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Norco, California – DUI Checkpoint Scheduled for Saturday, April 10, 2010

Our criminal lawyers Riverside were notified that the Norco Office of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will conduct a DUI/Driver’s License Safety checkpoint in Norco on April 10, 2010, from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify DUI drivers and get them off the street, to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.

This checkpoint is part of the City of Norco’s effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol-involved collisions and in collisions with unlicensed drivers.

Traffic volume and weather permitting, all vehicles will 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. The public is encouraged to help keep the roadways safe by calling 911 if they see an impaired driver.

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

Date/Time Written:     April 1, 2010 at 12:00 p.m.
Type of Incident:    Sobriety / Driver’s License Checkpoint
Date/Time of Incident:    April 10, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
Location(s) of Incident:    City of Norco
Reporting Officer:    Sergeant Justin Rowan

Tags
Alcohol, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, Law, long beach dui lawyers, Long Beach Police Department, Motor vehicle, Random checkpoint, Road traffic safety

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

City Of Cypress Police Department

Cypress Police Department Targets Impaired Drivers with Checkpoint

The Cypress Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, February 20, 2010, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., on Valley View at Phyllis Drive. 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, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers 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.

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

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

Cypress: DUI Checkpoint On Saturday (cehwiedel.com)
Seal Beach: Results of DUI Checkpoint (cehwiedel.com)
Police: Twitter used to avoid DUI checkpoints (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
CA Sobriety Checkpoints Are Becoming More About Profit Than Drunk Driving (dvorak.org)
Car Seizures At DUI Checkpoints Raise Money, Legal Questions (huffingtonpost.com)

Tags
Alcohol, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, Law, long beach dui lawyers, Long Beach Police Department, Motor vehicle, Random checkpoint, Road traffic safety

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

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

New Driver Laws for Drivers in 2010: Drunk Driving Devices, Bicycles & TVs in Cars (laist.com)
DUI Checkpoint Tonight in North Hollywood (laist.com)
Police: Twitter used to avoid DUI checkpoints (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Grandfather on mobility scooter fined for drink-driving (telegraph.co.uk)
Seal Beach: New Year’s DUI Checkpoints (cehwiedel.com)

Tags
Alcohol, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, Law, long beach dui lawyers, Long Beach Police Department, Motor vehicle, Random checkpoint, Road traffic safety

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

I always tell friends and family that, although I’d love to have them as a client, that it’s better that they don’t need me in the first place. With that in mind, I present the “how to avoid a DUI” article below:

Don’t get pulled over in the first place: What Police Look For

All members of various law enforcement agencies nationwide must attend some type of police academy prior to becoming a certified police officer. And one small part of the training they receive while at the academy is how to spot or detect a suspected drunk driver on the road. They are taught to look for certain actions or violations of the motor vehicle code. Many of these actions or the failure to perform them, is a clear signal to the police that the operator may be intoxicated. Some of these actions and violations that the police are taught include the following:

* Operating a motor vehicle at night without headlights being turned on.
* Operating a motor vehicle at night with the high beam lights on at all times.
* Failing to use turn signals when making a turn.
* Failure to turn off turn signals after a turn is made.
* Speeding.
* Slow Speed in areas where it is not logical.
* The ever famous weaving upon the highway.
* Sudden and short braking due to slow reactions or intoxication.

Any of these can trigger the police to initiate a traffic stop. If you make a conscious effort not to commit any of these violations, you will greatly reduce your chances of being stopped by the police. Remember, the police need probable cause to stop your vehicle, don’t give them any. By knowing what the police look for prior to stopping a suspected drunk driver, you greatly reduce your chances of being detected and stopped by the police.

If You’re Stopped

If the unfortunate does happen and you get stopped by the police, there are some very important things you need to know before you ever get stopped, and these include what to do and most importantly, what not to do or say to the police. Lets talk a little about those strategies and tactics now.

If you find yourself getting pulled over, first, pull over well off the highway and off the road itself. This reduces the likelihood your vehicle will get towed if you get arrested. Next, get yourself together. Pop a mint or gum in your mouth. When the police officer comes up to the vehicle be sure you NEVER admit to drinking ANY amount of alcoholic beverages. Do not self incriminate yourself. Make the police officer do his job, don’t help him out. Answer questions only when necessary. Believe it or not, you do have the right to remain silent. Be cooperative but do not give the officer any evidence to be used against you. If the officer suspects you have been drinking he may ask you to perform some oral tests like counting or reciting the alphabet. You must refuse these and any and all other tests. Yes, you can refuse to take these tests. For some reason people believe they must submit to the field sobriety tests and this is not true. You must refuse all oral and then actual field tests like walking the line, standing on one foot, following the pen with your eyes and any and all other tests. Simply tell the officer you are refusing all tests and are invoking your fourth amendment rights against self incrimination. You are trying to give the officer little or no probable cause to arrest you. Remember, an officer can only arrest a person with probable cause and in a DUI case, that probable cause is the field tests administered at the scene of the traffic stop. By refusing all tests, the officer is left with a couple of choices, he can let you go, call a ride for you or take you in for DUI. Believe me, the officer knows he is on shaky ground by arresting you without any or little probable cause other than his observations.

