DUI and Child Endangerment

July 3, 2013

Repairing Your Relationship with Your Spouse After Your Long Beach DUI

Things were already rocky between you and your spouse, before you got arrested for driving under the influence in Long Beach. Now things are worse.

What can you do?

First of all, you need to address the realities of your arrest and all the legal implications. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a) or 23152 (b), even a misdemeanor DUI in Long Beach (or elsewhere) can lead to jail time, annoying court costs and fees, mandatory installation of an Interlock Ignition Device (IID) in your car, strict probation terms, mandatory alcohol school, and loss of your CA driver’s license. And that’s just for starters! On top of that, your insurance rates can go up and you can lose your job.

That’s brought up not to spook you, but rather to help you focus on what’s truly important right now, which is your Long Beach DUI defense.

In other words, the “practical stuff” regarding your defense needs to take priority. Otherwise, you run needless risks. The longer you delay getting good representation, for instance, the more difficult it will be to take care of/prevent other bad events. For instance, right now you might be able to contest the driver’s license suspension, find evidence to challenge the Long Beach breathalyzer test results, and anticipate what prosecutors may throw at you.

This isn’t to say that you should neglect your relationship. At some point, you DO want to circle back to address pivotal emotional issues. After all, you’re going to need support not only to manage the logistics of your life – e.g. who’s going to drive you and your children places, if you have a suspended license? – but also to keep you from recidivism and boost your confidence.

Obviously, this is a Long Beach DUI defense blog, not a relationship counseling blog. But you might find it useful to treat the “Long Beach DUI conversation” with your spouse (or partner or girlfriend/boyfriend) as you would treat an important business meeting. In other words, prepare for it! Spend time writing down the stuff you want to stay and imaging the conversation going as well as it could go.

If you haven’t yet broken the news to him or her, prepare. If you’ve broken the news, and the “first round” didn’t go over well, you need to go from there. Acknowledge your starting point – don’t lie to yourself or pretend your problems aren’t as bad as they really are. But retain hope and faith that you can get through this — that you will rebound from your DUI in Long Beach stronger, more compassionate, safer, and more resilient than before.

Step one is to understand your current playing field. What’s true now about your arrest, your charges, and your possibilities? Get insightful, confidential answers by connecting with the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. today. Attorney Kraut is not just a very highly regarded and well connected Long Beach DUI defense attorney, but he is also an ex-prosecutor, so he knows what prosecutors will want out of your case.

July 1, 2013

Getting Beyond Your Pasadena DUI Might Take an Entirely New Mindset…

by Michael Kraut

Your Pasadena DUI arrest has caused you to rethink a lot of your fundamental ideas about yourself, your future, your relationships, and your ability to succeed in general.

Whether the DUI caused serious bodily injury to someone, or whether it was “just” a misdemeanor charge that landed you in jail overnight, you’re stuck in a precarious situation. To create an effective Pasadena DUI defense, you need the proper mindset. To paraphrase one of Albert Einstein’s most famous quotes, “DUI problems cannot be solved using the same consciousness that created them.”

To reconcile with what drove you to drive DUI in Pasadena, you’re going to need help from outside, trusted sources. You may not be able to “fix things” in a single therapy session. But tested advisors, such as an experienced Pasadena DUI defense lawyer, can help you make serious progress.

Seeing “Self-improvement” Not As a Single Project, But Rather As an Ongoing Process
Consider the Japanese art of “Kaizen” – or “never ending improvement.” This philosophy has helped companies like Toyota become world acclaimed brands, and it’s also helped many civic leaders, scientists and athletes achieve their potential. The gist of kaizen is that, over time, if you direct your energy towards improvement – enjoying the process of improvement for itself – eventually, you will build positive momentum and vault beyond mediocrity to success.

What this means for your Pasadena DUI defense is that, in addition to dealing with the nuts and bolts — e.g. striving to minimize your punishments and reconcile with ancillary costs (such as bumps in your car insurance rates) — make a vow now to work on yourself. Find the right people and mentors. Transform this disheartening experience into one that, in retrospect, you will recall as a pivotal, positive moment in your life.

Step one is to get in touch with your resource-rich, tested Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc.. Mr. Kraut attended Harvard Law School, and he has been a guest commentator for the Los Angeles Times, KTLA, and other widely respected media publications.

April 19, 2013

Note to Prospective Burbank DUI Defendants: Make Sure Your Story is Plausible! (Lessons from “Teen Mom” Farrah Abraham’s DUI Arrest)

by Michael Kraut

When you got arrested for driving under the influence in Burbank, you might have been tempted to “fight back” against the police or engage in destructive (perhaps illegal) behavior.

