Well, the Labor Day weekend has passed, and the “all out” efforts to crack down on DUI for this past weekend (including the AVOID the 38 special project, which ended a special enforcement period September 6th).  So how did law enforcement do? Our Newport Beach DUI lawyers decided to find out.

The California Highway Patrol reports that they arrested 56 people in Orange County on suspicion of drunken driving over the Labor Day holiday weekend, compared to 73 last year, a drop of 23%, and no one was killed in traffic collisions on Orange County freeways, said CHP officer Denisse Quesada.

Local law enforcement began their maximum enforcement period Friday at 6 p.m. and continued until close to midnight Sept. 6.

During the labor day weekend, CHP and other law enforcement in Orange County often increase patrols and stage sobriety checkpoints.

Other counties do the same, in part to take advantage of federal funding, impound fees, and MADD funding and volunteers.  In San Diego County, Chula Vista police screened about 500 drivers at drunken driving checkpoint that wrapped up early Monday, but no arrests were made.  When DUI arrests are made, police always say that they are providing a valuable service in keeping streets safe, so…  does that mean that the police and checkpoints are now no longer needed?

Nope.  “That means the message is really coming across,” Officer Alicia Chudy said.

The checkpoint in the 200 block of East Orange Avenue resulted in eight citations for driving without a license and six citations for driving with a suspended license, Chudy said.  Fifteen other citations were issued, and 13 vehicles were impounded, she said.

On Thursday and Friday, the Chula Vista police stopped 89 vehicles during a saturation patrol, arresting two drivers on suspicion of drunken driving and impounding 16 vehicles, Chudy said.  Each of those can result in a 30 day or longer impound, which, at the daily rate, is significant income for law enforcement, according to a study from UC Berkeley.

Just like in Orange County, California Highway Patrol said Monday it had no reports of traffic fatalities in San Diego County during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

In San Diego County, the CHP arrested 72 motorists across the county on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs since 6:01 p.m. Friday.

Last year, there was one reported traffic fatality and 82 motorists were arrested for drunken driving during the same time period, meaning that the overall drop in DUI arrests continues.   If you have any questions for our Orange County DUI Lawyers, call us, anytime, toll free at (714) 568-1560.

Our Newport Beach DUI Lawyers have learned that drunken drivers will be targeted this holiday weekend through enforcement patrols and DUI checkpoints.

California Highway Patrol officers will begin their maximum enforcement period Friday at 6:01 p.m. and will continue until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 6.

During Labor Day weekend last year, CHP officers throughout the state made 1,417 arrests for driving under the influence, and because DUI arrests are so profitable, they are looking to substantially increase that number, justified our not.

Likewise, city police departments have scheduled DUI and driver’s license checkpoints and some will conduct saturation patrols. DUI checkpoints are not nearly as effective as saturation patrols (officers, in vehicles, looking for driving related offenses that indicate DUI), not by a long shot, but catching unlicensed drivers, which can mean 30-90 days of impound fees, plus federal matching funds and MADD funding and volunteering for DUI checkpoints, means big money for DUI checkpoints, even if they are noneffective.

Brea Police is holding a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Imperial Highway east of Valley View in Yorba Linda.

The Placentia Police Department is conducting its checkpoint on Friday from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Police would not say where the checkpoint will be, only that it would be within the city.

Other scheduled checkpoints are taking place in Anaheim on Friday and La Habra on Saturday. Locations and times were not provided.

Scheduled saturation patrols will take place on Friday and Sunday in Orange – which hosts the popular International Food Fair this weekend — and Saturday in Irvine.

The cities of Brea, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, and Tustin also scheduled saturation patrols during the enforcement period.

The Costa Mesa Police Department got an early start on their DUI enforcement, setting up a checkpoint at the Bristol Street and Randolph Avenue intersection Tuesday night.

