Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Orange County DUI Lawyers have learned that the Costa Mesa Police will be stopping cars at Bristol Street and Randolph Avenue from 6 to 11 p.m. Tuesday to check drivers’ licenses and look for drunk drivers.

Advance publicity of the DUI checkpoints is one of the criteria California courts use in determining the legality of a checkpoint if it ends up being challenged.

The high courts have not ruled on the legality of stopping cars to check for drivers’ licenses, but have upheld DUI checkpoints for two decades, even if they are not as effective as DUI roving patrols, our Newport Beach DUI Lawyers think.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Newport Beach DUI lawyers have learned of a DUI checkpoint announced by the Cypress Police Department.

DUI Checkpoint Summertime DUI Campaign Continues in the City of Cypress with Increased Enforcement & Awareness

The Cypress Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday, August 28, 2010, from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. within the city limits.

Personnel will be checking drivers to identify and arrest offenders, and DUI checkpoints can be a significant source of funds from federal grants and impound fees, mainly from unlicensed drivers.

If you have questions for our Newport Beach DUI Lawyers, call us at 877-568-2977, anytime.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Rancho Cucamonga Criminal Defense Attorneys have learned that a Driving Under The Influence And Drivers License Checkpoint  –8/27/2010, will take place in Rancho Cucamonga

On Friday, August 27, 2010 Deputies from the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department will be conducting a D.U.I. and Drivers License Checkpoint in the city of Rancho Cucamonga. The checkpoint will be conducted between the hours of 6 P.M and 2 A.M.

Deputies will be screening for intoxicated drivers and checking for valid drivers’ licenses. This operation is funded by a grand awarded to the City of Rancho Cucamonga by the California Office of Traffic Safety through National Highway Safety Administration, and in fact such funding can be a major source of cash for police agencies.

Our Rancho Cucamonga DUI attorneys were sent this press release from  Jason Frey, Deputy
Rancho Cucamonga Police Department
Traffic Division
(909) 477-2817

Drive safely.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Huntington Beach Considering Posting Names of Suspected Drunk Drivers on Website

Our Orange County DUI lawyers have learned that the Huntington Beach Police Department may soon post the names of drunk drivers on its website, as part of its attempt to cut down on DUIs.

The Huntington Beach Police Department submitted a report to the City Council which outlined proposed tactics for reducing DUIs. Among the proposed tactics are posting the names of those arrested for DUIs online, in order to send a message that the city is serious about enforcing its DUI laws. However, critics of the proposal point out that suspected drunk drivers should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

The city typically makes 1,700 DUI arrests each year, which is the third-highest in California for cities with similar populations. Huntington also has the fourth-highest number of alcohol-related traffic accidents for its population. According to officials, Huntington Beach’s DUI problems are concentrated in the downtown area, which is very popular with tourists. About 19 percent of the city’s liquor licenses are issued to businesses downtown.

In March, the Police Department began keeping records of where individuals arrested for DUIs have had their last drink, and notifying those businesses’ managers that they may have served their customers too much. The Police Department located two particular restaurants in the downtown area that are suspected of over-serving customers, although both restaurants deny the charges and claim they take measures to prevent drunk driving.

Our Orange County DUI lawyers can help if you have been arrested for a DUI in Orange County.  Call us at (714) 568-1560 anytime, 24 hours a day.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Orange County DUI Lawyers have the results of the recent Irvine Police Department DUI Checkpoint. Irvine police arrested one suspected drunken driver during a checkpoint at Jeffrey Road and Barranca Parkway Saturday night.

They stopped 301 vehicles, issued 43 tickets, and conducted five sobriety tests of people who were not drunk, according to an Irvine Police Department press release. (That’s a 0.003% arrest rate, if you’re keeping track).

Publicity of the checkpoints is one of the criteria California courts use in determining their legality, under the Ingersoll decision factors.

As do other local police departments, Irvine conducts checkpoints as part of a state grant program, which often can be very lucrative for police agencies, even though they are not nearly as effective as roving patrols in getting drunk drivers off the road.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Orange County DUI lawyers have learned that a Los Angeles DUI Checkpoint is taking place on Friday, August 6th.