Hopefully, you restrained yourself from making your situation worse.

For an object lesson about what can happen, let’s take a look at the recent DUI arrest of “Teen Mom” star Farrah Abraham. The 21-year old mother (of a 4-year old girl) got busted for DUI in Nebraska on St. Patrick’s Day. She “fought cops tooth and nail” – literally – according to TMZ reports.

March 20, 2013

Hollywood DUI Disaster for American Idol Winner’s Family — Phillip Phillips’ Mom Busted in Albany, Georgia

by Michael Kraut

If you recently got arrested for drug DUI in Hollywood or elsewhere in the Southland, you have plenty of company.

Often, DUI events represent the tip of the iceberg — the manifestation of longer brewing and ultimately very tragic situations.

Consider, in that context, the recent stop and arrest of Cheryl Phillips, mother of singer Phillip Phillips, who won Season 11 of American Idol. Phillip Phillips has been very public about his troubled relationship with his family. Last November, his parents needed financial help. But the newly crowned American Idol winner refused to pitch in. So the parents had to sell their pawn shop.

February 25, 2013

Miscellaneous Los Angeles DUI News–Crazy DUI Induced Explosion on the 10 and Other Astonishing Stories…

by Michael Kraut

If you thought your Los Angeles DUI arrest was hair-raising, think again.

On February 7th, a DUI suspect fled police on the 10 and crashed into the sidewall after losing control of his red Mustang. The car literally exploded and burst into flames. The suspect had been fleeing police. Officers thought he was trying to hop onto the 60 East Bound or try I-5. The man would have almost certainly perished in the fire, but police bravely pulled him from the wreckage–saving his life after they risked their own to get him to stop driving recklessly.

Hopefully your Los Angeles DUI arrest was less fraught and drama filled.

Meanwhile out in Connecticut, 46-year-old Jeffrey Cull got arrested following a string of strange events, involving dumped shingles, laser engraving thievery, and tree hitting. According to local news reports from the town of Monroe, a woman saw a 2009 BMW smash into a tree near her house on a local route, 111. She called police, who found the driver and owner, Mr. Cull. He had a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on him.” Officers said that Mr. Cull did not cooperate and refused to answer questions. Local police put him through the paces of field sobriety tests, which he failed. He refused the breathalyzer test. In addition to the DUI charge, Cull faces charges for evading responsively in an accident, failure to hold his lane, and driving without auto insurance.

Hopefully, your Los Angeles DUI arrest involved neither your car bursting into flame nor your hitting a tree and then getting aggressive with police after the fact.

But no matter what happened, you are entitled by law to a sturdy defense. The team here at the Law Offices of Michael Kraut can help you understand what you might be facing and develop a strategic Los Angeles DUI defense based on deep knowledge of the law and practical experience.

Attorney Kraut knows how to help drivers like you. As an ex-prosecutor, he maintains excellent relationships with local judges, police officers, and prosecutors–all while providing his Los Angeles DUI defense clients with the highest service. Trust attorney Kraut and his team to guide you appropriately–to make informed decisions–and to avoid getting into further trouble or accidentally complicating your case.

February 15, 2013

Vivid Illustration of Why Beverly Hill DUIs Do Not Happen in the Vacuum: Woman Busted for Hit-and-Run and DUI After Police See Her Hit a Car with 10-Month Old in it …

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills (or elsewhere in Southern California), you might be inclined to think that your incident was an isolated one — i.e., it had no relationship to your history, habits, behaviors, beliefs, etc.

You might want to reconsider that belief.

While some Beverly Hills DUIs do, indeed, “come out of nowhere,” where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. To that end, you might find it resourceful to identify patterns in your bad decisions. If you can articulate why you act badly (when you do), you can strategically plan your life to avoid getting into trouble.

Consider that lesson in light of a scary story out in Oklahoma, where 26-year-old Ashley Stahl just got arrested for her third felony DUI charge — on top of charges of eluding arrest, hit-and-run, obstructing a police officer, violating multiple traffic laws, etc.

On Thursday, January 31st, a police officer saw Stahl swerve into a Toyota, at around Fifth and Harvard. The Toyota tried to get out of the way but couldn’t do so in time. The Red GMC Jimmy that caused the crash backed up and took off. Patrol officers saw the whole thing and followed the SUV to Roger’s High School, where they pulled over Stahl and convinced her to give herself up, after talking her off of the ledge for 10 minutes.

Scarily, a 10 month old child had been riding in the back of the Toyota.

Fortunately, neither the child, nor the child’s parents suffered injury. But this poor 26-yaear-old woman could have caused an epic catastrophe, had the accident played out in a slightly different and (less lucky) fashion.

