The Orange County Register had a story about the upcoming DUI Checkpoint in Newport Beach this weekend.  Our Orange County DUI Lawyers bring it to you for your weekend planning.

NEWPORT BEACH – Police will stage a sobriety checkpoint from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday on northbound Dover Drive at 16th Street, a location bordered by several nightlife hotspots.

Cars passing the checkpoint will be chosen to move through screening lanes on a pre-determined basis designed to ensure the process is objective and random.

Arrests rarely climb into the double digits at checkpoints, which serve more as deterrents. Last month, a checkpoint staged at the entrance to the Balboa Peninsula resulted in six drunken-driving arrests, plus two more detentions for non-DUI-related offenses.

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Police agencies all over Orange County are inviting the media to come along for their DUI checkpoints, which, as someone among the few Orange County DUI Lawyers on the front lines of  DUI defense in this county, I have repeatedly reminded people don’t work.

However, I was surprised to see an Orange County Register article mentioning in their photo caption that “DUI checkpoints in Orange County rarely result in many arrests, instead being used as deterrents.”

Funny that they would say that DUI checkpoints are deterrents, since most of the DUI checkpoint locations are not announced, a potential violation of the State of California Supreme Court’s Ingersoll case.  If they were not trying to catch people, but merely deter them, shouldn’t they be getting the word out early, vocally, and often, to “deter”, instead of arrest?

The article is below, and I am assuming that it’s based upon the Costa Mesa Police Department after report, which was first published at the Costa Mesa PD website, here.

“COSTA MESA – Motorists on Tuesday night for the most part didn’t let the holiday season ruin their good judgment, as a DUI checkpoint netted just one suspected drunk driver out of nearly 300 cars.

Costa Mesa police from 6 p.m. to midnight staged the sobriety-screening operation on Santa Ana Avenue at 18th Street. During that time, 296 vehicles drove through, 142 were stopped for further screening and 11 motorists were screened for drunken driving, but in the end, there was one DUI arrest. …”

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Anaheim Police announced a DUI Saturation Patrol for New Year’s Eve.  Starting at 7pm on December 31, 2009, Anaheim will have a Saturation Patrol searching for drunk drivers, until 3:00 a.m. on January 1.

If you have questions about Orange County DUI, call me anytime!  (714) 568-1560.  Happy New Year to everyone.

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DUI / Drivers License Checkpoint Scheduled
The Escondido Police Department will be conducting a Sobriety / Drivers License Checkpoint in the City of Escondido on Friday night, November 6th, 2009 from 6:00 PM until 1:00 AM.

Just a helpful word from some Orange County DUI Lawyers.

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Although DUI Checkpoints are horribly ineffective in finding drunk drivers, police and MADD love them, because they give the right political appearances and give MADD volunteers something to do.

If you have any questions for an Orange County DUI Lawyer, contact me anytime at 714-568-1560.

The checkpoint is scheduled for Beach Boulevard, just south of Slater Avenue, police officials said.

On May 30 and 31, officers screened 419 drivers for driving under the influence at a similar checkpoint, reported Huntington Beach police Traffic Supervisor Sgt. Rob Warden. A total of 1,506 motorists went through the checkpoint, he said.

One motorist was arrested for driving under the influence and two others were given citations for being unlicensed or carrying suspended licenses, he said. Eight other citations were issued.

Beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, officers will focus on catching drunk drivers on Beach. The checkpoint will be clearly marked and vehicles will be selected for checking on a pre-set basis until 3 a.m. Sunday, officials reported.

Officers will distribute brochures on impaired driving to motorists. Law enforcement will check driver’s licenses and direct suspected impaired drivers to a secondary check area for further evaluation.

The checkpoints are funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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.

• DUI CHECKPOINT. - Sat, Dec 19th, 2008 1900-0300, City of Tustin

The full list of checkpoints for Orange County for the winter season (December 12- January 1^st) are available here, and if you have any questions for an Orange County DUI Lawyer, call my office at 714-568-1560. Brought to you by our firm, a group of Orange County DUI Attorneys.

• DUI CHECKPOINT. - Sat, Dec 20th, 2008 1900-0300, City of San Juan Capistrano

The full list of checkpoints for Orange County for the winter season (December 12- January 1^st) are available here, and if you have any questions for an Orange County DUI Lawyer, call my office at 714-568-1560. Brought to you by our firm, a group of Orange County DUI Attorneys.

• DUI CHECKPOINT. - Sat, Dec 13th, 2008 1900-0300, City of San Clemente

The full list of checkpoints for Orange County for the winter season (December 12- January 1^st) are available here, and if you have any questions for an Orange County DUI Lawyer, call my office at 714-568-1560. Brought to you by our firm, a group of Orange County DUI Attorneys.