Beverly Hills DUI Defense Attorney

December 5, 2011

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

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 Criminal & DUI Lawyers (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.

November 23, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI Consequences – Does No One Care? Even DUI Prosecutors are Getting Arrested…

by Michael Kraut

It’s no secret that driving under the influence in Beverly Hills or elsewhere in the Southland is a one-way ticket for disaster, for your license, your pocket book, your reputation, and potentially, your life and the lives of the people on the road.

If it’s such a “no brainer” to avoid driving DUI, than anyone with even a modicum of common sense should understand that violating California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) or 23152(b) is less than a stellar idea.

It sure seems like a no-brainer. But why, then, do so many people get into so much trouble behind the wheel? Perhaps more interestingly, why do professionals in the legal system — even people who prosecute DUI cases day in, day out, as part of their livelihood — make the same blunders that “amateurs” do?

We can save the psychological speculation for a later time. It’s probably more interesting to take a look at specific examples, such as last Wednesday’s arrest of Yakima County Prosecutor Jim Hagarty. According to a local Seattle news report at www.kapptv.com: “The State Patrol says Hagarty rear-ended another car on South First Street about 7:15 last night. Troopers said Hagarty showed signs of impairment, so they arrested him and took him to the county jail for a breathalyzer test. The State Patrol hasn’t released the results of that test, but Hagarty was cited for DUI.”

When a prosecuting attorney gets arrested for DUI in Beverly Hills, Yakima County, or anywhere else, it’s a fascinating and certainly sad development. It should ring alarm bells as well as underline the fact that defendants in Beverly Hills DUI cases are diverse. They can run the gamut from serial offenders to paragons of rectitude.

We can analyze Hagarty’s arrest on a number of levels. On the one hand, the cynical reader might think it indicates that our Beverly Hills’ DUI problem is totally out of control: even prosecutors are getting into the act. The cynic might say: “lawmakers need to pass more draconian anti-DUI laws, and we need to “turn the screws” harder on anyone guilty of DUI.”

On the other hand, you can embrace a more expansive view, and appreciate that the challenges and struggles that lead people to drive DUI are profound, subtle, and worthy of compassion.

Perhaps the “assumed choice” – that we have to choose between punishing Beverly Hills DUI drivers or living with dangerous roads – is a false one. Perhaps one way to make roads safer is to understand the complex factors that drive people to commit crimes like Beverly Hills DUI. If we can root out the fundamental causes of bad, dangerous, distracted driving, then we can come up with better remedies. Our problems may be easier to solve than we realize.

For help from a Beverly Hills DUI criminal defense lawyer, connect with the team at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Attorney Michael Kraut is an experienced, well-regarded former prosecutor who has the tools, resources, and connections to help you come up with your best defense.

November 9, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI Flashback: Mel Gibson Visits Same Restaurant He Went to Moments Before Infamous 2006 Bust

by Michael Kraut

In the annals of Beverly Hills DUI arrests (and arrests for similar crimes in surrounding areas, like Pacific Palisades and Malibu), few sordid tales are as well known as Mel Gibson’s July 28, 2006 arrest on the PCH for driving under the influence. As regular readers of this blog (and really any publication that even remotely address problems like celebrity dysfunction and Beverly Hills DUI) know, Gibson dined at Moon Shadows in Malibu just hours before getting pulled over and spouting off crazy antisemitic ramblings to the arresting officer.

The “What Women Want” actor absorbed the public once again with a lurid spectacle earlier this year. Taped arguments between Gibson and his ex-girlfriend leaked into the blogosphere, revealing the ramblings of what appeared to be a sad, desperate person. Many of Gibson’s fans abandoned him, and even his long-term Hollywood pals distanced themselves. Never one to be intimidated, however, Gibson refused to allow the bad press to impact his life and his wanderings. Last week, paparazzi snapped some photos of Gibson hanging out at Moon Shadows at Malibu with a young lady friend, whom TMZ.com referred to as a “mysterious blonde.”

Gibson apparently was in no mood to repeat his mistakes of 2006 – he did not consume alcohol, and he had a driver drive him and his date home.

Nevertheless, this story does raise some interesting implications about what happens when defendants commit the same crime twice. If you are arrested and convicted more than once for Beverly Hills DUI, pursuant California Vehicle Code Sections 23152(a) or 23152(b), within a 10-year period, your penalties can escalate substantially.

Collect three DUI’s or more in one decade, for instance, and what ordinarily would be a simple (and potentially dismissible) misdemeanor Beverly Hills DUI charge could get jacked up to a felony DUI charge. As students of the law (and watchers of legal procedural shows) know well, a felony is far more serious than a misdemeanor. Depending on the nature of the legal indiscretion, you may also face additional penalties, such as extended probation time and stricter terms, longer time in alcohol school, longer drivers’ license suspension, more jail time, steeper fines and court costs, and harsher indirect problems, such as spikes in your insurance rates.

