Los Angeles DUI Attorney Blog

In an ideal world, Burbank DUI arrests would never happen.

But we don’t live in an ideal world. Far from it.

Instead, we live in a world in which Burbank DUIs are all too pervasive. What's more, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, police, and the public all operate with false beliefs about the underlying causes of Los Angeles DUI and alcohol and drug addiction. Our inability to “move the needle” and permanently solve problems like Burbank DUI leads to needless suffering, traffic accidents, ruined lives, wasted law enforcement resources, wasted court time, and nasty indirect consequences for our entire city and country.

The Conventional Thinking

The conventional mindset about Burbank DUI prevention (held by many a Los Angeles DUI lawyer) is somewhat fatalistic. The CW suggests that Burbank DUI drivers “just don’t get it” and that they need to be punished and stripped of their rights to make Southern California’s roads safer. The problem, per the CW, is that certain drivers behave carelessly, recklessly, or otherwise inappropriately. These Burbank drivers must be bridled.

But is our punitive, blame-and-judgment-rich approach to DUI prevention really getting us anywhere?

Advocates of the current anti-DUI regime might say Yes. They might point to bright spots in the research, which suggest, for instance, that Burbank DUI checkpoints lead to more arrests and safer roads. You can also find data that suggest that certain types of fatal DUI injury accidents have declined over the past decade or so.

Granted. But DUI is still a pervasive problem. As any Burbank DUI attorney will tell you.

Perhaps the Burbank DUI community could benefit from a bird's eye perspective on the process. What if we examined our core beliefs about what works and doesn’t work in terms of changing driver behavior, managing DUI-related problems and costs and helping drivers solve those problems more effectively?

Perhaps, for instance, we could think about road safety differently.

Here's an idea, for starters: Discourage Angelenos from driving so much!

How? By doing things like eliminating sources of free parking. A recent Los Angeles Weekly article about parking theorist Donald Shoup highlighted Los Angeles’ obsession with free parking. Shoup suggests that our free parking fetish has led to many of our city's most nasty traffic and pollution problems. By eliminating sources of free parking, perhaps we could discourage drivers from driving as much as they do.

Think about it: the fewer miles that drivers clock, the fewer DUI driving miles will be clocked as well!

We will speculate in greater depth in a follow-up post. In the meantime, if you or someone you care about was recently arrested and charged with Burbank DUI, you may need to speak with a Burbank DUI lawyer.

Consult with an experienced Burbank DUI criminal defense attorney at the Kraut Law Group (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810). Michael Kraut is a former city prosecutor (14+ years experience in that position); he is hugely respected by his legal peers, and he boasts a terrific record at jury trials.

Continue reading "Changing the Burbank DUI Paradigm: Part #1 – What's the Point of Fighting Los Angeles DUIs, Anyway?" »

Most people believe, without a shred of a doubt, that “a Burbank DUI would never happen to me… or anyone I respect." This kind of thinking is understandable. After all, DUIs are only something that careless celebrities and recidivist alcoholics get. Right?

Think again.

In fact, the diversity of Burbank DUI defendants is far vaster than most people realize. Defendants have included sports heroes, political figures, (yes, celebrities), “responsible” housewives, business people, homeowners, senior citizens, and practically everyone in between.

Even politicians can find themselves in great legal disarray due to poor decision-making. Witness the case of 62-year-old Retha Sturdivant, the mayor of the South Carolina town of Atlantic Beach. South Carolina police officers allege that they saw Sturdivant stop her SUV at green lights multiple times. After witnessing this very odd – and certainly dangerous – behavior, officers stopped Sturdivant on the Main Street Bridge in the town of Conway. Police said that Sturdivant exhibited the classic symptoms of a Burbank DUI (and DUI anywhere in the country), including glossy eyes, lack of coordination, and a general lack of sharpness and responsiveness. Sturdivant was put through the paces of a field sobriety test. The officer who conducted the FST said, “The subject was swaying, used her arms for balance, and put her foot down many times.” Officers not only arrested the mayor, but they also found a diverse sampling of medications on her, including Percocet, Toradol, and Flexeril.

This is not the first time that Atlantic Beach's mayor has come under the gun for legal problems. On Christmas 2007, she was arrested and put on probation. Last July 13, she also faced problems with her administration. According to the heraldonline.com, a Rock Hill, South Carolina, publication, “Her first attorney was disbarred and is serving jail time for trying to have a former law partner killed.”

Sturdivant also allegedly was involved in a hit and run accident April 2009. She was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, although those charges were later dismissed due to problems with the breathalyzer test.

She was also arrested back in January 2011 for trespassing on Town Hall itself!

Sounds like something of a disaster.

Unfortunately, individuals who are recidivist offenders – who break the law multiple times – run the risk of profoundly-life altering Burbank DUI penalties. “Escaping from the charges” might be a worthy goal, but ideally, you want to examine the root problems that have caused you to clash with authorities. You need to rectify those problems ASAP – not only to prevent getting into further trouble, but also to protect yourself and others in your community from harm.

Connect immediately with a Burbank DUI criminal defense attorney at the Kraut Law Group (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810) to understand your rights and resources and begin the process of rebooting your life, career, and reputation.

Continue reading "Burbank DUI Defense Lessons from Shocking Arrest of Atlanta Beach South Carolina's Mayor" »

According to California Highway Patrol estimates, 248 motorists were arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence in Burbank and elsewhere in Los Angeles over the New Year’s “holiday crackdown” period. Last year, over the same weekend, only 228 motorists were busted for Los Angeles DUI. As pundits have pointed out, this means that DUI arrests spiked by 9% over the 2011 numbers.

What does the spike mean, if anything?

First of all, take a step back. Without context for those statistics, it’s impossible to tell whether a 9% bump in arrests over any given weekend is statistically significant in any way – or whether it’s simply random statistical noise. Unfortunately, the media and many bloggers will make a mountain out of the molehill of these statistics, anyway. The headline “Burbank DUI arrests spiked 9%” will undoubtedly be leveraged to try to prove political points, spur interest in websites through Google searches, and generally sensationalize the situation.

We all, in some sense, understand that the media operates in a less-than-scientific manner when it discusses the ramifications and potential solutions for Burbank DUI. But often the “experts” themselves fall into a similar trap of extrapolating way too much information from poorly parsed statistics and research.

