Posts Tagged ‘huntington beach’

OC Register: DUI Patrols substantially stepped up this year

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

Image by Florian Seiffert (F*) via Flickr

The Orange County Register had an article from Friday, December 19, 2008, about the increased checkpoint and DUI patrol activity this year in Orange County:

Authorities in Orange County and across the state will be showing up in force throughout the holiday season, authorities said, in an effort to curb DUI drivers and reduce the number of people injured in alcohol-related crashes.

To assist local agencies in tackling drunken drivers during the holiday season, the state’s Office of Traffic Safety has also awarded more than $5.2 million in grants to 111 local agencies throughout the state to conduct sobriety checkpoints, including eight grants that were given to Orange County law enforcement agencies. The money will help pay for the administrative costs and other expenses associated with such enforcement tools.

“Everybody is putting a lot more enforcement out there during this three week period,” said Chris Cochran, spokesman for the Office of Traffic Safety.

The numerous checkpoints throughout the state serve not just as a means to net drunk drivers, but as a deterrent to those who see the checkpoints, authorities said.

“People drive by them so they are reminded to have a designated driver,” Cochran said.

The eight cities to receive the grants include Fountain Valley, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, Placentia, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Tustin, for a combined total of more than $165,000.

“Checkpoints are our No. 1 public awareness tool,” Cochran said.

In addition to the checkpoints, law enforcement agencies said they also plan on conducting saturation patrols, were additional officers are sent out on patrol specifically to spot drunk drivers. Many of those efforts are not funded through the grants.

Beginning at 7 p.m. today, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a checkpoint in Aliso Viejo. In Huntington Beach, police will be setting up another checkpoint at 9 p.m. at Beach Boulevard and Baylock.

Another checkpoint is scheduled in San Clemente Saturday. One was completed in Irvine Thursday night.

The end of the year holiday season is one of the busiest for law enforcement when it comes to intoxicated drivers, Cochran said. It is also when agencies step up their enforcement, he said.

After this week’s checkpoints, deputies with the sheriff‘s department will be conducting saturation patrols in cities that contract with the department, said Sgt. Jerry Brittain, who heads the department’s traffic and auto-theft division.

Although state funding for grants is expected to be lowered for other types of enforcement, such as red light, seat-belt and speeding violations, grants for DUI enforcement are expected to continue, Cochran said.

“A lot of that is going to be tightened down,” Brittain said. “This is one of those campaigns we have to keep going.”

Federal funding will contribute to the grants provided by the OTS, Cochran said.

According to the Office of Traffic Safety, 1,616 people were killed in California in alcohol related crashes in 2007, a decrease of 8 percent from the previous year. During the same year, 30,642 people were injured.

A total of 203,866 people were arrested statewide for driving under the influence.

The grants provided by the OTS will also help fund DUI enforcement for other holiday periods as well, Cochran said, such as St. Patrick’s Day, Superbowl Sunday and the Fourth of July.

Posts Tagged ‘huntington beach’

OC Register: DUI Patrols substantially stepped up this year

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

Image via Wikipedia

I was able to directly observe the Garden Grove and Huntington Beach DUI checkpoints over the weekend.  Another attorney went through the Aliso Viejo DUI checkpoint and had the following report:

“…As I pull up, the sign reads “Sobriety, DL checkpoint ahead.”  OK, they are checking us for CDLs (California Driver’s License) now. As I pull up, there is a single lane marked by a temporary stop sign and manned by 4 of OCSDs (Orange County Sheriff’s Department) finest. The officer tells me to roll down the window.  I do.  She announces that they are running a sobriety checkpoint and checking for driver’s licenses.  She then asks me where i am coming from.  I tell her that is none of her business.  I then ask her on what authority is she pulling over every car to check licenses.  Blank stare.  She repeats that this is a sobriety checkpoint and a driver’s license checkpoint.  I tell her I heard her the first time and, again, on what authority is she checking every car’s license?  She asks me if I have been drinking.  I tell her I am not going to answer that.  She orders me out of the car.

Now, I had the chance to watch what they were doing.  Every car gets pulled and checked for a license. some cars then move off to the right to go through “secondary screening.”  She claimed, when I pressed her, that it was every 5th car.  It was not.  In fact, I asked her why I was being pulled out of my car when I clearly was not the 5th car (the car 2 in front of me was just made to do the same thing).  She did not answer.

OK, so she orders me out and I ask why (now I am probably flirting with a 148, (PC 148 is resisting arrest or interfering with the lawful duties of an officer), but I was dying to challenge “lawful duty”).  She repeats, in command tone, get out of the car.  Not wanting to post bail, I do.

As I get out, another officer jumps in my car (!) and pulls it away.  I announce: “he does not have my permission to be in my car!”  I am ignored.

She directs me to the sidewalk while asking me questions.  I repeatedly tell her that I am not submitting to any FSTs and I will not answer her questions.  If I committed an infraction, she can cite me and I will be on my way.  If she feels she has probable cause for a DUI arrest, have at it.  She ignores me and commands me to sit on her bumper.  I do.

HGN.  She breaks out the pen and, at lightning speed, starts moving it horizontally, passing my face 7-8 times.  Stymied, she starts the vertical nystagmus.  My defense was too great (and the fact that I just happened not to have consumed an alcoholic beverage in the last 2 weeks and I don’t use drugs) and I foiled her again.  Not one to give up however, she starts–I am not BSing you—waiving the pen around in a circular fashion around and around my face.  I thought she was going to poke me in the eye.  Pissed, I announce that this will not establish any kind of Nystagmus and I am finished with this nonsense.  Realizing that she has just been outflanked, she takes my CDL to her car and runs it.  No warrants!

She approaches me again, hands my CDL back and sternly advises me that this unpleasantness could all have been avoided if I had just cooperated with her.  I advised her that she was not correct, it could have been avoided if she had cooperated with the Constitution.    ”

Posts Tagged ‘huntington beach’

OC Register: DUI Patrols substantially stepped up this year

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

‘Orange County’s Avoid the 38’ is announcing its upcoming enforcement operations for the Winter Holiday DUI Campaign.  The following schedule of operations, dates, and locations are provided for media release purposes.  Sometimes, more details are announced closer to the event itself.

• DUI CHECKPOINT- Fri, Dec 19th, 2008 1900-0300, City of Huntington Beach.

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.