For help with your DUI charge, connect with the respected, highly accredited Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills’ Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935). Attorney Kraut has experience fighting for both sides: before he became a criminal defense attorney, he spent 14 years as a city prosecutor, during which he amassed a nearly perfect record at jury trials and a reputation as a convincing, compassionate, astute student of the law.

November 3, 2011

Lindsay Lohan’s Never Ending Los Angeles DUI Complications – Part 2

by Michael Kraut

Out of all the celebrities who’ve ever been arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles, few if any have generated more riveting legal headlines than Lindsay Lohan.

Ms. Lohan’s 2007 arrest for Los Angeles DUI was a relatively staid affair: she did not hurt anyone while driving DUI; she didn’t resist arrest in some crazy fashion; and didn’t have a BAC in an “out of this world” range (e.g. 0.48% or something). But in the years since her arrest, Lohan has returned again and again to the national spotlight for legal problems, including charges of probation violation, stealing jewelry, and even trying to duck out of her community service obligations at the County Morgue.

25-year-old Lohan’s parents have also earned a reputation for flouting the law. Last week, for instance, the actress’s father was arrested on two separate occasions for domestic violence and resisting arrest, after he allegedly beat-up and then subsequently harassed his ex-girlfriend, Kate Major.

Lindsay was long ago the picture of wholesomeness. She starred in movies like “Freaky Friday” and Disney TV specials. She has now upped the ante, in some sense, by offering to strip nude for Playboy Magazine for approximately $1 million.

TMZ.com reports that Playboy originally offered her $750,000, but she turned down that offer to ask for a cool million. Obviously, Lohan’s experience with Los Angeles DUI – and her other legal troubles – is not typical. In other words, if you or someone you care about has recently been arrested for a similar crime, you probably should look for other defendants to model. But the extravagant coda to her Los Angeles DUI arrest does give us some universal lessons about what to do (and what not to do) as a defendant.

The most crucial lesson is this: what you do after an arrest can magnify future punishments.

For instance, let’s say you got arrested for driving under the influence in Glendale after you got stopped at a checkpoint. Then you failed some Glendale field sobriety tests. If you go to a Glendale criminal defense attorney, like Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (121 W Lexington Dr, Glendale, CA 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123), and you avoid doing or saying anything that might comprise your case or give police and prosecutors ammunition, you might be able to fight the charges successfully.

However, if you make mistakes or omissions after the fact – fight with the arresting officers, for instance, or ignore what your attorney tells you, or get into additional legal trouble – then your situation becomes more complicated. The courts will consider not only the facts of the arrest itself but also your character and how you’ve displayed contrition (or lack thereof) since the arrest.

Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the whole post-Glendale DUI arrest situation by yourself. Michael Kraut, an experienced former prosecutor with great connections and a fantastic track record for success, can help you.

October 21, 2011

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

by Michael Kraut

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 Criminal & DUI Lawyers (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.

October 3, 2011

An Absolutely Guaranteed Way to Permanently End Beverly Hills DUI

by Michael Kraut

We can all agree: Southern California would be a much safer place if drivers no longer drove under the influence in Beverly Hills or anywhere else throughout the Southland.

If no one ever got behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.08% or greater – no one violated CVC 23152 (a) or 23152 (b) – there would be fewer road deaths, fewer injuries, and significantly less property damage to boot.

And here is a foolproof way to ensure a future with a near zero rate of Beverly Hills DUI:

Reinstate Prohibition.

Our nation experimented with Prohibition back in the 1920s. Protests and entrepreneurial bootleggers’ games notwithstanding, alcohol consumption declined after national Prohibition laws passed. It stands to reason that, if there is enough willpower in Southern California to get similar legislation passed, we will likely see a similarly dramatic decline in alcohol consumption in our community. Obviously, we can never get to zero alcohol consumption because there would always be some people breaking the rules. But we can get pretty close.

Most people out there might write off this little thought experiment as silly. And it might be. But let’s think about the possible consequences, as far as Beverly Hills DUIs are concerned. How many lives would be saved every year throughout California if alcohol was legally forbidden (and the law was enforced)? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? How many accidents would be prevented?

Say there was a new pharmaceutical drug that killed dozens of people every year due to its side effects: there would be no end to the clamor and uproar about how the government would need to outlaw the drug ASAP and punish anyone who continued to try to sell it or market it. And there would be a decent moral case for doing so. If you are going to be morally equitable, then you need to admit there is also a decent case for enforcing this kind of draconian Prohibition.