Throughout the night, 1,181 drivers went through the checkpoint, resulting in the arrest of four drivers, according to the department. Two additional arrests were conducted as a result of the checkpoint, one of which was a drug possession arrest.

A total of 18 citations were issued and 15 vehicles were towed.

In Cypress, the police department set up a checkpoint that began at 8 p.m. Saturday and continued until 3 a.m. Sunday. Throughout the night, 733 vehicles went through the checkpoint that resulted in one DUI arrest, according to the department.

Be careful out there, and if you have questions for Orange County DUI Lawyers, feel free to contact me at (888) 292-8888, anytime.

Authorities will be out in full force this holiday weekend looking for drunken drivers through enforcement patrols and DUI checkpoints.

California Highway Patrol officers will begin their maximum enforcement period Friday at 6:01 p.m. and will continue until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 6.

During Labor Day weekend last year, CHP officers throughout the state made 1,417 arrests for driving under the influence.

City police departments have scheduled DUI and driver’s license checkpoints and some will conduct saturation patrols.

Brea Police is holding a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Imperial Highway east of Valley View in Yorba Linda.

“If we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Sgt. Bill Smyser.

“We will be contacting drivers, making sure they are not impaired, arresting those who are, and getting the word out that impaired driving and driving without a proper license is not acceptable in Yorba Linda,” Smyser added.

The Placentia Police Department is conducting its checkpoint on Friday from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Police would not say where the checkpoint will be, only that it would be within the city.

Other scheduled checkpoints are taking place in Anaheim on Friday and La Habra on Saturday. Locations and times were not provided.

Scheduled saturation patrols will take place on Friday and Sunday in Orange and Saturday in Irvine.

The cities of Brea, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, and Tustin also scheduled saturation patrols during the enforcement period.

The Costa Mesa Police Department got an early start on their DUI enforcement, setting up a checkpoint at the Bristol Street and Randolph Avenue intersection Tuesday night.

Throughout the night, 1,181 drivers went through the checkpoint, resulting in the arrest of four drivers, according to the department. Two additional arrests were conducted as a result of the checkpoint, one of which was a drug possession arrest.

A total of 18 citations were issued and 15 vehicles were towed.

In Cypress, the police department set up a checkpoint that began at 8 p.m. Saturday and continued until 3 a.m. Sunday. Throughout the night, 733 vehicles went through the checkpoint that resulted in one DUI arrest, according to the department.

Authorities will be out in full force this holiday weekend looking for drunken drivers through enforcement patrols and DUI checkpoints, our Newport Beach DUI lawyers have learned.

California Highway Patrol officers will begin their maximum enforcement period Friday at 6:01 p.m. and will continue until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 6.

During Labor Day weekend last year, CHP officers throughout the state made 1,417 arrests for driving under the influence.

City police departments have scheduled DUI and driver’s license checkpoints and some will conduct saturation patrols.

Brea Police is holding a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Imperial Highway east of Valley View in Yorba Linda.

“If we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Sgt. Bill Smyser.

“We will be contacting drivers, making sure they are not impaired, arresting those who are, and getting the word out that impaired driving and driving without a proper license is not acceptable in Yorba Linda,” Smyser added.

The Placentia Police Department is conducting its checkpoint on Friday from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Police would not say where the checkpoint will be, only that it would be within the city.

Other scheduled checkpoints are taking place in Anaheim on Friday and La Habra on Saturday. Locations and times were not provided.

Scheduled saturation patrols will take place on Friday and Sunday in Orange and Saturday in Irvine.

The cities of Brea, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, and Tustin also scheduled saturation patrols during the enforcement period.

The Costa Mesa Police Department got an early start on their DUI enforcement, setting up a checkpoint at the Bristol Street and Randolph Avenue intersection Tuesday night.

Throughout the night, 1,181 drivers went through the checkpoint, resulting in the arrest of four drivers, according to the department. Two additional arrests were conducted as a result of the checkpoint, one of which was a drug possession arrest.

A total of 18 citations were issued and 15 vehicles were towed.