This isn’t to say that we can’t know anything about Burbank DUI or that people shouldn’t report on these stories or spin them. But it’s helpful to deal with numbers and reality instead of fantasies and spin, especially if you are a Burbank DUI defendant confused about your rights, responsibilities, and potential punishments.

Statistics can lead to insight and possible solutions, of course. For instance, a 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis found that nearly 11,000 people died on US roads in 2009 due to alcohol influenced auto accidents. The CDC also argues that field sobriety checkpoints in Burbank and elsewhere can reduce DUI accidents by as much as 20%. So it’s not like reporters and policy makers are operating in a zero-information environment. Quite to the contrary, they collectively understand a lot more about Burbank DUI behavior and potential solutions.

If you have an urgent question about your Burbank DUI arrest, connect with an experienced and highly reputable Burbank DUI criminal defense attorney at the Kraut Law Group (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810) to get help now. Attorney Kraut is a Harvard Law School-educated former prosecutor, and he has a nearly perfect record at jury trials and an excellent reputation among his legal peers.

Continue reading "Burbank DUI Arrests (And Arrests Across LA) Up By 9% Over New Year’s: What Does It Mean??" »

Perhaps you already follow the latest Beverly Hills DUI news in the tabloids or on the blogosphere. Or maybe you stick to more “serious” sources of DUI news, such as news reports or even professional analyses of DUIs.

But even if you scour all these sources, you will come up with a rather superficial understanding of what’s like to be a Beverly Hills DUI defendant, and you may not learn much meaningful information to:

A) Help you avoid getting into DUI trouble in the first place;

B) Help you understand what to do (and more significantly, what not to do) after you’ve been pulled over for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills or elsewhere in the Southland.

Fortunately, you now have a novel way to "pull back the curtain" and see what Beverly Hills DUI defendants really experience.

The TLC Network launched a new show last week called “DUI” in the spirit of reality TV shows like Cops and Jail. Reviews for the show generally have been positive. The Washington Post’s blog called the show “irresistible” and discussed how the show is interested in going deeper – actually following motorists “after they failed sobriety test… days and weeks into court appearances and the punitive phase of their charges.”

The Washington Post review also said that “What’s emphasized here are the disastrous financial and personal losses that come for everyday working folks arrested for DUI. Granted, they should never have been behind the wheel, but “DUI” is surprisingly uninterested in MADD-style scolding and more focused on legal process. It’s also refreshingly empathetic to everyone involved.”

This last point is absolutely crucial, and it is also wonderful.

It’s so easy in today’s world – where we’re berated with twitter-esque headlines 24/7 – to demonize people, judge them, blame them, categorize them, etc. Instead, we can learn a lot more – and protect our roads a lot better – if we focus on empathy. What feelings did you feel when you were pulled over for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills? How could your needs have been met differently that evening? Unless we ask questions like this – probing to the heart of the problem – our punishments are going to be superficial, relatively useless, and certainly damaging to defendants.

If you’ve been struggling with a DUI charge – fretting about what might happen to your license, your job, your pocket book, or even your freedom – you likely need the assistance of a qualified and highly experienced Beverly Hills DUI defense attorney. The Kraut Law Group (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) is dedicated to providing empathetic, substantial, and powerfully strategic services for defendants. Connect with the former Deputy DA and Harvard Law School educated Attorney Kraut today to explore the most effective solution for your DUI problems.

Continue reading "Will Beverly Hills DUI Defendants Like or Loath TLC’s New Show “DUI”?" »

Last week, Randy Michaels, the former Chief Executive of the Tribune Company (owner of the Chicago Tribune, among other media holdings) was arrested near Cincinnati. If you or someone you care about is facing similar charges after failing a field sobriety test in Beverly Hills (or elsewhere in the Southland), Michaels’ ordeal may be quite instructive.

Although blogs and media outlets around the country reported on the arrest, it was most interesting to read the Tribune’s own report about the paper’s former boss. According to an October 14th article in the Tribune, "the media scion was arrested on 2 A.M on Friday the 14th near Ohio Highway 122 and Interstate 75." The Tribune reported that “police found his car stuck in mud with water up to the vehicle's frame in a construction zone… an officer who approached the car said he smelled alcohol on Michaels' breath, noticed his eyes were bloodshot and described him as being “unsteady” on his feet."

As regular readers of this Beverly Hills DUI blog know, those are classic Beverly Hills DUI symptoms.

Michaels was also put through the paces of field sobriety tests – three times – including stand on one leg, and walk the line. Police reports said that Michaels could only balance on his leg for about 3 seconds – a classic indicator that something was either amiss with his vestibular system or that he was under the influence of alcohol or other substances.

After the arrest, Michaels was bought to a city jail in the nearby town of Middletown. After consulting with a lawyer, Michaels refused to take a breathalyzer test at the jail. He was released after posting a bail of around $600.

Michaels took over the Chicago-based Tribune Company in 2007 but departed last year amid allegations that he had brought a “frat house culture” to the corporate offices of the Tribune.

Are there lessons here? Sure.

First of all, it is interesting to note the difference between Michaels’ reaction to his arrest (he called his attorney instead of submitting mindlessly to a breathalyzer test) and to contrast his actions with the actions of other DUI suspects we’ve recently blogged about. If you recall from a few blog posts ago, we talked about how drivers often make impulsive, irrational, destructive decisions AFTER getting arrested that redound to massively complicate their cases.

So here is a takeaway – and it is a takeaway that cannot be stressed enough: even if you’ve made terrible mistakes, such as driving DUI in Beverly Hills with injury, it’s never too late to start making rational, accurate and strategic decisions.

A competent Beverly Hills DUI attorney can help you know what you need to do. Connect with Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills’ Kraut Law Group (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) today to discuss your needs and concerns. Attorney Kraut is a very reputable former prosecutor (also Harvard Law School educated) with the knowledge, knowhow and connections to give you best service.

Continue reading "Beverly Hills Field Sobriety Test Cautionary Tale: Former CEO of Chicago Tribune Busted for DUI in Cincinnati" »

Obviously, anyone charged with a serious crime like driving under the influence in Pasadena needs to take proactive, responsible, strategic action. The consequences of a less than stellar Pasadena DUI defense could mean anything from extensive and unnecessary jail time to catastrophic destruction of your personal and professional reputation.