This hypothetical is meant to illustrate a point about Beverly Hills DUI policy: Draconian, “sweep all the pieces off the chess board” gestures might sound good in theory, depending on how you frame the statistics, but they come at a cost that is too great for (most) people to swallow. Like it or not, alcohol consumption is in some ways an intrinsic component of the American social landscape.

The solution to Beverly Hills DUI is not necessarily to throw the baby out with the bath water – to ban all alcohol consumption – but instead to come up with creative, strategic, scientifically grounded, and morally and ethically acceptable solutions to deter DUIs, make road safer, educate drivers, and generally work with every player in the system to protect people’s rights.

A Beverly Hills criminal defense attorney, such as Attorney Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills’ Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935), can help you make progress. Mr. Kraut is a regular TV and news media analyst who specializes in Los Angeles DUI and criminal defense matters, and he is also a Harvard Law School educated former prosecutor. He brings a diverse wealth of experience (and connections) to bear to help his clients make the progress they want.

September 26, 2011

Beverly Hills Drug DUI News Update: Witness in Michael Jackson’s Doc’s Trial Goes MIA!

by Michael Kraut

This blog typically focuses on news stories, advice, and tips to help defendants charged with crimes like Beverly Hills DUIs understand their options, build better defenses, and stay out of trouble.

But considering that the trial of the late Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, has consumed more than its fair share of media oxygen, it may be useful to address this admittedly amazing and scary story in this space.

After all, Murray’s trial contains many hidden lessons that can help Beverly Hills DUI defendants understand their challenges, avoid mistakes, and get help before it’s too late.

Prosecutors allege that Dr. Conrad Murray prescribed controlled substances for Jackson, such as the drug propofol, and that the doctor’s reckless care contributed to the pop star’s untimely demise. Prosecutors had been counting on testimony from a Las Vegas pharmacist named Tom Lopez, who was set to testify that Dr. Murray had received huge amounts of propofol — the drug that allegedly killed the King of Pop. Unfortunately for the prosecution, Lopez skipped town… in a major way. He is now apparently living in Thailand.

Whether Murray received massive amounts of propofol – and handed them off to Jackson – will be pivotal to the case. According to a coroner’s report, the King of Pop died in June of 2009 due to an overdose of the lethal combination of propofol and other drugs.

In August 2009, agents from the DEA raided Lopez’s company, Applied Pharmacy Services, and “seized computers, hard drives and other documents relating to prescriptions for controlled substances written by Dr. Conrad Murray for Michael Jackson and shipping information regarding drugs that may have been sent to Dr. Murray.”

The prosecution wants to read Lopez’s testimony, but the defense is arguing that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to cross-examine Lopez, so the evidence should be kept out of the trial.

So, what lessons can drug Beverly Hills DUI defendants learn from what’s happening?

1) First of all, unexpected weirdness can emerge before, during, or after a trial.

No one anticipated that Lopez would zip halfway across the globe and cause a pivotal legal battle before the trial.

2) Traces of your crime can be found far and wide.

Likely, Dr. Murray did not anticipate that his conversations with a Vegas pharmacist would one day become the center of a legal battle. Thanks to prosecutorial investigation techniques and technology, evidence against you can come from a surprisingly diverse array of sources.

3) The quality of your Beverly Hills DUI criminal defense attorney matters.

Your legal representative’s tenacity and acumen can make a profound difference in your case. Will certain evidence be allowed or disallowed? What precision techniques will work on a jury and what ones won’t? Small nuances – differences between a “good” and “great” Beverly Hills DUI attorney – can translate into widely disproportionate outcomes. A good attorney, for instance, may be able to get you off with a two-year jail sentence. But a great attorney might be able to get the charges dismissed altogether. (Obviously, everything depends on circumstances and context.)

For help with your Beverly Hills DUI charge, connect with the team at Beverly Hill’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935). Attorney Michael Kraut is an experienced, Harvard Law School educated ex-prosecutor with the connections, legal understanding, compassion, and tenacity to serve you well.

September 21, 2011

Choosing the “Best” Beverly Hills DUI Lawyer Can Drive You Insane

by Michael Kraut

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 Criminal & DUI Lawyers (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.

August 21, 2011

What Scary Beverly Hills DUI Penalties Await That’s So Raven Star Orlando Brown? (Kid Star Busted for DUI with Pregnant Girlfriend in Car? Yikes!)

by Michael Kraut

The Beverly Hills DUI process is no trip to the candy store.

But when young adults, like That’s So Raven star Orlando Brown, drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the penalties and other consequences can be stark and very, very serious. Last Friday night, law enforcement officers pulled over Brown for driving without a license plate while his pregnant girlfriend was in the car. Police investigated and noticed the odor of alcohol on Brown, so he was subject to a field sobriety test. Allegedly, the results were not good.