In Cypress, the police department set up a checkpoint that began at 8 p.m. Saturday and continued until 3 a.m. Sunday. Throughout the night, 733 vehicles went through the checkpoint that resulted in one DUI arrest, according to the department.  If you need the services of our Orange County DUI Lawyers, don’t hesitate to contact us at (714) 568-1560 anytime.

Monday, April 12, 2010 | As Orange County DUI Lawyers, we get asked all the time about how effective DUI checkpoints are.  The answer is: Not Very.  For all of the effort expended by police departments on DUI checkpoints, they’re not the best way to catch drunks behind the wheel.

In 2008, just more than 5,000 drunk drivers were nabbed at 1,740 checkpoints statewide. That number represents about 2.3 percent of all California drunk driving arrests in 2008, according to statistics compiled by the state’s Office of Traffic Safety.

Meanwhile, nearly 215,000 DUI arrests were made by regular police and California Highway Patrol officers on their daily patrols, the Department of Motor Vehicles reported.

But despite these statistics, the checkpoints are here to stay. While they may not be good at catching drunk drivers, they have proven quite effective in capturing something else very important to local police agencies: federal dollars.

Roughly $14 million in federal grant money was spent statewide in 2008 on checkpoints. Orange County law enforcement agencies will receive at least $2.5 million in federal grants this fiscal year for checkpoints.

Grants cover virtually all costs for the checkpoints including overtime for officers so inspections don’t interfere with regular police work.

“If you see a check point, the chances are extremely good that that’s grant funded,” said Chris Cochran, spokesman for the California Office of Traffic Safety which administers federal safe driving grants.

Federal grants for checkpoints jumped nationally in fiscal 2006 from $40 million the previous year to $120 million. For fiscal 2009, grant funding was $139 million, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Both Cochran and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Orange County Interim Director Mary Beth Griffith say there is clear evidence that checkpoints are a deterrent.

They point to the fact that drunk driving fatalities have decreased in recent years and say the drop is at least partly attributable to checkpoints being an effective way to educate the public about drunk driving.

Cochran cited the Office of Traffic Safety’s 2009 performance report which said alcohol-related deaths from driving accidents dropped 9.1 percent from 2007 to 2008 and, since 2005, fatalities have gone down “a staggering 20.1 percent.”

And MADD’s Griffith noted a U.S. Transportation Department report in March that said preliminary statistics show national traffic fatalities in 2009 were at their lowest level since 1954. And the rate has been steadily going down for more than three years.

Griffith said she would “like to believe it’s because more people are being arrested before they could cause a crash.”

However, when the government released the 2009 fatality numbers last month, one of the nations top auto safety watchdogs attributed the drop in fatalities primarily to the Great Recession.

“It’s a consistent pattern that the silver lining in any recession is a dip – and sometimes a significant dip – in highway deaths,” Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told the Baltimore Sun.

The government report, according to the Sun’s reporting, shows a downward trend in fatalities that increased as the national economy went into recession and Americans began driving fewer miles. The number of deaths on the nation’s roads prior to 2008 routinely surpassed 40,000.

Nonetheless, Cochran insists that “checkpoints are the best deterrent for DUI (driving under the influence) fatalities.”

One reason for their success, he said, is that they reach both drinkers and non-drinkers, helping educate both groups about the dangers of drinking and driving and, hopefully, inspiring non-drinking family and friends to get behind the wheel when they’re with someone who has been drinking.

“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Stop!” Shouts a voice from the dark as officers begin their inspection at a recent checkpoint in Fullerton.

The police check for a valid driver’s license and then chat with (and sniff) drivers to see if they seem impaired by alcohol or drugs. Officers also give each driver they stop anti-drinking and driving literature from MADD.

But a recent investigation by the investigative news website California Watch revealed that police agencies do more than just sniff for booze and hand out pamphlets at checkpoints.

