-568-1560.