Police booked Brown at the Hollywood station around 12:30 in the morning and released him early Saturday after he posted $15,000 in bail. The 23-year-old actor/rapper now faces some serious legal difficulties, as well as possible branding troubles. After all, Brown is a product of the Disney TV empire. And Disney is extremely protective of its brand. It wants its stars young, wholesome, and untainted by unsavory allegations – especially trouble like Beverly Hills DUI.

So what does someone like Brown do to fix the situation? And how might his solutions parallel or diverge from the solutions “ordinary people” use, who will also do things like fail Beverly Hills DUI sobriety tests?

The Parallels

The law doesn’t care whether you are a celebrity, teen heartthrob, or ordinary Joe. If you violate California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) or 23152(b), you are in for a rough ride, including jail time, lost/suspended license, many weeks of alcohol school (mandatory), court costs and fines, and generally a lot of other trouble.

The law, however, is very interested in your past record – what happened to your behavior during and after the accident and/or arrest, and your attitude and level of contrition going forward. If you have a criminal record, it will also come into play. Brown, for instance, got pulled over in 2007 for driving with his lights off, and the police discovered marijuana in his vehicle. Whether that’s an issue in this case isn’t clear. But bad criminal behavior – or even bad driving behavior – will impact your chances for a successful defense against DUI charges.

The Differences

The biggest difference between a celebrity Beverly Hills DUI and an “ordinary Joe” DUI is probably attitudinal. In other words, the attitude with which you approach your DUI situation really matters. If you are imbued with self-confidence, hope, compassion, a sense of remorse, and a sense that you are life is going to be okay despite the bad news – that’s the right attitude to have. Because when you think positively and resourcefully, you will be more likely to connect with other resources that can help you, such as an experienced and extremely competent Beverly Hills criminal defense attorney. Attorney Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills’ Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers [9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935] is standing by to provide a free and confidential consultation regarding your DUI arrest. Attorney Kraut is a Harvard Law School-educated former prosecutor. He wields his experience from both sides of the law (prosecutor and defense attorney) to tremendous effect for his clients.

August 17, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI Penalties: False Report on Twilight Actor’s Alleged DUI Riles Up the Blogosphere

by Michael Kraut

We all know driving under influence in Beverly Hills is a serious crime. And even just getting arrested – not even convicted – can lead to mortifying anguish.

But what if you just get REPORTED as having been arrested for DUI? Can that still do harm?

Ask actor Kiowa Gordon — the actor who played the shape-shifting werewolf from the Twilight movies. Gordon was arrested last Monday in Tempe, Arizona, for an outstanding arrest warrant related to his possession of drug paraphernalia (a glass marijuana pipe) and possessing alcohol underage.

According to TMZ.com: “The 21-year-old actor was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a ‘routine registration check’ in Tempe…during the stop, cops discovered there was an active warrant for Gordon’s arrest – so they took the actor into custody and booked him into a local jail.”

All pretty standard stuff.

And any celebrity who has had to walk the gauntlet of the Beverly Hills’ DUI arrest process knows that getting arrested and booked is no fun. It is probably less than fun to have the same conversation with your publist, executive producer, family, friends, and attorney about what happened – having to re-live the arrest over and over and over again.

But what happens to someone like Gordon, who was falsely accused of driving under the influence? Perception has a way of becoming reality, particularly in Hollywood. This is not just an idle discussion. It has real applications to your Beverly Hills DUI arrest. In other words, irrespective of whether you passed or failed the breathalyzer test, performed well or poorly on field sobriety tests, and did or did not violate traffic law, you will be judged based on the charges. That’s just the sad fact, and it even happens to people who are eventually exonerated.

The question of the day is: how do you deal?

Now that you’ve been arrested, and you face charges – ranging from a simple misdemeanor DUI to a complex hit and run charge – what should your approach be? Should you hope the problem goes away? Pretend that it never happened? Ignore the lessons of the arrest and aftermath of the arrest?

Or should you start looking for resources and contacting a respected Beverly Hills criminal defense attorney?

Successful people recognize how important it is to constantly do reality checks. So, what is true for you now about your DUI arrest? What do you want to happen? Beverly Hills DUI defense attorney Michel Kraut can answer your questions and construct a complete, thorough, and sophisticated case that will get you results. Mr. Kraut is a former Los Angeles city prosecutor – he spent 14 years serving as a Senior Deputy District Attorney – and he is a regular expert consultant on DUI law for KTLA News, The New York Times, Fox News, and other major media organizations. Connect with The Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers in Beverly Hills (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) now for assistance.