When the police officer arrested you for driving under the influence in Burbank, you were perplexed – shocked, even. Perhaps you hadn’t been drinking that much. Perhaps you hadn’t been drinking at all! But the police officer said that you failed your field sobriety tests and/or that you registered positive for Burbank DUI per a breathalyzer test (BAC greater than 0.08%, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b)).
Despite the seemingly incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, you maintain your innocence – or at least you believe that the arrest and/or the charges you face are not quite fair.
They may be, or they may not be. Only a thorough inspection of the evidence can determine the truth, either way. However, if you suspect that the arresting officer mistreated you or misbehaved in some fashion, you may not be delusional. Consider, for instance, some amazing – frankly, terrifying – news out of the state of Utah. A Utah Highway Patrol Trooper, Lisa Steed, is on the verge of being fired, after two separate judges found that she lied on the witness stand when testifying about drug possession and DUI cases.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Steed’s trustworthiness has been under fire since April, when a Third District Judge concluded that she suppressed evidence and lied during a case. Another judge, in the Second District, also said that she suppressed evidence, prompting the prosecutor in that county to abandon prosecuting any DUI cases in which Steed had been a substantial witness.
The Salt Lake Tribune also reported on a memo from back in 2010, which found that Steed had provided conflicting info regarding lab results and arrest reports.
That memo also insinuated that Steed arrested four drivers with no drugs or alcohol in their system!
The story serves as a red flag: bad police behavior like this can happen in any city, under any circumstances. This obviously isn’t to say that the officers who arrested you acted inappropriately. That’s possible, but it’s not necessarily likely.
The bigger takeaway lesson is that Burbank DUI defendants can benefit from having a thorough, effective advocate examine evidence from multiple angles and probe to see whether an idiosyncratic factor – such as police incompetence or deliberate suppression of evidence – may have played a role.
Attorney Michael Kraut of Burbank’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers has spent years fighting Southern California DUI cases from both the prosecutorial and the defense side. His diverse background allows him to develop and execute powerful and highly effective defenses for his clients.
If you have been arrested for a DUI in Burbank or you are under investigation for driving under the influence in Southern California, please contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut for 24/7 assistance by phone at (323) 464-6453 or toll free at (888) 334-6344 or online.