They also impounded the cars of unlicensed drivers whether they’ve been drinking or not. And the agencies make big money doing it, according to California Watch’s reporting. The website also found that minority motorists — and often illegal immigrants — were often the most likely to have their cars impounded.

Even with such revelations, Cochran said federal dollars for the checkpoints will keep coming. “It’s a trend more than a spike,” he said.

SAN DIEGO – “The Real World: San Francisco” star Puck — real name David Rainey — was arrested on a DUI charge, California Highway Patrol officer Brian Pennings told NBC San Diego, over an accident Friday night that has left him in the hospital.

“(Rainey) was arrested for suspicion of DUI, however, he remains hospitalized due to his medical condition,” Pennings told the site.

According to Pennings, the former reality star will also be facing charges of child endangerment and driving without a license.

NBC San Diego reported that the Rainey, 41, and his 8-year-old son, Bogart, were severely injured in an auto accident on Friday that left the car upside down in a stream bed after it rolled down an embankment.

According to TMZ, sources close to Rainey’s family said he and Bogart were traveling on California’s Route 79 on Friday for a fishing trip when Puck swerved to avoid hitting a deer and lost control of the car.

However, Pennings did not mention an animal, telling NBC San Diego that Rainey lost control of his vehicle due to a curve in the road on Route 79.

“Due to his level of intoxication, he was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway,” Pennings said.

TMZ further reported that after being transported to the hospital, doctors discovered that Rainey suffered broken bones in both feet, his right hand and his neck, He also reportedly fractured his clavicle and sternum.

Rainey’s son reportedly suffered damage to his liver and bruised several internal organs in the accident.

The reality star is reportedly expected to remain hospitalized for another week.

If you have questions about a Los Angeles DUI case, call me at (877) 568-2977.

The big story this week was the two police officers with multiple Orange County DUI cases.   The following is my mix of stories from the OC Register, OC Weekly, and other sources:

Anaheim police officer Kevin Noel Schlueter was charged today with driving under the influence of drugs after crashing into four parked cars. It’s the 37-year-old Costa Mesa resident’s third DUI, and not to be confused with the DUI charge brought against Orange County sheriff’s deputy Mark Wayne Hewlett, who is accused of being drunk, losing control of his car and crashing into a planter in the front yard of Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell‘s Villa Park home.

Both cops were driving their own cars, not police cruisers.

In the first DUI case against Schlueter, he is accused of driving erratically and weaving through lanes on the 405 freeway near Westminster Boulevard while under the influence of drugs at about 9:30 p.m. on March 18, 2009. A witness called 9-1-1, and Schlueter nearly crashed into other cars on the road, including a California Highway Patrol vehicle that responded to the call.

Schlueter showed signs of drug intoxication once he was pulled over, including shaking hands, red and watery eyes, slurred speech, and lethargic appearance, according to the CHP report. He was allegedly under the influence of the prescription drugs hydrocodone, hydromorphone, phenmetrazine, phendimetrazine and carisoprodol.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) charged Schlueter on Sept. 1, 2009, with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2010, Schlueter is accused of driving on Oakridge Lane in Huntington Beach while impaired and under the influence of drugs. His car crashed through the back yard fence of a residence, and when officers arrived, he was still sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine running.

Again, cops say he showed signs of drug intoxication, including slurred speech, a lack of coordination, and a lack of balance. He was allegedly under the influence of hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meprobamate and carisoprodol.

The OCDA on Friday charged Schlueter with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs in the second case.

Finally, Schlueter was driving on Cabrillo Street in Costa Mesa at about 1:40 p.m. on March 2 when his car crashed into three parked cars. He is accused of then reversing his vehicle–and crashing into a fourth parked car.

This happened outside an ambulance company, and a witness at the company put Schlueter in the back of an ambulance until Costa Mesa police officers arrived at the scene.

Cops say he had red and watery eyes and was incoherent and lethargic. He is accused of being under the influence of phentermine, carisoprodol and oxycodone.