But in the grand scheme of things, you can at least be thankful that you are not sitting in the hot seat currently occupied by the late Michael Jackson’s erstwhile physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. Last week, Jacko’s personal physician squared off against prosecutors at Los Angeles County Superior Court (Judge Michael Pastor presiding). Drama started the day before opening statements, when the judge two made pivotal rulings – one that Murray’s attorneys no doubt cheered and one that they jeered.

Defense Attorneys Cheered (Probably):

Prosecutors will not be allowed to tell jurors that investigators contacted Murray four times to re-interview him. According to a Los Angeles Times report: “The physician and his lawyer met with police for a lengthy interview two days after Jackson died, but an e-mail and phone calls to the attorney and Murray’s office were not returned.”

Defense Attorneys Jeered (Probably):

Jurors will not get to see a video of Michael Jackson’s last ever news conference. Murray’s lawyers wanted to include the footage, which allegedly “showed Jackson “under the influence” in public three months before his death and…established that the singer had agreed to a comeback concert series of just 10 “This Is It” shows and not the 50 ultimately scheduled.”

The 58-year-old Murray faces up to four years in jail as well as the loss of his license to practice medicine if the jury convicts him of involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors are trying to build a case that Murray gave Jackson propofol, an anesthetic used in surgery, to help the pop star sleep – a clear and scary violation of physician norms. Murray’s camp, however, contends that the King of Pop dosed himself to death.

Jacko’s doctors legal woes notwithstanding, if you face Pasadena DUI charges, your mind is likely completely consumed with your potential punishments and possible opportunities to fight back. What strategies should you adopt? What Pasadena DUI criminal attorney can you trust to protect your rights and ensure that you get the best possible outcome?

These are important questions to think about. Attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Law Group (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) would be happy to speak with you about what you might be able to do to improve your legal situation. Not only does Attorney Kraut have a Harvard Law School education, a great record at jury trials, and experience as a former prosecutor (14+ years as a Deputy DA for Los Angeles) but he’s also been featured as a legal expert for Legal Broadcast Network, U.S. Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, and KTLA Channel 5.

Continue reading "Pasadena DUI Charge or Charge of Killing the King of Pop: Which Would You Rather Face?" »

If you or someone you love has been charged with the crime of driving under the influence in Long Beach, you might feel the urge to get a little creative in your defense.

After all, you'd like to shelter yourself from punishments like a long jail sentence, license suspension, mandatory alcohol education, fines, and the complete destruction of your personal reputation. But there are right ways and wrong ways to construct a Long Beach DUI defense. Ex-Detroit Lion Reggie Rogers, who's facing a sixth DUI (in one of his earlier other DUI incidents, he killed three teenagers), is putting up a defense that has many commentators smacking their foreheads in disbelief: is he really doing this?

Here's the scoop, per a local Detroit Fox News affiliate: “45-year-old Rogers was sentenced to one year in prison for his latest DUI, but his attorney is pleading with the judge to hear his cry and have Rogers serve his time under house arrest because the mattresses in prison will hurt his back.”

In November, Rogers’s attorney will make a case that the hard mattresses in prison will compel Rogers to undergo “another expensive surgery on his back.” The attorney is claiming that sending a patient with a bad back to prison is tantamount to “cruel and unusual punishment.”

The father/uncle of the three teens Rogers killed in a 1988 incident is not buying it. Robert Willett gave this rage-packed rebuttal: “If it’s only a mattress keeping him out of jail, I’ll buy him a mattress. So, don’t tell me because he had back surgery… if we had to let every prisoner go because they had back surgery, we’d have a lot of people out of them jails. So, it’s absolutely absurd… the only thing I ever been shocked about is he hasn’t killed anybody else.”

A legal analyst for the Fox 2 Detroit News team also found Rogers’s DUI defense preposterous: “I am outraged that he can even make such an argument… that he should be given some special treatment on a sixth drunken driving because he’s got a bad back. So, people with bad backs should get some special treatment? It’s not going to happen with this judge. It’s not going to happen with any judge. He should be in prison.”

These vitriolic responses illustrate what can happen if you concoct an absurd defense.

All that being said, you do have the right to a sound, compelling, and thorough defense; if you work with a strategic and knowledgeable Long Beach DUI criminal defense attorney, you might be surprised with the quality of your results. And you won’t need to resort to making absurd, unwinnable arguments that only earn you public derision.

The Long Beach DUI defense team at the Kraut Law Group (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) can help you understand the dos and don’ts of preparing your case. Attorney Kraut is a former prosecutor – with 14-plus years in the Deputy DA’s Office – so he knows how prosecutors think, what incentives they respond to, and how to negotiate with them. He also has a terrific rate at jury trials and a real understanding for how to build the most appropriate and successful Long Beach DUI defenses.

Continue reading "Considering an Outrageous Long Beach DUI Defense? Ex-Detroit Lion Reggie Rogers Probably Has You Beat..." »

You or someone close to you recently got in trouble for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills. You know you need an attorney to manage your burgeoning legal crisis. But who should you choose, and how might you know when you’ve found the “best” person or legal team for the job?

This seems like a relatively simple question to answer. But it’s a question that can provoke a tremendous amount of anxiety. In fact, when you search for Beverly Hills DUI lawyers online, you will encounter dozens if not hundreds of options. Sifting through the websites of prospective attorneys can leave your head spinning. On the surface, this should be a good thing: the more choices you have, the better, right?

Perhaps. But maybe not, depending on the circumstances.

Social scientist Barry Schwartz described a powerful concept about choosing that might have serious relevance to your frustration. In his book The Paradox of Choice, Schwartz destroys one of the most common myths in our consumer-oriented society. Most of us believe that “the more choices, the merrier.” In other words, when we have more options, we will be more likely to find the “best fit” for our needs, whether we are shopping for shoes, a new house, or a Beverly Hills DUI lawyer. Instead of choosing from six choices, we would rather choose from 60. This kind of optimization thinking has been drilled into our subconscious since childhood.

But Schwartz points out that superabundance of choice leads to analysis paralysis and dissatisfaction with the final results. In other words, when you have to make a decision between 60 different options, even if you choose one that’s “better” than any option you might have gotten had you restricted your choices to six, you will feel worse about the outcome and ultimately less satisfied with your decision over the longer term.

This is the Paradox of Choice: the more choices you have, the less happy you will be with your final choice!