The law can be very punitive, especially towards recidivist offenders.

If this is your second or third arrest for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills, expect prosecutors to be far less lenient this time. Potential punishments increase and diversify. Prosecutors can hit you with additional probation time, mandatory alcohol school time, driver’s license suspension time, jail time, fines and fees, and on and on.

On some level, it’s too bad that the system is so punitive. Many people who rack up multiple Beverly Hills DUI charges need help and compassion, not just judgment and punishment.

Fortunately, good resources abound to help you deal with your charges and manage your emotional and financial crises. Connect with the team here at the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. for a free case evaluation. Attorney Kraut and his team can help you craft a compelling and thorough defense for your DUI charge.

January 7, 2013

Was Your Child Recently Arrested for Driving Under the Influence in Long Beach (or Elsewhere)?

by Michael Kraut

You’re a concerned parent whose child was recently charged with a DUI in Long Beach or elsewhere in Southern California.

You’re likely feeling a destructive cocktail of emotions right now, including anger, confusion, frustration, and helplessness. You worked so hard to raise a child who would abide by the law. The news of the arrest sent shockwaves through your immediate family. It’s forced you to reflect deeply on your values and parental strategies.

Whether your USC undergrad got stopped at a checkpoint on the 405 after an evening of New Year’s revelry; or your teenage daughter caused an injury accident and now faces the possibility of spending over a year behind bars, pursuant to charges under Long Beach injury DUI California Vehicle Code Section 23153, you want practical guidance. You also want to find empathetic, experienced people to help you deal with your own agita that’s been kicked up by the events of the past few days.

Your concern is merited. In fact, by researching and finding an excellent, trusted Southern California DUI criminal defense attorney, you can position your son or daughter to handle the charges better; manage the rehab and penalty phases more maturely; and identify and dispute officer errors and breathalyzer test false positives.

If your grown child can no longer drive to school or work — due to a license suspension stemming from his or her Long Beach DUI — then you may suddenly find yourself chaperoning once again. Likewise, if your child lacks a big savings account, he or she may look to you to pay the steep fines and court costs (which can total in the thousands of dollars). On a more indirect level, the psychological toll of getting arrested and convicted for a Long Beach DUI offense can impact the family for years. If you no longer trust your adult child to make wise decisions, that lack of trust can poison your relationship with the child.

On the other hand, the situation does not have to be grim, even if the offense is dire and the possible punishments manifold.

With the help of a reliable Long Beach DUI criminal defense attorney, like Michael Kraut of the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc., your child can put up stiff resistance to the charges and tap into a wealth of resources to deal with the various issues we’ve discussed in this blog post (as well as others not yet touched upon). Moreover, the DUI event can be re-framed as a learning and growing experience.

Get in touch with the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. now for a free, confidential consultation about what to do, so you can feel more in control and more empowered.

December 31, 2012

Glendale DUI Madness: Yet Another School Bus Driver Arrested for Driving While Intoxicated

by Michael Kraut

Your Glendale DUI charge is serious, and you may feel deeply ashamed and regretful for what’s happened.

But at least (hopefully) you weren’t driving a school bus while DUI, like 67-year-old Ethel Quade Ressler allegedly did.

Local authorities say that the St. Mary’s County bus driver was driving recklessly with 12 kids already loaded onboard. Officers called to the scene noticed alcohol on Ms. Ressler’s breath – a classic symptom of driving under the influence in Glendale or elsewhere. They then put her through the paces of a field sobriety test, which she failed. After the arrest, Ressler tried to hurt herself, so authorities took her to the hospital.

The woman had been driving school buses for 47 years for her school district – nearly five decades! – and had never gotten a DUI or failed a drug test.

Obviously, we can’t discern the deeper details of her case from simple news blurbs. However, the story certainly implies that there might have been something deeper going on in her life that led her to make a mistake and get arrested for DUI.

We live in a society in which we like to catalog and punish “bad guys” and reward “good guys.” But this woman spent nearly five decades of her life in service to the school district, during which time, she apparently carefully shuttled children to and from their homes and school. Prior to the DUI arrest, she was probably considered “one of the good guys.”

A single mistake can cause a kind of polar opposite shift in public opinion.

After all, we certainly don’t want school bus drivers toodling around Glendale DUI. Yet DUI defendants deserve empathy and support as well. That’s one of the reasons why the team here at the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. is so passionate about providing good service.

Whether this is your first arrest or fifth, you likely need diverse and empathetic assistance with what’s been going on in your life. Attorney Kraut is an ex-prosecutor for the city, and he brings to bear an intelligent and compassionate perspective. He also has a reputation for being extremely aggressive and smart about building and executing Glendale DUI defenses.

