Los Angeles DUI Attorney Blog

July 1, 2011

Pasadena DUI Curio: Idaho State Senator Busted in Bizarre Truck Theft and DUI Case

Last Monday afternoon, while most Pasadena DUI blogs (and, let’s face it, the entire news media) had attention turned towards the fatal catastrophe in Pennsylvania that took the life of Jackass co-star Ryan Dunn, Idaho Senate Caucus Chairman John McGee quietly bailed himself out of jail on a $5,000 bond, following a brief 10 minute hearing. The Republican Chairman of the Canyon County’s GOP was involved Saturday night in a truly bizarre disaster that surpassed any of the weird arrest and news stories involving Los Angeles DUI, Burbank DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Glendale DUI last week.

Let’s lift the lid on this curio and discuss its broader implications.

According to the Idaho statesman, “The 38-year-old Caldwell Republican was arrested early Sunday morning on a charge of felony truck theft and misdemeanor DUI, after police found him in the backseat of an SUV – towing a 20-foot trailer – that witnesses say he initially tried to drive off in.”

McGee apparently blew a 0.15 BAC level – nearly twice the Pasadena DUI limit of 0.08% — after drinking and partying at a golf course club house in Boise.

Around about 3 A.M., he hopped into a Ford Excursion and drove away… but then jackknifed the 20 foot rig before getting too far. Two teenagers watched the bizarre accident scene unfold, and the mother of the boys noted that “McGee appeared to be disoriented and hallucinating.” The Idaho Statesman also noted that the Senator’s attorney “might argue that a medical issue was at play.” A hearing has been set for the 1st of July, and many Idaho state political figures are keenly watching the outcome here, as it might have strong bearing on future elections.

One thing that’s striking about this story is that McGee was not exhibiting typical Pasadena DUI symptoms. Normally, someone under the influence might behave recklessly, incoherently, smell like alcohol, or blow a high BAC reading on a breathalyzer test. But if McGee indeed had been hallucinating — and if he did in fact have an underlying medical condition — these factors might influence the nature and quality of his defense. Obviously, it’s illegal to drive with a BAC level of greater than 0.08% in Idaho, just as it is here in Pasadena. But your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney will probe the details of your arrest for facts just like these to help construct a sympathetic and smart defense. After all, your punishments (and potential counterarguments to prosecutorial charges) depend intimately on a clean and vivid accounting of the true facts of the DUI stop and any subsequent acts that you or police officers took.

Pasadena’s Michael Kraut (Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. located at: 790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) has the track record and success at jury trials, knowledge of prosecutorial tactics and strategies, and diverse experience you need to identify your most strategic path to success. This may not mean getting all of your charged dropped, but it will mean feeling less overwhelmed, anxious, and confused. And more confident about exactly what you need to do to restore your life and make amends for any wrongdoing you committed.

June 29, 2011

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

by Michael Kraut

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 Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (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.

June 27, 2011

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

by Michael Kraut

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 Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (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.

June 23, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI Destruction – Rapper Flo Rida Popped for DUI in South Beach with BAC of 0.185

by Michael Kraut

Many arrests for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills involve celebrities driving multimillion dollar cars. Perhaps the only other place on earth that involves as many Maserati, Ferrari, and Bugatti DUI stops is South Beach, Florida. Indeed, South Miami was the scene of a major celebrity DUI bust last week, when Miami Beach police pulled over Rapper Flo Rida for driving with a suspended license and driving with a BAC level of 0.185% (which, as regular readers of this blog know, is more than twice the legal limit for Los Angeles DUI, Glendale DUI, Burbank DUI, and Pasadena DUI.)

Flo Rida – a rapper known for breakout hits like “Right Round” and “Low” — was tooling around in a $1.7 million Bugatti when the Miami Beach PD stopped him. Here is a quote on the arrest from the Boston Herald: “After he was pulled over, the arresting officer noticed Rida’s heavily bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.” When asked to walk on a straight line, Flo finally gave up. “I can’t do this,” he told the officer. “I don’t think I can walk a straight line. I had a few drinks. Let’s do another test. I live on the other side of the bridge. I can make it home.”