WHAT: Sobriety Checkpoint

WHEN: Friday, August 6, 2010 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

WHERE: Figueroa Street and 41st Street, which is located within the LAPD’s Southwest Division.

WHO: Crime Task Force/Driving Under the Influence (CTF/DUI) Enforcement Detail South Traffic Division

The Officer-in-Charge is Sergeant Mark Guardado of South Traffic Division’s Crime Task Force/Driving Under the Influence Enforcement Detail.  Approximately ten traffic enforcement officers (motorcycle officers), six collision investigation officers and two traffic enforcement sergeants from South Traffic Division will be involved in the checkpoint.

Funding for this checkpoint comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

WHY: Police have found that impounds from unlicensed drivers and a few DUIs are major sources of revenue for the LAPD.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Orange County DUI Lawyers have learned, through the Orange County Register, that the Huntington Beach police department has found new ways to crack down on those who drink and drive after reports that the city has a “significant” problem with drunken drivers.

The department has announced an aggressive new DUI strategy that includes posting the names of DUI arrestees on their website, sending letters to restaurants that they believe are fueling drunken driving, and adding a third officer to a specialized DUI team. City officials began distributing the letters in the spring and are still reviewing the name postings and adding the third officer.

The strategy — laid out in 16-page report given to the City Council this month — said the city has a serious drunken driving problem.

Statistics show that in 2008 Huntington Beach had the third most DUI drivers in the state for a city of its size. Huntington Beach has about 201,000 residents.

Huntington Beach had about 1,000 more DUI arrests in 2008 than Irvine, a city with a similar population size, and 900 more arrests than Anaheim, a city with population almost double Huntington Beach’s.

Police DUI strategies may differ in each city in part because of the dynamics of that area, officials said.

“We try to find one that fits the needs of the community,” said Irvine police spokesman Lt. John Hare.

Irvine’ police department posts all of the names of arrestees on their website but does not have a specific list of DUI suspects. If a commander in charge of a certain geographical area of Irvine notices a trend in drunken driving they will approach a particular establishment, Hare said.

In Fullerton, which has a concentrated area of establishments that serve alcohol similar to Surf City’s downtown, police have been working with bar owners to help servers better identify when a customer has had too much to drink, said Fullerton police Cprl. Tim Kandler. They do not post name of DUI arrestees on their website, he said.

Huntington Beach police spokesman Lt. Russell Reinhart said his department’s DUI program is the most aggressive in the county.

Currently, the police do four to eight DUI checkpoints a year, have a specialized DUI patrol team, use their helicopters to catch DUI drivers, and put extra officers on patrol some Friday and Saturday nights. The department has received $1.4 million in grant funding to beef up DUI patrols.

For the past three years, the department has averaged 1,700 DUI arrests a year, the report said.

Still, police say they need more help.

“Even with all we have done there remains a significant DUI problem in Huntington Beach,” the report said. “Our resources were so quickly overwhelmed we believe on any given night a large number of drunk drivers likely leave our downtown area undetected.”

Some locals said that while drinking and driving is a serious offense, they have mixed opinions on the department’s new strategies.

Scott Spigelmire, 34, sat outside Beachfront 301 in downtown on a recent weekday evening drinking a Budweiser and a glass of water. He said posting the names of DUI arrestees was an invasion of privacy and increasing police presence might drive away business.

“There is no reason to drink and drive,” said Spigelmire, of Huntington Beach. “If you are too hammered, pay $50 to $100 bucks to get home in a cab. It could be so much more in the long run (if you drink and drive).”

Changing it up

Police could start posting the names of DUI arrestees this summer.

What do you think of posting the arestees’ names online? Vote in our poll below to the right.

DUI defense attorney Barry Simons said he disagreed with this approach.

“This has been a concept that has been floated around for years,” said Simons, a former dean of the national college for DUI Defense. “Humiliate them, single them out. It is the Scarlet Letter approach and there is absolutely no empirical data that things like that will do anything to affect recidivism.”