One reason is that when you are exposed to a lot of choices, you will constantly think about how your final choice compares to all the options you didn’t choose. On some level, we all intuitively recognize this problem. Think back to last time you went to Jerry’s Deli or another diner in Long Beach and got overwhelmed by the sheer size of the menu. No matter what you picked – the giant omelet, burger and fries, soup du jour, etc. – you “missed out” on hundreds of other meals you might have also wanted to try.

The solution, according to Schwartz, is to aim for “good enough” solutions to your problems. In other words, you don’t want to be careless and just eliminate choices for the sake of eliminating them. But you want to be choosy about how you choose. A “satisfactory” choice may ultimately leave you feeling better about your decisions than a “best” choice, ironically enough.

Fortunately for you, there is no reason to lower your standards. Attorney Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills' Kraut Law Group (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) is an experienced Beverly Hills DUI defense lawyer with the resources, wherewithal, unique experience (served as a prosecutor for LA for 14 years), educational background (Harvard Law School), and jury skills to get you excellent results.

Continue reading "Choosing the “Best” Beverly Hills DUI Lawyer Can Drive You Insane" »

If you have been recently tagged for driving under the influence in Pasadena, you might have had the quite unwelcome surprise of finding your face and the intimate details of your arrest plastered all around the internet on blogs and perhaps even on local news reports. Whether your arrest was highly publicized or not, the media and blogosphere needs to start a general conversation about what exactly constitutes a “newsworthy” Pasadena DUI arrest.

Factors that typically seem to be considered include:

• The defendant’s status e.g. – celebrity, politician, athlete, rich person, CEO of a major company;
• The severity of the charges – e.g. Pasadena DUI murder or manslaughter story is generally more newsworthy than a standard arrest for simple violation of CVC 23152(a);
• Whether anything about the story was bizarre, eclectic, or otherwise newsworthy – e.g. maybe the defendant was arrested for driving under the influence on a lawnmower; or maybe he or she was arrested for the seventh time in 10 years; or maybe he or she caused a 20-car pileup on a lonely mountain road.
• Story serves as a lesson to prove a political point, open a discussion about broader ramifications of Pasadena DUI policy, etc.

A small story out of the Kalamazoo Gazette, of all places, examined the criteria that the media and the blogosphere use to report on DUI stories. Last Tuesday, the Gazette took a closer look at the reporting done about the DUI arrest of a public school curriculum director, Denise Bresson. The arrest was her second DUI in four years.

Was Bresson’s arrest newsworthy or not?

Regular readers of the Gazette weighed in on both sides. Some argued that, of course, her arrest should have been newsworthy, since she is part of the public school system, and her behavior could impact the community’s educational system. Readers debated the pros and cons of exhibiting this official’s dirty laundry – what’s the ultimate purpose of this reporting? Should she be held to higher standards since she works in education? Is the Gazette “just picking on educators” or not?

While this blog obviously is not going to weigh in on the case, it is heartening to see vigorous “meta discussion” about the nature of Pasadena DUI coverage.

The news media filters the public’s understanding of DUI law, process, practice, and penalties. And everyone – especially Pasadena DUI criminal defense attorneys – wants to educate the public about the risks and dangers of driving under the influence. So the more that we can open up the discussion about how best to report DUI news, the better.

On a less heady level, if someone you care about has been arrested for DUI, attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Law Group (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) is here to serve you. Attorney Kraut is a widely respected Harvard Law School-educated former prosecutor who has the talent, skills, and tactical know-how to deliver optimized results for your case.

Continue reading "Pasadena DUI Process and the News Media: When Is it Appropriate and Fair to Cover Someone’s DUI Arrest?" »

A Beverly Hills DUI accident is, almost by definition, an ironic affair. The public imagination associates Beverly Hills with luxury, the good life, and good health and spirits. Likewise, when we think of “DUI” we think of horror stories, cars wrapped around telephone poles, mothers and children crying, and other ghastly images. In other words, when we combine these two images in our minds, we get a kind of dissonance. It’s like thinking of chocolate-covered brussel sprouts – the two things don’t go together.

Likewise, when we think of people getting married, we think of happy occasions, such as singing, dancing, merrymaking, and jubilation. The last thing we think of is DUI. But a tragic accident in Western Pennsylvania highlighted how even life’s most happy events can be tarnished – suddenly and surprisingly – by things like a Beverly Hills DUI.

According to the Houston Chronicle, 56-year-old Billy Leroy Peroney was driving home from his own wedding reception with his blushing new bride, Kelly, when Paroney lost control of his vehicle while passing another car and slammed into a utility pole. The force of the impact was so powerful that it ricocheted the vehicle into a nearby house. The Houston Chronicle reported that Kelly was airlifted from the accident; as of the most recent report, there was no information on her condition. Billy Paroney was put through a field sobriety test; and he admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the accident.

Beverly Hills DUI sobriety tests – such as walk the line, finger to the nose, count backwards by threes, say the alphabet backwards, stand on one leg, and horizontal gaze nystagmus – are unpleasant and scary. But if you fail your Beverly Hills FSTs, you are guilty, right? Not so fast. Indeed, there are many reasons why you think you might underperform on FSTs that have absolutely nothing to do with the amount of alcohol you did or did not consume. These include:

• Your level of fatigue (if you are tired, you might stumble and fumble);
• Your level of fear or anxiety (who hasn’t done the equivalent of forgetting a big line in a play when they are under pressure?);
• Police error, overestimation, or misjudgment of your behavior;
• Your natural habits and tendencies (maybe you are just a klutz by nature);
• Interference from other, non-alcohol factors, such as illness, disease, or other medication that you are legally allowed to take.

A Beverly Hills DUI defense attorney, like the Kraut Law Group’s Michael Kraut (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935), can help you unpack possible plans to fight back against the charges and make sure that you are treated justly and fairly. Attorney Kraut is an experienced former prosecutor, and he has the wherewithal and the resources to help you.

Continue reading "Beverly Hills DUI with Alcohol News – Happiest Night of Couple’s Lives Ironically Ends with Their Car Twisted around Utility Pole" »

Ask anyone who specializes in helping people who have recently been charged for driving under the influence in Long Beach about their experiences, and you will hear a common refrain: Drivers often needlessly dig themselves deeper after getting stopped, and these stupid post-hoc actions often cause far more legal trouble than defendants realize.

