Celebrity DUI Arrests

April 20, 2016

Navy Hero [Who Claims He Killed Osama Bin Laden] Gets Nabbed For DUI

Police officers are not selective about who they arrest for DUI in Los Angeles and other cities. Celebrity, political figures—even people who have distinguished themselves for their courageous actions—may find themselves facing these charges.

According to media reports, former Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill faces DUI charges in Montana after police officers in Butte-Silver Bow County found him passed out in a car in the parking lot of a convenience store. O’Neill claimed that he was the person who killed Osama bin Laden when the Navy Seals cornered him in a house in Pakistan.

March 21, 2016

District Court Requires Shorter Appeal in DUI Manslaughter Case

by Michael Kraut

If courts convicted you of a DUI in Los Angeles that caused serious injury and sentenced you to harsh penalties, you’d likely want to explore the possibility of appealing your conviction. But a court in Florida has ruled that one defendant needs to limit his appeal.

March 7, 2012 – West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. – WEST PALM BEACH – John Goodman looks at potential jurors during the second day of jury selection in his DUI Manslaughter trial Wednesday. (Credit Image: © Lannis Waters/The Palm Beach Post/ZUMAPRESS.com)

In February, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled that attorneys for John Goodman, convicted of DUI manslaughter in 2014, had to keep their appeal down to 100 pages—12 more than they originally filed. Goodman’s lawyers are asking that the appeals court overturn his conviction or at least grant him a new (third) trial.

Miami’s Sun Sentinel reported that attorneys representing the State of Florida had argued that Goodman’s appeal was more than twice the length of the filings that appeals courts usually allowed. They contended that 85 pages should be the maximum number.

February 3, 2016

Los Angeles DUI Celebs and Politicians Make the News [Vince Young DUI and More]

by Michael Kraut

Have you ever noticed how high-profile DUI arrests seem to come in spates? You’ll read nothing about celebrity DUI in Los Angeles for a few months, and then police arrest a number of stars and/or elected officials within a week or two.

On January 22, police in Austin, Texas, picked up former Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Vince Young for driving under the influence. Young allegedly was speeding and drifting between lanes when officers pulled him over. The arresting officer said that the sports star was slurring his words, had glassy eyes, smelled of alcohol and was swaying as he walked.

Young apologized on his Facebook page after the charge against him–a single misdemeanor count of DUI–became public. So far his current employer, the University of Texas, has opted to keep him on the job.

October 19, 2015

Notable October DUIs – John Stamos, Cre Moore and Tim Chambers

by Michael Kraut

DUI arrests of sports and entertainment figures always make the news, and this October witnessed some serious charges.
The most prominent Los Angeles DUI arrest involved none other than “Grandfathered” actor John Stamos, whom police pulled over after receiving calls about an erratic driver.

The officers initially took Stamos to a hospital out of concern he had some medical condition. Police later charged slapped him with a DUI; tests allegedly determined that Stamos was under the influence of drugs while operating his vehicle. This misdemeanor charge could result in the former star of Full House spending six months in jail.

The sports world also saw two high-profile arrests this month. Cre Moore, the defensive back for the Kansas State football team, crashed his 2014 Ford F-15 in Riley County, Kansas, around 3 in the morning of October 4th. He left the road, hitting a pole and then a stone wall before coming to a stop. The 20-year-old Moore didn’t suffer any injuries, although his vehicle received major damage. But police who went to the scene allegedly did find several pills in Moore’s car, and they charged Moore with DUI and possession of depressants.

The head baseball coach at the University of Nevada, Tim Chambers, faces legal and job troubles after his arrest for arrest for driving under the influence on October 6th. After police charged Chambers with DUI, two counts of failure to maintain a lane and a violation of the proof of insurance requirement, the university immediately placed him on an administrative leave of absence until the courts resolve the charges against him. Chambers is in his fifth year of coaching the UNLV Rebels. The university has a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol for its athletes.

What should you do if you or someone you love faces a serious DUI count? Will you go to jail? Will you lose your license? Call Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer Michael Kraut immediately to understand your options and craft a strategic response.