Rida exhibited many symptoms similar to the symptoms of Beverly Hills DUI, such as bloodshot eyes, odor of alcohol, incoherent stories to the police, inability to pass field sobriety tests, such as the walk the line test, failure of the breathalyzer test, and probably many more not mentioned in the article write-up.

Just because you exhibited some or many of the signs of DUI, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that you are DUI – even if you blew a positive on a breathalyzer. For instance, say you spent a long time hanging out at a party, smoking cigarettes until 4 in the morning. By the time you got into your car, you likely felt fatigued, raspy, and your eyes might have been quite bloodshot. If you had one or two drinks early in the evening (which you’ve since metabolized), you may still smell a little bit like alcohol, even if you are sober.

Even if you were not out partying or studying, you may still exhibit certain symptoms that could be classified as DUI (which shouldn’t). For instance, if you are on a ketogenic diet or even a semi-starvation diet, you may produce ketone bodies to burn as fuel, and these can screw up your breathalyzer test results.

To make sense of your charges, connect with an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. Beverly Hills’ Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) provides free and confidential consultations to DUI offenders. Attorney Michael Kraut is a former Deputy District Attorney for the City of Los Angeles – he actually spent 14 years in this capacity, as a prosecutor – and he has a terrific track record at jury trials and excellent reviews not only from past clients but also from legal peers.

June 21, 2011

Burbank DUI Reflections: Terrifying Checkpoint Escape in Kansas City, Missouri Seriously Injures Civilian

by Michael Kraut

This blog has scrutinized dozens of Burbank DUI news items since its inception. One of the big takeaways is that drivers have a propensity to act irrationally and dangerously even after they have been stopped and arrested; and it’s often these “post-DUI” behaviors that transform ordinary, simple charges of Pasadena DUI, Burbank DUI, Los Angeles DUI, and Glendale DUI into life-altering legal crises.

Case in point: A terrifying story out of Kansas City, Missouri has the local police department and concerned citizens on edge. Early Saturday morning (the Saturday before last), a driver waiting at a sobriety checkpoint on Troost Avenue at 2:15 A.M., zipped out of line and hit a civilian police department employee. Here is a chilling quote from KMBC News in Missouri: “Investigators sayof the employee hit the hood of the Dodge and was on it for several blocks. The car also hit a police cruiser parked nearby. An officer fired a shot as the car drove off, but no one was hit. Police searched the area for several hours after the incident, but they have not been able to find the driver.” The civilian employee was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. He had spent eight years working for the department and he was in his mid-30s.

The details of this checkpoint accident make it all the more gruesome: Can you imagine being hit out of nowhere by someone driving DUI in Burbank and then carried on that person’s hood for several blocks before being dumped on the side of the road and seriously injured?

Sure, the driver of the Dodge might have been arrested and got into serious trouble had he simply gone through the checkpoint and failed a field sobriety test or breathalyzer test. But now if and when he gets rounded up, he may face far more intense charges. Consider just the difference between a standard Burbank DUI misdemeanor, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) or 23152(b), versus an injury DUI, as defined by CVC Section 23153(a) or CVC 23153(b). In one case, the crime is a misdemeanor. In the second case, the crime is a felony. A felony charge can land you a jail sentence of significantly more than a year.

This checkpoint evader could also face a whole battery of additional charges which will complicate his defense and lead to enhanced penalties and fines – and that’s not even beginning to talk about the damage he caused to the poor civilian volunteer of the Kansas City PD.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can help you develop and follow through on the most appropriate defense to the charges against you. The longer you wait after your arrest to get good help, the fewer resources you may have. Burbank’s Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810) can help you now. Attorney Michael Kraut is a tremendously experienced lawyer – both on as a prosecutor and defense attorney. Major media, such as KTLA News, The New York Times, Fox News and CNN, often look to Mr. Kraut as an expert commentator regarding Burbank DUI news.