Refuse All Tests

If the police officer decides to arrest you, once you arrive at police headquarters you may be asked again to perform oral and other sobriety tests. Now you are being filmed and recorded, so again, refuse everything. When asked to submit to a blood, urine or breath test to determine your blood alcohol level, you must refuse these tests. Yes, you will lose your license for one year through the DMV, but you will also lose it for four months if convicted for DUI and I will tell you why you should refuse shortly. Remember, the police are trying to build a case against you by getting evidence, do not help them by giving them anything to help build their case. With no field tests, sobriety tests of any kind and no blood alcohol levels, the police will find it difficult to get a conviction in a court of law against you for DUI. At this point you may be processed and released on bond or arraigned in court. Be sure to hire a lawyer that is knowledgeable in DUI defenses specifically, and a good one because he will help you get out of the case completely.

Counting Your Losses

Now let me talk to you and present a comparison of your losses versus your gains should you refuse all field and blood alcohol tests. Follow closely and you will see the wisdom behind my strategies and tactics that I just presented. You will see that you will save your drivers license from being taken for lengthy periods of time as well as saving thousands of dollars in fines and insurance premiums.

First, if you properly parked your vehicle once stopped by the police, and well off the roadway, you may save money by not having your vehicle towed from the scene of the traffic stop. In refusing to submit to blood alcohol level testing, you will receive an automatic loss of license for about 6 months for a first time arrest. This is a loss for sure, but not a big one. And you may have to pay a restoration fee to the registry of motor vehicles to get your license back, so another loss. Now lets move on to the gains. If you have followed my advice and refused all field, sobriety and blood alcohol level tests, you have given the state a hard case to prosecute. And with a good lawyer, no jury or judge can convict you based on just an officers observations. So in court, the case will probably get dismissed or the charge changed to a lower offense. A complete victory for you. Just be sure the plea bargained reduction is not a reckless driving because the same fines and insurance premiums may be imposed against you. If is very doubtful the court will want to prosecute you because of their weak case, so most will plea bargain with a defendant and his attorney. So if you win in court and are not convicted for DUI, you will not have to face two days in jail, any fines which usually range around $500.00, you will not have to pay over $200.00 to attend an alcohol awareness program and most important, you will not face mandatory SR-22 insurance premiums on your automobile insurance policy. All states and insurance carriers require this SR-22 insurance which is essentially insurance on your drivers license. It is usually equal to or more than you currently pay for your automobile insurance. The average cost for the SR-22 insurance is $1,500.00 each year for 3 years or more. You do not have to pay this because you did not cooperate with the police and help them build a case against you so you could get convicted in court for DUI. And by having no conviction on your driving record, you do not face lengthy license suspensions in the future should you get stopped and cited for other traffic violations. And finally by not getting convicted for DUI. in court, you suffer no suspension or further loss of your operators license.

Final Tips

Some additional information you should be aware of if you do drink and drive include the following. If you ever pull over and want to rest or sleep it off, be sure to turn the engine off and remove the keys from the ignition. In some states, a running even tho parked vehicle, or a vehicle with the keys in the ignition constitute operation, so be sure to follow this rule. If you have only consumed a drink or two and get arrested for DUI / DWI. you may want to take the blood alcohol level tests to show that you are innocent and are not driving drunk. Remember, one alcoholic beverage is what the average human body can remove from its bloodstream per hour and no more. Drinking coffee or water does not sober up an intoxicated person. People need to know their own bodies and how well they can handle their consumption of alcoholic beverages. Everybody is different. A person may look drunk and is not, just as a person whom is legally drunk, may not look it. Anybody that consumes 3/4 or more drinks in an hours time period is most likely legally drunk. So drink wisely and carefully.

In closing, I hope that you found this article helpful and educating. I am not here telling you that I am advocating drinking and driving but lets face it, Americans consume a lot of alcoholic beverages every day and inevitably people will get in their vehicles and drive after drinking. I am here to educate the public, assist them in understanding their rights when it comes to getting stopped by the police for suspicion of DUI and let them know they have protection under the law. I do feel that the person who consumes 10 or more drinks and gets in a motor vehicle and drives away, deserved to be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law.