Let’s say you get pulled over for driving under the influence in Pasadena, Glendale DUI, Los Angeles DUI, Burbank DUI, or what have you: Likely, you will feel terrified, angry, frustrated, ashamed, and many other emotions. In that highly volatile, spiked emotional state, you might say or do things that can make your legal woes infinitely worse. For instance, you might swear at or hit a police officer, leave the scene of an accident that you just caused, or even try to flee an accident by swimming across a local reservoir (as a Boulder Colorado woman recently tried to do – this blog covered that last week).

Perhaps the most common mistakes come from failing to hold one’s tongue.

By saying things to the police like “I only had 6 drinks,” talking back to police, prematurely confessing to guilt in an accident, and so on, you might, within a span of seconds, accidently add months or even years to your sentence.

Last week, a DUI suspect in Santa Rosa illustrated this lesson literally. According to California Highway Patrol reports, Olan Yahal Mitchell got pulled over early Saturday morning on the 101. The suspect refused to take field sobriety tests (common Long Beach field sobriety tests include walk the line test, finger to the nose test, Rhomberg test, other balancing tests, reciting the alphabet backwards, counting backwards, etc).

According to officer Jonathan Sloat: "While seated [in the police cruiser], Mitchell began to lick the keyboard of the officer’s computer…the officer ordered Mitchell not to interfere with any equipment. Mitchell repeated his behavior, and the officer reached in to move the computer out of his reach… That’s when Mitchell kicked the officer, promoting both officers to restrain him and put him in the back of a “caged” patrol cruiser.”

At the end of the day, Mitchell was charged not only with DUI, driving without a license, and possessing marijuana but also with resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer.

As a qualified Los Angeles criminal defense attorney will tell you, those extra two charges – the battery charge and resisting arrest charge – will almost certainly compound the defense.

Part of the problem is that, if you’ve already committed a crime (or likely crime), you may be in an irrational state of mind. Thus, you might not realize the consequences of your continued criminal conduct. Education is critical – not only to help you deal with your current situation but also to help you avoid future mistakes and punishment.

Connect with Long Beach’s Kraut Law Group (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) for a free consultation to go over your options and figure out a smart and strategically sound plan to go forward. Attorney Kraut understands how prosecutors think and react, since he actually was one for nearly a decade-and-a-half (Los Angeles Senior Deputy District Attorney).

Continue reading "Long Beach DUI Object Lesson: When to Hold Your Tongue" »

One of the reasons why stories about driving under the influence in Beverly Hills capture media attention is that Beverly Hills is well, Beverly Hills. Celebrities, sports stars, movie executives, politicos and other A-listers live, visit and celebrate the city. Thus, stories about DUI in Beverly Hills as well as Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, Burbank DUI, and Los Angeles DUI tend to get a ton of press because they involve famous people and, often, very weird events.

But Boulder, Colorado – of all places – was in the news twice last week for gripping, bizarre, jaw-dropping stories. We already covered the sad story of a 32-year-old woman who allegedly committed a DUI homicide then tried to flee by swimming into a reservoir. The other big story involved a 19-year-old Boulder man who was arrested and held on a $10,000 bond after he allegedly stole a school bus and then smashed the bus into his house. According to an Associated Press article, “police found a privately-owned school bus parked and still running in the yard of William Levin Goodrich on Tuesday." Officers said Goodrich’s license had been revoked for multiple DUIs. Goodrich told officers he felt weird after eating something a friend gave him. Police said Goodrich then told them the friend gave him the bus keys and told him to drive home.

Goodrich was held in a county jail on multiple charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, aggravated motor vehicle theft, careless driving and DUI.

Here's a key takeaway from both these bowl-you-over-in-Boulder stories: the Beverly DUI arrest and conviction process can be complicated – and your situation can be made FAR worse -- if you continue to make bad decisions after you’ve been tagged with a DUI.

In this case, assuming the allegations are true, Goodrich already would have been in trouble for stealing the schools bus. But he wildly aggravated the situation by crashing the school bus into his yard. It’s a bit like the “Butch and Sundance syndrome” – once you’ve become an outlaw, you take your crime to the "nth level" because you come to believe "there's no turning back." Not that this line of thinking makes sense. But apparently that’s how some people react once they realize that they have committed a crime, like Beverly Hills DUI.

Your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney – no matter how good – can only do so much for you if you compound and “complexify” your crime. It’s time to break the cycle. Connect immediately with the reputable Kraut Law Group (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Attorney Kraut served as a prosecutor of DUI crimes for 14 years for the City of Los Angeles, rising to the level of Senior Deputy District Attorney. So he knows how prosecutors typically approach DUI crimes, and he can walk you through the ins and outs of what to do – and what not to do – to develop and execute a plan to restore your name, reputation and freedom.

Continue reading "Beverly Hills DUI Stories Have Nothing On Boulder Colorado This Week: Another Crazy Story as 19 Year-Old Steals a School Bus and Smashes It into His House" »

The dark side of driving under the influence in Glendale (or really, anywhere in the United States) is that fatal accidents can strike anywhere, anytime, and to anyone. A vivid example of why it’s so important to beat the problem of Glendale DUI, Burbank DUI, Pasadena DUI and Los Angeles DUI occurred the Saturday before last, when a Boulder, Colorado woman, 32-year-old Lisa Norton, was arrested on a smorgasbord of charges, including DUI-related vehicular homicide.

Norton allegedly crashed her Ford pick up into a Nissan coup at around 6:30 PM, killing the driver, 33-year-old Gabriel Nielsen, and severely hurting his wife and young child. After the crash, Ms. Norton allegedly fled the scene by diving into the nearby Clover Basin reservoir. Area boaters eventually fished her out of the water and delivered to her to Longmont Colorado police. According to her arrest warrant affidavit: "Witness statements from the boaters indicate that Ms. Norton was combative and denied having any involvement in the crash…that she was combative and verbally abusive to both officers and rescue personnel who were attempting to render aid."

All told, her charges include:

• DUI homicide
• Failing to remain on the scene of a crash resulting in death
• Two counts of DUI vehicular assault
• Two counts of reckless vehicular assault
• DUI
• Driving with a revoked license
• Failing to provide proof of insurance
• Possession of drug paraphernalia (a glass marijuana pipe)
• Child abuse causing serious bodily injury

Obviously, any Glendale DUI homicide is a serious and horrific situation. But many defendants needlessly complicate their situation by assaulting officers, fleeing the scene, acting belligerently, or otherwise “digging their hole deeper.” These acts will ultimately make the job that your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney has a lot more difficult and challenging. Much like how panicked investors throw good money after bad, recently arrested Glendale DUI suspects often radically compound their own problems.