“It could have a damaging affect on an individual’s reputation,” he said.

Reinhart said that the arrests are public information and police expect that the public will help monitor DUI drivers. For example, someone can call the police if they see that a neighbor with a suspended license is driving, Reinhart said.

“We get tips on a regular basis and we are hoping to get more of them,” he said.

Councilman Joe Carchio said he supports posting the names, saying it might be a deterrent for people who drink and drive.

“I want to prevent people from drinking and driving but I also want to protect their rights as an individual,” he said. “I have no sympathy for drunk drivers. None whatsoever.”

Councilman Don Hansen said a policy to post the names needs to be further vetted.

“It may be a little far reaching and I’m concerned about those folks that may not be charged or could not even be guilty and if it is posted on the website there could be some … issues,” he said.

The department began sending letters to restaurants in April reporting at least one of their patrons was arrested for driving under the influence. Sharkeez and Hurricanes have received the most letters from the department, Reinhart said.

Sharkeez received four letters with 14 arrested on DUIs, and Hurricanes received three letters with eight people arrested for DUIs, he said.

Hurricanes manager Rich Jardine said the letters have been helpful to his staff. He alerted his servers and bartender to keep a closer eye on patrons.

“It is difficult to tell if they are over the legal limit of. 08,” said Jardine, who has been with Hurricanes for 18 years. “A lot of people can maintain to the naked eye and still be over the legal limit.”

Police will accumulate the DUI data and could place restrictions on the businesses’ licenses and permits, officials say.

Reinhart said the department hopes to add a third officer to their DUI enforcement team as soon as the funds become available.

Officers say they are after more than sober driving. They want life changes.

“We believe they are not only prevent deaths, injuries and traffic collisions; but potentially change people’s lives in a positive way that prevents other negative behaviors,” the report said.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Our Newport Beach DUI Lawyers were told that three people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol during a Saturday night police checkpoint, authorities said.

During the five-hour long checkpoint, police stopped 729 vehicles and conducted 16 field sobriety tests on the field, according to a statement released by the Laguna Beach Police.

More than 2,163 vehicles passed though the checkpoint, which was stationed on Pacific Coast Highway, near Vista Del Sol, meaning that the rate of capture for drivers under the influence is 0.0013%

According to the police statement, all drivers who were stopped were also given a brochure about the hazards of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Six drivers were also found to be unlicensed, and five additional drivers were issued citations for not carrying their license.

Four vehicles were also towed from the checkpoint, according to the police statement.

But officers at the checkpoint were not the only ones to have spotted drunk drivers Saturday night, according to police.

Outside of the checkpoint, five additional drivers were stopped and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Costa Mesa, California – DUI Checkpoint Scheduled on Harbor Boulevard/Ford Road, Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Costa Mesa Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Saturday, June 19, 2010, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., at Harbor Boulevard/Ford Road, in the area where a number of DUI-related collisions and DUI arrests have occurred, our Orange County DUI Lawyers are told.

Officers will screen drivers passing through the checkpoint for sobriety and for a valid driver’s license.

Drivers found to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will be arrested, and unlicensed drivers will have their vehicles towed, which can be a significant source of income for police departments.

If you have any questions for an Orange County DUI lawyer, call me, anytime, at (714) 568-1560.

Posts Tagged ‘police’

Orange County DUI Checkpoints – Costa Mesa

Monday, August 30th, 2010

DUI checkpoint nets four

Four people were arrested on suspicion of DUI during a checkpoint on May 29. Laguna Beach Police were helped by Buena Park Police in the program, the second of four DUI-license checkpoints of the year targeting southbound drivers in the 31000 block of Pacific Coast Highway, Kravetz said.

The checkpoint, which took place from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., saw 1,928 vehicles pass through. Of those, 705 vehicles were stopped by officers and drivers were checked for sobriety and possession of a valid driver’s license. Then people were given field sobriety tests, and four were arrested.

Three drivers were found be unlicensed.  If you need the advice of our Orange County DUI Lawyers, call me, Robert Miller, at 714-568-1560, anytime.