California Criminal Defense Lawyers

Eight months ago California lawmakers enacted legislation requiring all DUI offenders to have an ignition interlock device placed in their vehicles. It was just one move to further penalize drunk drivers in hopes of making roadways safer and appeasing political cries for tough-on-crime measures related to DUI offenders. But, according to a piece published this week in The Sacramento Bee, the measure might not be working as well as anticipated. [Read More...]

A bill before the US Senate would pay for research into a passive alcohol detecting device that could become standard in all vehicles in the future. But serious questions exist if all cars can stop you from driving if you trigger the alcohol detector, and what the legal implications of such a supposedly “voluntary” system would be.

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Note the following is a Guest Post from CaliforniaCarInsurance.com

A DUI can disrupt a lot of things in life. It could mean losing your license, paying fines, and enrolling yourself in an alcohol treatment plan. In addition to this, it can affect your California car insurance. So how does a DUI in California change your relationship with your car insurance company? Here are a few things to consider. [Read More...]

A Petaluma man was interviewed for an in-depth look at DUI offenders in the Argus-Courier this past week. He tells that only intensive probation and treatment were able to finally crack his own DUI problems, after multiple convictions and penalties. He suggests the same is necessary for others like him. [Read More...]

California’s three strikes laws have been extremely controversial, often punishing people harshly and out of proportion for an offense or mistake that seems relatively minor. But some cases, like a recent conviction for a DUI murder, by a career criminal is not likely to  be one of those controversial cases. [Read More...]

Starting on July 1st, 4 California counties begin a tough pilot program that requires an ignition interlock device for any driver convicted of a single DUI. [Read More...]

In an extreme, though not unusual enough case, a Redlands man is predicted to be facing serious charges in a police chase that ended with the death of a CHP trooper. The twenty year old is reportedly being held in San Bernardino County on suspicion of homicide and a slew of additional charges. [Read More...]

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and there will be “sobriety checkpoints”, also known as DUI roadblocks, out in many California cities and towns. There has always been a significant question about whether these roadblocks are an effective use of police manpower when if comes to keeping our roads safe.

As this op-ed in the Daily News suggests, these checkpoints are unlikely to catch chronic drunk drivers, who know to avoid these traps. They more often ensnare the average person who may have had a drink or two, and is perhaps just over, or even under the legal BAC limit, but may “fail” the so-called field sobriety test, as 1/3 of all people cannot perform balancing acts under threat of arrest.

Many law enforcement experts argue that roving patrols, out looking for dangerous and swerving drivers are a much better use of limited police resources than efforts to stop every driver at a certain location.

This summer, four California counties will take place in a pilot program for first time DUI offenders. The goal of this program is to see how the installation of ignition interlock devices prevent first time DUI’s and second offense DUI’s. [Read More...]

In this report from the New York Times, a closer look at California DUI checkpoints reveals they are more likely to catch an unlicensed driver than someone driving under the influence. Driving without a license is a traffic offense that will get your vehicle impounded for 30 days, a far less harsh penalty than those seen by DUI suspects. [Read More...]