Fortunately, there is a smart way to begin to get clarity on your situation and to stop the downward spiral. Connect with Glendale’s Kraut Law Group (located at: 450 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 600, Glendale, California 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123) to start to synthesize and execute a smart strategy. Attorney Michael Kraut is a former prosecutor who has a terrific record at jury trials and glowing reviews not only from past clients but also from legal peers and respected figures in the media.

Continue reading "Glendale DUI Homicide News – Disaster Out of Boulder Colorado Stuns Community" »

Last Sunday was not a good day for R&B singer Nivea. Her story of DUI in Atlanta was largely drowned out in the Long Beach DUI blogosphere by Ryan Dunn's (of “Jackass” fame) explosive 130 mile per hour fatal wipe out in Pennsylvania. But pundits and celebrity watchers who listen closely to news about Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, Los Angeles DUI, and Burbank DUI story lines couldn’t help but notice some similarities between Nivea’s crash and the fatal crash that took the life of Dunn and another passenger on Monday.

• First of all, Nivea wrapped her Mercedes around a tree that had fallen down (she apparently missed the police lights and yellow tape around it); whereas Dunn crashed his Porsche into a tree on the side of the road.

• Nivea had a passenger in her car with her (a tiny baby – Lil Wayne’s); whereas Dunn also had a passenger with him;

• Significant circumstantial evidence suggests at least some wrongdoing. The police allegedly reported that Nivea “had bloodshot, glassy eyes and smelled like alcohol,” swore at an officer on the scene, and admitted to having had 3 drinks before getting behind the wheel; Dunn, for his part, had a history of reckless and careless driving charges (including a DUI) and he photographed himself earlier in the evening at a bar.

• Both had been driving expensive, fast cars (for whatever that’s worth): Nivea was driving a '06 Mercedes' whereas Dunn had been driving a Porsche 911 GT3.

What happens when someone gets charged and convicted of driving under the influence in Long Beach with injury to someone else? The answer is stark and scary: You can be charged pursuant to California Vehicle Code Sections 23153 (a) or 23153 (b) – basically what these CVC codes do is escalate what might ordinarily be a misdemeanor charge (still pretty serious) to a felony count (extremely serious). The result? More jail time, stricter penalties, bigger fines, and a harder road back to normalcy.

Can a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Help You with Your Long Beach DUI Case?

The answer depends on whom you select, how you work with that lawyer, and the nature of your DUI arrest and behavior afterwards. The Kraut Law Group (located in Long Beach at: 444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) can provide a free and confidential consultation regarding your arrest and suggest best practices to prevent you from doing more damage and to put you on a path towards maximizing your defense. Attorney Kraut is not only an experienced defense attorney who has garnered great reviews from clients, legal peers, and the media (e.g. CNN, New York Times, KTLA News), but he is also a former prosecutor who uses his knowledge and connections as an ex-deputy DA to help his clients.

Continue reading "Long Beach DUI Disaster for R&B Fans – Singer Nivea (Baby Mama Number 4 for Lil Wayne) Smashes Into a Tree While Allegedly DUI" »

The blogosphere was ablaze (no pun intended) last week with horrific Beverly Hills DUI news – 34-year-old Ryan Dunn, co-star of the popular TV series and movie franchise “Jackass,” died last week in a catastrophic fireball. The disaster led some pundits to declare that Dunn “died as he lived” and inspired a callous tweet from the movie reviewer, Robert Ebert. Clearly, Dunn’s epic tragedy dwarfed any other Los Angeles DUI, Burbank DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Glendale DUI news last week, so let’s explore a little bit about what happened and discuss some implications.

News Summary

Dunn had been cited 13 times for driving problems over the past 23 years – including 10 speeding tickets and one DUI from 2005 (charges for this DUI were dropped after Dunn went through a probationary program). Last Monday morning, Dunn had been driving his Porsche 911 GT3 130 miles per hour in Pennsylvania’s West Goshen Township on Route 322, when the car lurched off the road, zoomed over a guardrail, tore through trees, and burst into flames. The carnage was total: a coroner’s report has still not determined whether Dunn and his co-passenger died from fire injuries or blunt force trauma. And a toxicology report will not be available for at least a month or six weeks, so pundits will have to wait for more evidence about whether Dunn was in fact DUI or not.

Whether or not the Jackass star had indeed been driving DUI has been the subject of much internet speculation – Dunn himself uploaded a picture of him and a buddy drinking that night – just hours before the crash took place. (Witnesses did say that Dunn was not intoxicated.)

One of the big lessons is that repeatedly driving under the influence in Beverly Hills is a recipe for disaster, sooner or later. As this blog has detailed multiple times, the punishment for recidivist DUI behavior gets increasingly more stringent. A first time offender, for instance, might wind up with several weeks in alcohol school, a one-year license suspension, and a mandatory installation of an interlock ignition device in his or her vehicle – along with a day or two behind bars.

But a three or four time Beverly Hills DUI offender may not only get punished with a multiyear driver license suspension, enormous court costs and fines, and other court customized punishments, but he or she may also see an ordinary misdemeanor DUI charge elevated to a felony – a far more serious charge.

Fortunately, the Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut may be able to construct a strategic and logically sound defense for you. Beverly Hills’ Kraut Law Group (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) has earned a reputation for excellent client service. Attorney Kraut draws upon a wealth of experience (including 14 plus years as a Senior Deputy DA for LA – a DUI prosecutor). He has earned the respect not only of past and present clients but also of other lawyers, judges, and juries.

Continue reading "Beverly Hills DUI Mystery: Was Jackass Star, Ryan Dunn, DUI When His Porsche Drove Off the Road at 130 Miles Per Hour?" »

The crime of driving under the influence in Glendale (or anywhere else, for that matter) is serious enough. But when DUI drivers compound their problems by doing things like driving the wrong way on the freeway, accidents can happen far more easily – and these accidents have a far greater likelihood of leading to fatalities.

Not all the scary California DUI news has to do with Burbank DUI, Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Los Angeles DUI events – stuff that this blog normally tries to cover. Sometimes, our neighbors in the northern CA also get into trouble. Case in point, Mercury News is reporting on a terrifying story about a 57-year-old taxi driver, Steve Sharek, who drove his cab up an off-ramp onto Highway 1 – a misadventure that ended in a significant accident (although, fortunately, not a fatal one).

