DUI | California Trial Lawyers Blog

Drunk driving causes almost a third of all fatal collisions in California. Officials throughout the state have worked for decades to reduce these numbers through strict enforcement of DUI laws and heavy penalties for repeat offenders, yet many of them still slip through the cracks and cause catastrophic accidents. However, new technology may help reduce drunk driving fatalities by stopping them at the source.

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Find out what California law says about DUIs, so you don’t ring in the New Year with one. More importantly, learn what to do if you’re charged.

The holiday season is a time of celebrating with friends and ringing in the New Year, often with libations and refreshments. While it may seem innocent enough at the time, it can be too easy after a good holiday party to get behind the wheel of your car – even if you’ve had one too many to drink.

Fines and penalties for driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) have become much harsher in California than they were in the past. And judges have been known to bring down strict penalties for even first-time offenders. For these reasons, and for the safety of yourself and others on the road, it’s important to understand what California law says about drinking and driving.
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While nearly 30 million American have admitted to driving intoxicated, and drunk driving accidents kill 27 people per day, it’s an undeniable fact that drunk driving is a serious problem in the United States. With roughly 1 million DUI arrests per year, law enforcement does its best to protect the public from drunk drivers. With as many as 1 thousand DUI arrests per day, the city of Long Beach is no exception. Read the rest »

The Memorial Day weekend isn’t just the “official” start of summer in southern California.  It’s also the official start of a season in which law enforcement officers take to the streets in increased numbers in order to target drivers who appear to be violating California’s driving under the influence (DUI) laws.  This year, California law enforcement officers arrested 1,449 drivers on suspicion of drunk driving over the Memorial Day weekend.

A DUI charge carries harsher penalties for a member of the U.S. armed forces than it does for a civilian.  If you were arrested on suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, working with an experienced criminal defense attorney is essential.  Here’s why: Read the rest »

The Orange County Crime Lab recently admitted that due to faulty blood alcohol tests, hundreds of DUI cases will have to be re-evaluated. Between April and October of this year, the lab reportedly issued inaccurate blood test results that may have led to at least 20 drivers testing above the legal limit of .08 percent.

According to the lab director of the OC Crime Lab, one of the two machines used to analyze blood samples did not save one data point in its software during calibration, which caused a .003 percentage point error in the machine’s readouts. That means that a blood alcohol level of .078 was falsely increased to a .081.

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If you have been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in Orange County, you may have received a notice of suspension from the police or will receive one in the mail from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This notice means that the DMV will consider your driving privileges suspended after 30 days. That is, unless you schedule a DMV hearing.

It is important to note that you will only have within 10 days of receiving the notice of suspension to request a DMV hearing, so contact an experienced DUI defense attorney as soon as you can to help guide you through the process, or you will forfeit your right to a hearing.

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Every year, thousands of southern California residents spend the Fourth of July holiday partying, especially in California’s beach cities, such as Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Long Beach. In anticipation of the upcoming four-day holiday weekend, police will be increasing driving under the influence (DUI) patrols and sobriety checkpoints to reduce the number of accidents and casualties that occur when drivers get behind the wheel after drinking.

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As reported by ABC 7, a 40-year-old Paramount resident recently pled no contest to charges concerning a March 10 incident that involved him allegedly striking and trapping two men between two vehicles in a strip club parking lot on Olympic Boulevard near Alameda Street. The man had allegedly driven into the two men with his white BMW as they were walking towards their Mini-Cooper.

According to reports, a fight between the two parties had taken place inside the club before spilling out into the streets. Both victims suffered grievous injuries to their lower bodies and had to undergo amputation procedures. One victim lost one of his legs while the other lost both. Read the rest »

A 68-year-old man was recently arrested for a suspected drunk driving incident in Huntington Beach that resulted in fatal injuries. According to Huntington Beach Independent, the crash occurred at 8:35 pm when the suspect’s vehicle collided with a motorcycle.

The suspect was traveling north on Goldenwest Street when his vehicle collided with a motorcycle traveling south on the same road. The 24-year-old male driver of the motorcycle broke both legs and his 25-year-old female passenger sustained fatal injuries. She was treated at UC Irvine Medical Center before she died. Read the rest »

A recent DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoint coordinated by Long Beach Police resulted in five people being arrested for drunk driving. As reported by The Long Beach Press-Telegram, the checkpoint was held from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. at the intersection of Cherry Avenue and 45^th Street.

In addition to the five people who were arrested for DUI, an additional six drivers were cited for being unlicensed and another six were cited for driving on a suspended license. In total, six vehicles were impounded by the police. Read the rest »