Sounds like a certain Orange County police agency better check its drug evidence locker.

Schlueter was charged today with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs. He could get up to two years and six months in jail if he is convicted of all three offenses, according to the OCDA.

He is scheduled to appear Friday at West Justice Center in Westminster for a pre-trial hearing for the 2009 case and arraignment for the two 2010 cases.

SANTA ANA – An Anaheim police officer resigned Tuesday amid a department investigation and after being charged with driving under the influence of a cocktail of prescription drugs for the third time in less than a year.

The officer, who hasn’t been to work since late 2008 but remained on paid administrative leave, has pleaded not guilty in one case of driving under the influence from an incident last March. The two latest charges were filed last week and Tuesday.

Kevin Noel Schlueter, 37, of Costa Mesa, is charged in three separate cases with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs for each case.

Schlueter’s three DUI arrests were first revealed earlier this month by the Register.

If convicted in all three cases, Schlueter faces up to two years and six months behind bars. Schlueter is scheduled to appear in court Friday.

Schlueter had been on leave since November 2008 for what department spokesman Sgt. Rick Martinez said was “a variety of reasons.” Personnel rules prohibit him from giving specifics, Martinez said.

Schlueter’s leave had been unpaid at first. But then in November 2009, months after Schlueter’s first DUI arrest, Anaheim officials put him on paid administrative leave.

After Schlueter’s arrests were publicized by the Register, Anaheim police issued a statement saying:

“The Anaheim Police Department is cooperating with the OC District Attorney’s office in its prosecution of these cases and we have contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles regarding the officer’s future driving privileges. We are also expediting our internal investigation into this matter in order to reach a decision concerning the officer’s employment as soon as possible.”

Schlueter resigned from the department Tuesday, Martinez said.

Schlueter’s trouble behind the wheel appears to have started on March 18, 2009, when he was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol after nearly slamming into a CHP squad car. Several drivers had called 911 to report a possible DUI driver at the wheel of a silver Chevy Tahoe on the 405 freeway that night, said CHP Officer Ray Payton.

Dispatchers sent a CHP officer ahead of the possible drunken driver weaving in the slow lane to wait for him to drive by, according to the report. The Tahoe drove by – careening onto the right shoulder of the freeway and coming within a foot of hitting the waiting CHP squad car, the report said.

The officer watched as the Tahoe weaved from side to side, nearly colliding with a Range Rover. The CHP officer pulled the Tahoe over and after doing field sobriety tests on the driver, later identified as Schlueter, arrested him, according to the CHP report.

According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Schlueter is accused of displaying signs of drug intoxication including “shaking hands, red and watery eyes, slurred speech, and appeared lethargic.” Prosecutors accuse Schlueter of being under the influence of prescription drugs that impaired his ability to drive including hydrocodone, hydromorphone, phenmetrazine, phendimetrazine, and carisoprodol.

Someone came to pick up Schlueter at the CHP office. On Sept. 1, 2009 prosecutors filed one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. Schlueter pleaded not guilty.

On Jan. 21 prosecutors say Schlueter was driving on Oakridge Lane in Huntington Beach around 9:30 p.m. when he crashed his car through the backyard fence of a home. He sat in the driver’s seat with the engine running until Huntington Beach police showed up, according to prosecutors.

Again Schlueter is accused of showing signs of being under the influence of drugs, including “slurred speech, a lack of coordination, and a lack of balance.” According to prosecutors, he is accused of being under the influence of prescription drugs that impaired his ability to drive including hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meprobamate, and carisoprodol.

Schlueter was arrested and later released. Last week prosecutors charged Schlueter with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs.

On March 2, Schlueter was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing a 2010 Jeep Liberty into four parked cars on his own street in Costa Mesa in the middle of the afternoon.

According to prosecutors, Schlueter crashed into three parked cars, reversed his Jeep, and crashed into a fourth parked car while backing up.