Here's the story, per mercurynews.com: “About 1:50 P.M Monday, Sharek drove a taxi up an off-ramp at State Park Drive in Aptos to southbound Highway 1 in the wrong direction, the CHP said. The driver apparently realized his error and made a U-turn…by that time, a 57-year-old Aptos woman in a white, 1994 Toyota Avalon slammed on her breaks (and slammed into a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban)."

Fortunately, both the Aptos woman and the driver of the Suburban escaped without significant injuries, at least according to news reports. After his U-turn, Sharek attracted the attention of CHP officers, who pulled him over and arrested him under suspicion of DUI.

Most defendants understand that charges of injury DUI in Glendale may be more significant than simple Glendale DUI charges. But how different, exactly, are these crimes?

If you look at the California Vehicle Code sections that describe these crimes, you might not see much of a difference… at first.

A typical misdemeanor DUI, for instance, might be charged pursuant to CVC 23152 (a) or 23152 (b); whereas a typical injury DUI would be charged under CVC 23153 (a) and 23153 (b).

If you glance at these CVC codes quickly, they look basically identical!

But there is an enormous, profound difference. A 23152 charge is generally a misdemeanor – a serious crime, to be sure. But a 23153 charge, on the other hand, is a felony charge. Convicted felons can wind up with extensive prison sentences. So even if the person you hurt in your DUI accident wasn’t “that hurt,” you could still find yourself a felon if the prosecution manages to convict you under 23153 CVC.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney (for example, Mr. Michael Kraut of Glendale’s Kraut Law Group, located at: 450 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 600, Glendale, California 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123) can provide timely, effective, and strategically sound help. Attorney Kraut is not only a well-recognized former prosecutor of Los Angeles DUI crimes, but he is also regularly sought out by trusted media organizations like KTLA News, The New York Times, and Fox News, to discuss important breaking news in the Los Angeles DUI arena.

Continue reading "Glendale DUI Doozy – DUI Cabbie Drives Wrong Way on Freeway; Fortunately, He Didn’t Kill Anybody" »

A week ago Sunday, Bryson Smith, a 22-year-old baseball player for the University of Florida, got smacked with a DUI charge and taken to Alachua County Jail – Long Beach DUI experts and others who follow the world of sports news have noticed an uptick in stories about young athletes like Smith getting in trouble for driving under the influence, violating the terms of their contracts, and generally tarnishing the reputations of their sports.

As this blog has relentlessly pointed out in discussions about DUI in Pasadena, DUI in Glendale, DUI in Burbank, and DUI in Los Angeles, sports and DUI simply do not mix. But professional bobsledders, GMs of the nation’s most prestigious teams, and superstar MLB and NFL players alike seem to be getting in DUI trouble these days. Why? What's going on?

More specifically, what happened to Smith?

According to Gainesville Police Department reports, the 22-year-old had been out with his friends at a bar called Cantina 101, when officers saw his vehicle swerving around Northwest 22nd Street, making unusually wide turns and drifting across lanes. Officer Jessie Bostick pulled the suspect over and put him through field sobriety tests (FSTs), which apparently did not go so well.

Officer Bostick reported that Smith “performed poorly on field sobriety exercises… and had bloodshot and glassy eyes.” After Smith was arrested and taken to jail, he refused to take a breathalyzer test. His coach, Kevin O’ Sullivan, released a statement: “I am aware of the charges against our baseball student athlete, and we take these very seriously… Bryson Smith has been suspended from the team effective immediately.”

Coach O’ Sullivan clearly did not want to have to suspend his key player – Smith was hitting .345 for his team with 5 RBIs on the season – one of them a game winner.

The symptoms of a Long Beach DUI that police look for are often “obvious.” In this case, the officer saw Smith swaying from side to side and observed him to have glassy and bloodshot eyes. Other common symptoms include: inability to respond to officer questions, odor of alcohol on the breath, admission to having drunk alcohol (Smith said he had one beer), empty containers of alcohol in the vehicle, slurred speech, loss of coordination, and inconsistent story telling.

As we just said, these symptoms seem “obvious.” Unfortunately, what often might appear to be clear signs of intoxication can actually be attributable to something else. For instance, someone can pull an all-nighter and thus have red bloodshot eyes because of fatigue. Someone might be uncoordinated and not be able to “get it together” enough for FSTs.

Conversely, just because you test negative for symptoms doesn’t mean that you are NOT DUI. For instance, a trained athlete with a great sense of balance might be able to pass the “walk the line” test with flying colors… even with a BAC more than twice the Long Beach DUI legal limit.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, like Michael Kraut of the Kraut Law Group (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454), can answer your questions about your DUI case. Talk to a Harvard Law School educated ex-prosecutor about your best and smartest plan to deal with the charges.

Continue reading "Long Beach DUI Dilemma: What to do about all these sports stars getting arrested?" »

Here is how the scam typically happened. A divorced dad in the midst of a bitter custody battle finds himself approached by two gorgeous women at a local watering hole, gets seduced into driving to a “hot tub party” and then suddenly, out of nowhere, finds himself pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence in Glendale.

Turns out, the dad was set up. His wife had hired Christopher Butler, an ex-cop, to arrange the “dirty DUI” operation by hiring the women to seduce him and then alerting law enforcement agents as the man took the road. The result? A DUI in Los Angeles, DUI in Pasadena, DUI in Burbank, DUI in Glendale, or DUI anywhere else in Southern California.

Sounds like fiction? Think again.

The San Francisco Chronicle and Daily Mail Reporter detailed this “dirty DUI” scam in a recent story. Among the divorcees caught up in the trouble:

* 46-year-old David Dutcher -- he was stopped in 2008 for DUI after a woman he met on match.com invited him back to hot tub with one of her friends. The police pulled him over and found him to have a BAC of 0.12% (Southern California DUI limit is 0.08%).

* 46-year-old Declan Woods -- This contractor was busted in July 2007, after a younger woman got him drunk at Ed’s Mudville Grill and the Clayton Club Saloon. Woods hopped in a car to follow the woman to more partying at Walnut Creek, when he got pulled over by the police – a 0.21% BAC breathalyzer reading and a devastating arrest quickly followed.

Although these divorced dads got "seduced" into breaking the law (by driving under the influence), they clearly should have known better.

On the other hand, their wives and Mr. Butler (the ex-police officer who set things up) should also be ashamed. Inspiring people to drive under the influence in Southern California is reprehensible, whatever the reason.