He is clearly not using proper judgment is poses an immediate hazard to others on the roadway. For the casual light drinker, I ask they use good judgment, consume liquor responsibly and follow my advice should they find themselves getting stopped by the police.

And as always, if you have any questions, call me, anytime, day or night, at (714) 568-1560. Orange County DUI Defense is what I do.

Allow police to do random breath tests for DUI: MPs (nationalpost.com)
Police should be allowed to do random breath tests for drunk driving: MPs (canada.com)
Mad at delays, man rams car twice, drinks beer, gets jailed (seattlepi.com)
Burien city manager gets deferral in DUI case (seattlepi.com)
The Weekly Carnage (streetsblog.org)

Tags
Alcohol, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, Law, long beach dui lawyers, Long Beach Police Department, Motor vehicle, Random checkpoint, Road traffic safety

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

The Coachella Police Department will be conducting a DUI / Driver’s License Checkpoint on Saturday, 9/05/09, between the hours of 7:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. 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 DUI checkpoint is a not-very effective method for achieving this goal. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the Coachella Police Department believes motorists can be deterred from drinking and driving.

The above press release was sent from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to the Orange County DUI attorneys at our firm.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Sheriff Stanley Sniff
Indio Station – City of Coachella Police Department
PRESS RELEASE

Date/Time Written: 09-01-09
Type of Incident:

DUI / Driver’s License Checkpoint
Date/Time of Incident: 09-05-09
Location(s) of Incident: N/A
Reporting Officer: Sgt. Mike Tapp
File Number: N/A
Coachella Police Department Targets
Impaired Drivers with Checkpoint

Tags
Alcohol, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, Law, long beach dui lawyers, Long Beach Police Department, Motor vehicle, Random checkpoint, Road traffic safety

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

The Moreno Valley Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, August 28 from 6:00pm – 2:00am 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 DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method for achieving this goal. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the Moreno Valley Police Department believes motorists can be deterred from drinking and driving.

This press release was brought to you by Orange County DUI Lawyers, which you can reach at 714-568-1560

Artie Lange DUI Court Appearance Moved to September (shabooty.com)
Can This Summer Be Any More Fun? (aseaofblue.com)
Ex-Kentucky Wildcats coach Billy Gillispie arrested for DUI (sports.espn.go.com)

Tags
Alcohol, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, Law, long beach dui lawyers, Long Beach Police Department, Motor vehicle, Random checkpoint, Road traffic safety

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

: Image by LeeLeFever via Flickr

Note: The following DUI checkpoint in San Juan Capistrano press release was sent to me from the OC Sheriff‘s Department. Ironically, I went through the DUI checkpoint and was sent on for secondary inspection. The police looked at me, shone a flashlight in my car, gave me field sobriety tests, and let me go. (And everyone was professional.)

I question the usefulness of the DUI checkpoint in a rural/farm area off Camino Capistrano near Del Obispo and Avian Road. At 11:45 p.m., the roads seemed to be empty, and the DUI checkpoint in a dark area seemed like an ill advised idea.

Sheriff’s Department To Step Up Dui Enforcement In San Juan Capistrano Thanks To Federal Grant

Safer streets are coming to San Juan Capistrano. Increased enforcement measures are in place for the rest of the year thanks to a $28,764 grant awarded by the Office of Traffic Safety to San Juan Capistrano Police Services and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. At the August 22, 2009 checkpoint, Deputies will be checking for valid driver’s licenses and impaired drivers.

“DUI checkpoints are an effective tool to keep drunks off the road and to alert the community of our commitment to having safe roadways,” said Lt. Dan Dwyer, Chief of Police Services for the City of San Juan Capistrano. “We want 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. To report a drunk driver, call 911.”

Last year nearly 1600 people were killed and over 31,000 people were injured in California in drug and alcohol related crashes. This grant will focus on reducing those numbers, through both enforcement and education.

The measures taken will specifically target DUI offenders and drivers with suspended or revoked licenses. These checkpoints when utilized have been shown to significantly reduce DUI fatalities. In addition, DUI checkpoints increase public awareness to prevent impaired driving in the first place, and to encourage designating a sober driver.

“When more people drive sober and safely, lives are saved. It’s just that simple,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “This grant will help make San Juan Capistrano just that much safer of a place to live and work.”

If you need a DUI attorney in Orange County, call me at 714-568-1560.