December 23, 2012

Los Angeles DUI Vehicular Manslaughter News: Cowboys’ Brent Arrested after Teammate and Friend Killed in Crash

by Michael Kraut

Los Angeles DUI with vehicular manslaughter is a terrible crime. If you’re convicted of such charges, you could potentially spend the rest of your life behind bars. Consider, for instance, some horrific news that shook up the NFL. Josh Brent, a defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, flipped his vehicle on a state highway outside of Dallas, while allegedly DUI. His passenger and fellow teammate Jerry Brown, Jr., died in the crash.

Here are the details:

The police say that the 24-year-old Brent hit a curb, which caused his car to flip at least once before settling on a service road. Brent only suffered minor scrapes, but Brown was unresponsive at the scene and ultimately was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Local police put Brent through the paces of a Field Sobriety Test and arrested him for driving while intoxicated.

Brent remained in jail over the weekend, as his DWI charge got upgraded to intoxication manslaughter. In Texas, that’s charged as a second degree felony, and it can be punished by up to two decades behind bars on top of a fine of $10,000. The 25-year-old Brown was a linebacker who had only played one NFL game with the Colts prior to being traded to Cowboys.

Brent released a statement the day after the crash and arrest, through his agent: “I am devastated and filled with grief…filled with grief for the loss of my close friend and teammate, Jerry Brown. I am also grief-stricken for his family, friends and all who were ever blessed to know him.”

It’s difficult to even know how begin to respond when an event like this occurs.

A fatal crash raises so many questions and opens up so many tragic lines of thinking.

If you or someone you care about was hurt (or hurt other people) while DUI in Los Angeles, you really need to think about the legal implications and begin to approach your situation strategically.

The team here at the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. in Los Angeles has the wherewithal, savvy and track record to come up with and deliver powerful legal assistance. Yes, tragedy can be difficult to manage, and there is no such thing as a magic button or “turn back the clock machine.” But Attorney Kraut and his team can provide you with powerful help. Get in touch with them today for more help.

November 28, 2012

Driving Under the Influence in Southern California: You’re Doing it Wrong

by Michael Kraut

As someone who was recently booked for a charge of DUI in Southern California, you probably feel somewhat reluctant to criticize other people who’ve been arrested for the same crime. But it’s a myth that all DUI crimes are ‘equal.’ In fact, DUIs are far more diverse than the public realizes. Typical defendants include high profile politicians, celebrities, and recidivist offenders who’ve been busted/convicted multiple times and possibly even caused harm to people multiple times.

Point is: don’t paint Los Angeles DUI defendants with a broad brush.

In light of that, it’s enlightening to look at a crazy story out of Temecula, where 53-year-old Marlies Petersen got arrested for driving under the influence on the 5 after she tried and failed to make an illegal U-turn on the freeway – twice! – and hit the median strip both times.

The CHP responded to a motorist’s 911 call around 2 in the afternoon on Monday, when someone saw Petersen allegedly weaving her Ford pickup truck around. A local officer who responded, Nathan Baer, told news outlets that the ‘Ford F150 pickup stopped in the center median of northbound Interstate 5 and made a left turn.” Astonishingly, the driver tried to drive through the wall at low speeds and failed. Baer reported that she then ‘backed up and attempted to drive through the concrete median wall, also known as a K-rail, a second time the pickup became stuck in the soft dirt.’

A witness, Dave Iverson, ultimately managed to get Petersen to stop trying to reverse – and potentially put her life and lives of others in danger – and hand over the keys. A CHP officer said that Petersen exhibited extreme symptoms of Southern California DUI. Officer Baer said that she appeared ‘highly intoxicated and had difficulty standing and walking on her own.’

Although those are classic symptoms of Southern California DUI, vertigo and difficulty speaking can also be caused by a variety of other problems, including psychological trauma, bad reactions to medications, etc. – all which can be exacerbated by some alcohol consumption.

Trying to piece together your Los Angeles DUI defense puzzle
Ms. Petersen’s ordeal is a powerful illustration of how desperate and confused people can get after they make mistakes behind the wheel. If you are in a metaphorical ‘hole,’ your first step should be to stop digging. Rather than make your DUI defense more complicated and less certain, take strategic steps to understand exactly what you are up against and to develop a plan to respond more mindfully to the charges.

Attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. in Los Angeles is a highly regarded Southern California DUI defense attorney with years of experience on both the defense and prosecutorial side of things. Mr. Kraut and his team would be happy to provide a free consultation to help you develop a thorough plan of action regarding your DUI defense strategy.