The crashes ripped the right wheel off the axle of Schlueter’s Liberty, according to Costa Mesa police Lt. Rob Sharpnack. The Liberty also suffered rear bumper damage, Sharpnack said.

An employee of an ambulance company saw the accidents and put the injured Schlueter in the back of the ambulance and waited for Costa Mesa police officers to arrive, according to prosecutors.

Again, according to prosecutors, Schlueter showed “objective” signs of drug intoxication including “having red and watery eyes and being incoherent and lethargic.” He is accused of being under the influence of prescription drugs that impaired his ability to drive including phentermine, carisoprodol, and oxycodone.

Schlueter was treated at the hospital for his injuries and released. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged him with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs – his third such charge in less than a year.

An Anaheim police officer who lives in Costa Mesa is accused of driving under the influence of prescription drugs three times in the last year, with his latest alleged incident happening in Costa Mesa last week.

Kevin Noel Schlueter, 37, faces three misdemeanor DUI charges. He has already pleaded not guilty to an alleged DUI in March 2009, when prosecutors said he nearly hit a California Highway Patrol car on the 405 Freeway in Westminster.

In January of this year, prosecutors said Schlueter crashed his car into the backyard of a home in Huntington Beach and sat in his car until police arrived. In that case, he was also under the influence of prescription drugs, authorities said.

The officer’s most recent arrest came Thursday in Costa Mesa, where he’s accused of hitting four cars while again under the influence of prescription drugs.

Schlueter is scheduled to be arraigned for the two most recent arrests Friday. He faces up to two years and six months in jail if convicted on all charges.

Related articles

• Puck Was Driving Drunk At The Time Of His Accident!! (perezhilton.com)
• Superintendent issues apology for DUI arrest (theolympian.com)
• 14 arrested during DUI emphasis patrol (theolympian.com)

The OC Watchdog Blog, part of the Orange County Register, has an interesting story – about the police officer that got three DUIs, and is still on the police payroll!  As an Orange County DUI Lawyer, it pains me to see how the police have a double standard when it comes to their own.

It’s no secret that some cops have a problem with alcohol.  It’s a stressful occupation, the hours are long, and the job wreaks havoc with home life.  As well, it’s easy for cops to get hurt on the job — making addiction to prescription painkillers another problem.

All that said, we were taken aback by the tales of officers’ DUI that came flooding in after we wrote last week about an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing twice in less than 35 minutes.  (Cops from his own department had let him drive away after the first accident.)

That was bad, but this might be worse:

It’s the story of an Anaheim cop who hasn’t been to work since late 2008, is still on the department’s payroll, and notched his third DUI arrest in less than a year March 2.

The Watchdog pulled the records and confirmed that Officer Kevin Noel Schlueter, 37, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing a 2010 Jeep Liberty into four parked cars – on his very own street in Costa Mesa, in the middle of the afternoon.

The crashes ripped the right wheel off the axle of Schlueter’s Liberty, according to Costa Mesa police Lt. Rob Sharpnack. The Liberty also suffered rear bumper damage, Sharpnack said.

Costa Mesa police officers arrested Schlueter on suspicion of driving under the influence and took him to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries, Sharpnack said. He gave a blood sample, but the results aren’t back yet.

That DUI arrest was strike three for Schlueter, a 13-year veteran of the Anaheim Police Department.  But cops play by different rules, as we shall see, and three strikes don’t always mean you’re out.

Schlueter’s troubled times behind the wheel appear to have started on March 18, 2009 when Schlueter was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol after nearly slamming into a CHP squad car.  Several drivers had called 911 to report a possible DUI driver at the wheel of a Silver Chevy Tahoe on the 405 freeway that night, said CHP Officer Ray Payton.

Dispatchers sent a CHP officer ahead of the possible drunken driver weaving in the slow lane to wait for him to drive by, according to the report.  The Tahoe did indeed drive by – careening onto the right shoulder of the freeway and coming within a foot of hitting the waiting CHP squad car, the report said.