June 17, 2011

Glendale DUI News Goes from Bad to Worse for MLB, as Video Emerges of Braves’ Derek Lowe Yelling at Police

by Michael Kraut

Sports fans – particularly baseball fans – have not had a good 2011, at least judging from the news stories picked up on by Glendale DUI blogs (and other blogs that follow sports and celebrity criminal behavior). 37-year-old Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was arrested on April 28 in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood. (Lowe signed a four-year contract worth $60 million prior to the 2009 season.)

A new videotape has emerged – obtained by the AP from the Georgia Department of Public Safety – that shows the star pitcher arguing with police officers “repeatedly saying he was not drinking or racing.” According to the tape, Lowe insists that he had not been racing at 90 miles per hour: “Who am I trying to race? Why would I want to race anybody? I live two blocks from here.” The officer who pulled him over retorted furiously “quit trying to lie to me…do you want to start telling the truth now or do you want to keep lying to me?”

Celebrities who face charges of DUI in Burbank, Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, and driving under the influence in Los Angeles or elsewhere in Southern California often contend with this extra problem – how will officers react once their true professions are known?

According to a USA Today article on the Derek Lowe video, the pitcher “seemed reluctant” to bring up the fact that he played for the Braves. After being pressed, he responded “I play baseball and once you say you play baseball, you are already guilty. I play for the Braves, so there you go.”

Although Lowe’s charges were dropped several weeks after his arrest, the pitcher made a public apology and generated some clearly unwanted attention for his team and his sport. Lowe’s experience illustrates that there are many ways during the Glendale DUI arrest process to compound a bad situation and make it even worse. If you get into an argument with a police officer, resist arrest, leave the scene of an accident, lie or conduct yourself in an appropriate manner, your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney may have a more challenging time getting your charges dismissed or getting them pled down to lesser offenses.

Many clients have had wonderful experiences working with Glendale’s Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (121 W Lexington Dr, Glendale, CA 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123). Lead Counsel Michael Kraut spent many years as a Los Angeles city prosecutor – striving to convict DUI offenders. Now, as a criminal defense lawyer, he brings his impressive credentials and knowledge of prosecutorial tactics and mindset to help his clients.

June 15, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI? How About the Opposite – DUI in Middle of Yellowstone National Park!

by Michael Kraut

Let’s face it: There are a lot more stories about celebrities driving under the influence in Beverly Hills and similar places (e.g. Burbank DUI, Pasadena DUI, Glendale DUI, Los Angeles DUI) than there are newsworthy events about people driving under the influence in national parks. And for good reason. The Southland is replete with millions of drivers, all of them competing to survive countless SIG alerts, smog, and each other. Out in the wide open, there are simply fewer cars and fewer chances for collisions or other problems.

All that said, occasionally, wild stories do come literally out of the middle of nowhere. To wit, consider the case of two bus drivers accused of driving DUI in the middle of Yellowstone National Park while transporting middle school students. Park rangers arrested the two drivers from Karst Stage (names have not yet been released) near the north entrance. KBZK TV reported that the drivers were transporting nearly 100 7th graders from a local Montana elementary school. The owner of Karst Stage, Jerry Perkins, said the company complies with DOT policies and requires third-party drug testing for its employees. In a written statement, Perkins said: “We are reviewing our safety practices to determine what improvements may be made and are very thankful that every one arrived home safely from the field trip.”

The Yellowstone DUI story barely merited a half page report from the Associated Press. But imagine if the details have been slightly different. Imagine, if instead of Yellowstone, the bus drivers drove DUI in the middle of Beverly Hills. And imagine if there had been an injury collision, and students had been hurt or killed. You’d likely see major front page stories and lots of public handwringing about “how to prevent something like this.”

The fact is: DUI is a DUI, on some level. The difference between these scenarios is far smaller than you might realize. It’s easy for friends, colleagues, and the media to villainize convicted DUI drivers. But this cartoonish characterization is incorrect and possibly even dangerous.