But if you’ve been caught for driving under the influence in Glendale or elsewhere, you may not need to prove that you were “set up” in order to build a good defense. Indeed, simply questioning the methodology and accuracy of the breath test can be enough to break down the prosecution’s case against you. You might think that a Glendale DUI blood test or breathalyzer test that shows a positive for DUI would be essentially incontrovertible evidence that you did something wrong and broke the law. But, surprisingly, such tests can often be compromised and misleading.

An experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can take a look at the test results and help you develop a smart way to minimize your penalties and maximize your chances of the best possible outcomes. Connect with Michael Kraut’s Kraut Law Group (offices in Glendale at : 450 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 600, Glendale, California 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123) to get your critical questions about your Glendale DUI answered right now.

Continue reading "Glendale DUI Setups: Divorced Dads Targeted in Nefarious “Dirty DUI” Scam" »

Getting arrested for driving under the influence in Glendale or elsewhere in Southern California is no picnic. But often, offenders compound their legal woes both during and after arrest. We're going to take a look at two unfortunate stories from the past week – both involving the number four. One involves a North Dakota man who got arrested twice in four hours for DUI; the other involves a Pennsylvanian man who racked up his fourth DUI in a McDonald’s parking lot.

If someone you care about has gotten arrested for Glendale DUI, Burbank DUI, DUI in Los Angeles, or DUI in Pasadena, these two cautionary tales may be quite useful to you.

Turmoil in West Fargo

The AP reports that, last Thursday, a 40-year-old man got pulled over at 2:20 A.M for suspicion of DUI in West Fargo, ND. The man made his bail and then immediately got behind the wheel again. Some passerby saw him “slumped over the wheel of a running vehicle with its lights on” at 5:40 A.M. Surprise, surprise, the police promptly busted the man again for DUI – not even four hours had elapsed between arrests.

Big Woes in Ridley Township

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 miles away in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, Christian M Sweeney smashed his red Oldsmobile into a woman waiting in a McDonald's drive-through. Just two months ago, Sweeney had passed out in front of a Wawa. Police tested him for DUI, and he blew an astounding 0.62% BAC on a breathalyzer. For some perspective on this number, consider that the legal limit for a Glendale DUI (as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (b)) is just 0.08%. This means that Sweeney blew a BAC of nearly eight times the California legal limit! If you consult alcohol experts, many will tell you that 0.50% BAC is often fatal. If Sweeney’s December BAC reading was correct, it’s actually a miracle he survived.

In any event, officers reportedly found not only a bottle of vodka in Sweeney’s pants but also an empty hydrocodone bottle in his car. On top of that, Sweeney exhibited signs associated with Glendale DUI, such as “odor of alcohol coming from his breath and person,” red and glassy eyes, and slurred speech.

Does DUI bad news always come in fours?

Not necessarily. Each DUI defense offers unique nuances and defensive resources. If you or someone you care about was pulled over in the Valley or elsewhere in the Southland for the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs – or some variation of that crime – trust your defense to a competent Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

Mr. Michael Kraut of Glendale’s Kraut Law Group (located at: 450 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 600, Glendale, California 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123) can provide a stiff, strategic, and sophisticated defense for you. As a regular commentator for the BBC, Fox News, the Los Angeles Times, and other widely respected publications – and as a Harvard Law School educated former prosecutor – Mr. Kraut can provide peerless legal assistance.

Continue reading "Glendale DUI News Alert: Bad News Comes in Fours" »

Let’s face it: Most Pasadena DUI stops involve work-a-day misdemeanors – generally well-meaning folks who make errors in judgment or take undue risks. But sometimes, stories about DUI in Burbank, DUI in Pasadena, DUI in Los Angeles, and Glendale DUI take turns for the bizarre, spectacular, or simply queer. In this blog post, we will take a look at two standout DUI stories from last week and explore resources to help defendants develop better road habits and equip themselves with a proper legal defense.

Story Number 1: Beware the Ice-Cream Man

We all know that kids love the ice cream truck and parents fear it because ice-cream contains gobs of sugar, which has long been associated with obesity, diabetes, and a host of other health problems. But a Tampa Bay ice-cream truck proved unusually dangerous last week for a totally different reason. On Monday afternoon, the police pulled over a Sub-Zero ice-cream truck in Tampa Bay driven by 49-year-old Ronald Purdy, after Purdy nearly plowed into a child awaiting his tasty treats. Deputies who arrived at the scene tested Purdy to have a blood alcohol constitution of 0.227% and found two open bottles of whisky in his truck. Yikes.

Story Number 2: Real housewives get in real big trouble

Star Magazine reports that Marysol Patton, a 44-year-old star of the Real Housewives of Miami, was arrested in January 2010 for DUI in Miami Beach. Patton’s mother, Elsa, also got arrested in 2010 for DUI (October). The 76-year-old pled not guilty and got her charge dismissed, when the officer who pulled over failed to show up. Meanwhile, Marysol and her mom had even more company – Philippe Pautesta, Marysol’s boyfriend, also got charged with DUI last year and drove away from the scene of an accident.

The ice-cream truck story and the story about the Real Housewives' DUI mess suggests that many people might still be confused about what exactly constitutes the crime of driving under the influence. If you have one drink, does that make you too intoxicated to drive? What about two? Three? Clearly, four would…right? The answer has less to do with the number of drinks you have than your degree of impairment and your blood alcohol concentration.

California Vehicle Code Sections 23152 (a) and 23152 (b) define the crime of driving under the influence in Pasadena (and elsewhere in California) and spell out the penalties that offenders will face. If you are too impaired by drugs or alcohol to drive, you violate 23152 (a). If your blood alcohol concentration is greater than 0.08%, you violate 23152 (b). Do note that ice-cream truck driver Ronald Purdy allegedly had a BAC of more than 0.22% – nearly three times the CA limit.

Discussing your DUI case with an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney is a smart and probably necessary first step for you, if you face charges. Get in touch with the Kraut Law Group (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) to set up a free case evaluation to build your Pasadena DUI defense. Mr. Michael Kraut has a fantastic record at jury trails – a 99% success rate – and he is a former prosecutor who has a Harvard Law School education. In other words, he has both formidable credentials and proven “on the ground” results. Let him help you figure out your best next steps.

Continue reading "Pasadena DUI Gossip: Juicy DUI Stories from Last Week" »