The officer watched as the Tahoe weaved from side to side, nearly colliding with a Range Rover. The CHP officer pulled the Tahoe over and after doing field sobriety tests on the driver, later identified as Schlueter, arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Alcohol was ruled out, Payton said, but drugs, which can include prescription drugs, were not. Someone came to pick up Schlueter at the CHP office. Prosecutors filed one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. Schlueter pleaded not guilty.

While waiting for the wheels of justice to turn, Schlueter was arrested twice more.

Officers responding to a single-car wreck in Huntington Beach the night of Jan. 21 arrested Schlueter on suspicion of driving under the influence, said Lt. Russell Reinhart of Huntington Beach. Prosecutors have not yet filed charges against Schuleter in the Huntington Beach case, but detectives there say they have a court date with Schlueter March 26.

Then on March 2 came the Costa Mesa wreck, at 1:42 p.m. on Schlueter’s own street.

Schlueter has been on leave since November 2008, for what exactly Anaheim officials aren’t saying.   Anaheim police spokesman Sgt. Rick Martinez characterized it as “a variety of reasons,”  but said that personnel rules prohibit him from giving specifics.

Schlueter’s leave had been unpaid at first. But then in November 2009, months after Schlueter’s first DUI arrest Anaheim officials put him on paid administrative leave and he started earning a paycheck again.

Again, Anaheim officials aren’t saying why.

UPDATE: After this column was published, Anaheim PD called and asked us to include this statement: “The Anaheim Police Department is cooperating with the OC District Attorney’s office in its prosecution of these cases and we have contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles regarding the officer’s future driving privileges. We are also expediting our internal investigation into this matter in order to reach a decision concerning the officer’s employment as soon as possible. ”

Schlueter declined to comment through his attorney Joseph P. Smith. None of his cases have been adjudicated.

We put a call in to a residential treatment facility in Palm Springs that deals with cops’ addictions to alcohol and painkillers to get some perspective on what seems a pretty big problem.

Dr. Krista Gilbert of Michael’s House, told us that in her 15 years in dealing with police officers she has learned “one of the things that is reinforced in departments is that if you cry, you’re a sissy. They aren’t getting the support or validation to deal with the extreme situations and intense situations they see and are living through on a daily basis.

“Its vicarious trauma that they are dealing with,” Gilbert said. “You put up a good show, you’re a good soldier and you do your job no matter what.”

Self-medication with alcohol or prescription medications can also be a way of  covering up other issues like depression or extreme anxiety, Gilbert said.  “A lot of time we find people saying, ‘I’m doing self-care….This is for me.’ ”

That’s good perspective on the personal problems that some cops face.

Still, it seems to us at The Watchdog that after a peace officer gets three DUI strikes, he or she ought to be out.

We’ll keep an eye on this case and let you know what happens.

Related articles

• Is it illegal to sleep drunk in a parked car? (seattlepi.com)
• Rules must change to avoid another case like Maurice Clemmons (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Texting/phoning drivers meet ghostly end (trueslant.com)

While the police were spending their time on profit making Perhaps, then, it should be no surprise that DUI-related collisions that injured three people and left two dead happened instead in Garden Grove, Irvine and Costa Mesa.
A commercial truck tractor went off the residential street of Woodbury Road in Garden Grove around 11 a.m. Friday and hit several trees, a fence, concrete planters and a block wall before coming to a stop at 11052 Woodbury Road.

That’s not all the rig hit, as 36-year-old Olga Quiroz, who was standing in her yard, was struck and dragged under the truck until it came to a halt at the block wall at the back of the property.

Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before having her taken to a local hospital with lacerations, fractures and other injuries to her legs.

The truck’s driver, William Davis, 44, of Orange, was held at the scene by residents until police arrived. Uninjured, Davis was evaluated to have been driving under the influence of alcohol and was later arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.