The moral of the story is: If you or someone you care about has been pulled over for Glendale DUI, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can help you strategize. Attorney Michael Kraut (of Beverly Hills’s Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc., 9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) spent 14-plus years as a Los Angeles Senior Deputy District Attorney, during which time he accrued tremendous amount of knowledge. Attorney Kraut can leverage his unique experience and relationships to help you get results.

June 13, 2011

Burbank DUI Bonanza: Multiple Lawmakers in Trouble for Driving Under the Influence

by Michael Kraut

The Burbank DUI news blotter was hopping last week with stories about East Coast politicians in trouble for driving under the influence. So in this post, we will extend beyond our typical coverage of Los Angeles DUI, Glendale DUI, Burbank DUI and DUI in Pasadena news to discuss the twin cases of Rhode Island representative Robert Watson and Pennsylvania lawmaker John Galloway.

Watson’s story.

According to www.boston.com, representative Watson, a 50-year-old lawmaker from Rhode Island, got pulled over in East Haven, CT on April 22nd. He allegedly had both marijuana and cocaine in his system. “Police say Watson failed a sobriety test, smelled of alcohol and marijuana and slurred his words at the checkpoint. Officers say they found a small bag of marijuana and a pipe in his pocket. Laboratory tests showed Watson’s blood alcohol level was 0.07, below the state’s 0.08 limit (and the Southern California DUI limit of 0.08% BAC).”

Representative Watson vigorously denied using cocaine. Addressing reporters outside New Haven Superior Court, he lobbed a vociferous defense: “I intend to address [the charges] vigorously. I intend to continue to deny the allegations lodged against me, and I hope and expect that I am found not guilty.” Watson has alleged that he had marijuana on his person to treat pancreatitis related pain. He accused officers of going after him because he is an elected official.

Galloway’s story.

Meanwhile, also last Tuesday, police in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania pulled over state Rep John Galloway on 2nd street. According to NBC Philadelphia, “the officer put Galloway through several field sobriety tests, which he allegedly failed. The officer then asked Galloway to take a breath test and he refused to do so.” The officer then arrested Galloway for driving DUI and committing other traffic violations.

Stories in Context

Fortunately for these two lawmakers, last week’s political oxygen was spent mostly on reveling in the unbelievable behavior of former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin (who made up bizarre statements about Paul Revere’s ride) and New York representative Anthony Weiner (who engaged in bizarre and lurid internet activity).

When lawmakers misbehave and get accused of crimes like driving under the influence in Burbank (and elsewhere), trust in the system degrades. That’s why it’s so important to handle such cases delicately, fairly and objectively.

If you or someone you care about (a relative, friend, co-worker, etc) needs services from a reputable Los Angeles criminal defense attorney to deal with a DUI issue, the experienced leaders at Burbank’s Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810) can help you simplify and strategize. Attorney Michael Kraut is a former L.A. prosecutor (14 years as a Senior Deputy DA) who has built his reputation on developing and delivering solutions for clients facing complex charges.

June 8, 2011

Pasadena Breath Test Implications: Will Tainted Santa Clara County Breathalyzer Tests Ultimately Impact Southern California Cases?

by Michael Kraut

If you have recently been arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Pasadena or elsewhere in Southern California (e.g. DUI in Burbank, DUI in Glendale, DUI in Pasadena, DUI in Los Angeles) chances are you’ve tuned into some very curious news out of Santa Clara County, California. Over 850 DUI cases up are being reviewed, after evidence emerged that the Alco-Sensor V breathalyzers used throughout Palo Alto and San Jose may have been significantly defective. As this blog reported a few weeks ago, the Alco-Sensor V breathalyzers have a manufacturer’s defect that causes condensation buildup and skews BAC readings.

The defective breathalyzers may have led to false arrests and convictions.

All that said, so far the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office has not identified too many problematic cases. Out of 858 files that theoretically could have been disputed, so far, only 42 questionable cases have so far surfaced. An Assistant Public Defender, Nona Klippen-Hughes, admitted “I don’t think there is going to be a huge number of cases.” Part of the problem is that the average BAC level for arrest was 0.19% – significantly over the legal limit – and many suspects who used the Alco-Sensor V device also blew DUI positive breath results at the police station after being taking into custody.

So the revelation about the faulty machines may not be as “newsworthy” as initial reports suggested…unless, that is, you consider the story in context. Then, it gets a LOT more interesting. For instance, Vermont and Florida have witnessed serious breathalyzer-related problems that may result in a wholesale throwing out of some pretty big charges.

These breathalyzer-related mishaps are disturbing. Especially because it can be easily demonstrated that breath tests skew in a variety of ways. As this blog has noted time and again, if you blow deeply into a breathalyzer machine, you get a higher BAC reading than if you blow lightly. Men and women process alcohol differently. Chemicals on your breath alter these tests. Calibration and officer errors mess them up. And, obviously, manufacturing defects can also do the job.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can unpack the evidence against you and develop a battle plan to fight the charges. For instance, say you blew an over-the-limit BAC level reading on a breathalyzer. Attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) could potentially challenge the results on a number of grounds. Attorney Kraut served as a prosecutor for nearly 15 years. He still uses his connections, insights, prosecutorial mindset, and perspective to help clients get the results that they want and deserve.

June 6, 2011

Los Angeles DUI Memorial Day Numbers Are In – Stats are Similar to 2010s, and That’s Kind of a Shame

by Michael Kraut

The California Highway Patrol released its Los Angeles DUI Memorial Day weekend statistics. According to various sources, CHP officers arrested 230 motorists in L.A. County from the period starting midnight Friday, May 27th, through midnight Monday, May 30th. All told, statewide, nearly 900 people were arrested for DUI – 132 fewer than 2010. So that’s good news, for the state. But in Burbank DUI, Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Los Angeles DUI news, other numbers weren’t so terrific. For instance, three traffic related DUI deaths happened in the first 36 hours of the Memorial Day weekend – thus L.A. County accounted for half of the six total California fatalities over Memorial Day.

Law enforcement officials are staging another anti-DUI effort starting on July 4th weekend ending on Labor Day weekend.

It’s a statistical reality that Los Angeles DUI injury accidents are far more likely to occur during holidays, such as Memorial Day, July 4th weekend, Labor Day, New Year’s Eve, and Super Bowl Sunday. Why?

The answer is at first blush obvious: more people party on those weekends. Therefore, more drivers — on average — will likely be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, prescription medications and thus more likely to commit injury accidents.

But take this idea and follow its logical extension: you might come to some pretty interesting conclusions. Holidays encourage reckless behavior. So since carousing leads to an increase in DUIs, would restricting or eliminating holidays therefore reduce DUIs?

In other words, say, starting immediately, we decided to end all national holidays – no more Memorial Day, no more Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc. These days would no longer be days on which people would celebrate, carouse, and be more likely to drive under the influence. Undoubtedly, this practice would save lives, probably hundreds of lives each year in every major American city — as well as prevent untold injuries and costs associated with property damage.

The question is: At what cost?

Would sacrificing all of our fun times and holidays be worth the trade-off of preserving life and protecting property?

Obviously, the philosophical implications are far too deep to explore in any length in a short blog post. But they are certainly interesting, and they go to show that controlling DUI is a lot more complicated than simply setting up a checkpoint here and there and spreading educational campaigns. These issues touch on the very fabric of who we are as a people.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, such as Michael Kraut (Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. – 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, California 90028), a former prosecutor with a terrific record at jury trials, can help you understand how best to fight back against the charges you face. Whether you’ve caused minor property damage while DUI or got stopped at a checkpoint and tested to have a BAC level of just slightly over Southern California DUI limit of 0.08% BAC, Attorney Kraut can help isolate, design, and execute a sound strategy.