Several heavy-duty two trucks eventually removed the damaged rig, and the street was closed for about three hours.

The truck and driver were also linked to a non-injury hit and run traffic collision that happened about 45 minutes before at Euclid Avenue and Trask Street. Surveillance video from a nearby home on Woodbury Road is helping investigators piece together the truck’s course of travel moments before the collision. Anyone with other helpful information is asked to contact police Investigator Jason Perkins at (714) 741-5823.

An Irvine police officer saw a 2004, 4-door Nissan Altima zooming at speeds in excess of 80 mph through the Alton Parkway and Harvard Avenue intersection, running a red light, around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.  The chase was on heading east on Alton, but the officer lost sight of the Altima as it continued eastbound through Culver Drive.

About 30 seconds later, another Irvine cop saw the Altima approach the Alton and East Yale intersection, lose control, strike the curb and then collide with a group of trees at the southeast corner. The driver and lone occupant of the Altima was killed instantly. The 24-year-old Garden Grove resident’s name was withheld pending notification of his family.

Around 2:15 a.m. that same morning, a patron of the Red Night Club at 4647 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, reported that his 2004, 4-door Nissan Altima was stolen from the nightclub’s parking lot. Newport Beach and Irvine police put two and 4-door together and determined the car wrapped around the trees was the stolen Altima.

Because an Irvine officer had tried initially to pull-over a speeding vehicle that was eventually involved in a traffic collision, the California Highway Patrol is conducting the collision investigation. The Orange County Sherriff-Coroner’s Office is conducting toxicology tests on the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP’s Santa Ana Office or the Irvine Police Department.

Finally, some time before 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a 2008 white Toyota Tundra that had earlier been involved in a non-injury accident in Santa Ana was seen heading south on Flower Street before going through a red light at the intersection with Sunflower Avenue in Costa Mesa and broadsiding a 2008 gold Toyota Carolla that was heading west on Sunflower.

The passenger in the second car, Cara Lee, 20, of Santa Ana, was killed in the collision.

The Corolla’s driver, Hao A. Nguyen, 21, of Santa Ana, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana for treatment of minor abrasions. He was later arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The Tundra driver, Gustavo A. Vega, 22, of Costa Mesa, was treated for minor abrasions at the scene and arrested on suspicion of murder, vehicular manslaughter, felony DUI, felony injury hit-and-run and possession of a controlled substance. He also faces additional charges from the earlier hit-and-run in Santa Ana.

Remember to be careful out there.  And, if you ever have questions for a DUI specialist orange county, call me at (877) 568-2977 anytime.

As an attorney handling Los Angeles DUI and Orange County DUI cases, I get press releases from various law enforcement agencies. I’m putting the word out about a sobriety checkpoint in the Coachella Valley below, as sent to me:

Due to an increase in alcohol-related accidents over the past few years, the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District, which includes the unincorporated communities of Mecca, Oasis, Thermal, and Vista Santa Rosa, will be conducting a Driving Under the Influence / Driver’s License checkpoint this coming Friday, November 13, 2009, between the hours of 6:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M. The operation will be supported by the California Highway Patrol and the City of Coachella, 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.

All too often, residents of the southern Coachella Valley are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. A major component of these checkpoints is to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.

A DUI checkpoint is a proven-effective method for achieving this goal. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District believes motorists can be deterred from drinking and driving. 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. 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. The majority of funding for this operation is provided by the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District. If anyone has any questions, they can contact Sgt Steve DaSilva or Lieutenant Frank Taylor at (760)863-8990.

Date/Time Written: November 7, 2009/ 1630 hours
Type of Incident: DUI / Driver’s License Safety Checkpoint
Date/Time of Incident: November 13, 2009
Location(s) of Incident: Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District, encompassing the communities of Mecca, Oasis, Thermal, and Vista Santa Rosa
Reporting Officer: Sgt. Steve DaSilva

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