July 31, 2015

Summertime Blues: Celebrity DUIs Keep On Coming [Ty Lawsom, Jeremih and More]

by Michael Kraut

News reports have splashed the story of Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson’s recent arrest for a DUI in the Los Angeles area all over sports pages, television news shows and web sites. But Lawson has plenty of company. Whether the hot summer nights are encouraging the rich and famous to party a little harder, or whether they’re simply losing track of how many adult beverages they’re consuming, famous people have been making headlines for their poor driving choices.

* The California Highway patrol picked up Lawson on Tuesday, July 14th, when they allegedly caught him driving at high speeds in his white Mercedes. This was Lawson’s second DUI arrest this year, so he headed straight for a rehab center in Malibu, once police released him from Los Angeles County Jail.

* On Friday July 17th, R&B singer Jeremih went to a Van Nuys jail after police arrested him on suspicion of DUI. Coincidentally, police picked up the “Birthday Sex” singer on his 28th birthday. The arrest only derailed Jeremih’s birthday partying for a short time. After making the $15,000 bail, he headed to San Diego to celebrate the remainder of his birthday at a club there.

* WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling coach Tammy “Sunny” Sytch picked a bad time to enter through the exit lane of a Walmart parking lot in Leighton, Pennsylvania. The police spotted her and then watched her hit a curb before they pulled her over. Sytch allegedly failed the field sobriety test and scored a .253 blood alcohol level – nearly 3 times the legal limit for DUI in California. Police charged her with DUI, careless driving and driving without a license.

As a frequent contributor to respected media, like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Good Morning America, Los Angeles DUI attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers understands what it takes to build successful defenses in complex DUI cases. Contact him and his team today to schedule a consultation.

July 8, 2015

DUI Charges Complicate Earlier Case Against Flavor Fav

by Michael Kraut

The Associated Press reported in late June that rapper/reality star Flavor Flav of Public Enemy was getting ready to settle a driving-related case in New York, when police picked him up on a DUI charge in Las Vegas. All he needs to complicate his life a little more is an arrest for a DUI in Los Angeles.

Flav was apparently speeding along at 73 MPH on a 45-mph freeway ramp near Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport when cops pulled him over. He allegedly had been driving on a suspended license, and his vehicle registration had expired. Cops booked him on a felony charge of driving on a suspended license, driving while DUI, possession of marijuana (they found a small amount in his car), speeding and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.

This arrest clearly didn’t help much with the charges that Flav is dealing with in New York. The rapper was already looking at doing time—up to four years in jail—because of a January 2014 incident in that state. According to Fox News, Flav had been speeding on the way to his mother’s funeral when police officers pulled him over. They ran his license and found that it had been suspended 16 times for various offenses.

Flav had been trying to negotiate a plea deal with New York authorities, when news of his Las Vegas arrest broke. Prosecutors were apparently already dubious about Flav’s supposed reformation, and the new arrest hasn’t helped. New York prosecutors have said they will seek a six-month jail sentence if Flav’s case goes to court and he’s found guilty.

Do you or a family member need insight from a qualified Los Angeles DUI attorney? Contact Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers to set up your free consultation.

July 3, 2015

Recently Elected—and Soon Forced to Resign? [DUI Consequences!]

by Michael Kraut

People in big cities have grown fairly accustomed to the shenanigans of their elected officials. A politician’s arrest for a Los Angeles DUI might make the headlines one day, but the story would soon disappear to the back page.

But the same may not be true in smaller jurisdictions around the country. In the Village of Mundelein, a northern suburb of Chicago, DUI charges filed against one elected representative have caused a great deal of controversy, and the story isn’t going away.

Dakotah Norton, age 25, took office as one of the Village’s Trustees last April. (A trustee is the equivalent of a council member in other jurisdictions.) Two months later, a police officer patrolling in a neighboring jurisdiction noticed a car that had only one working taillight. It was Norton’s. The officer followed the car and observed the driver straddling the road’s center line. When

Norton came to a red light, he allegedly failed to stop and instead immediately made a turn. At that point, the cop pulled him over, administered a field sobriety test and took Norton to the police station. His blood alcohol content reportedly measured twice the legal limit.

Per reports, Norton had already earned a reputation as a bit of a controversial figure. His juvenile police record showed charges for retail theft and for possession of cannabis. At the age of 18, Norton served a sentence of probation and community service for a similar marijuana charge.

Although Norton insists he won’t resign because of his DUI arrest, other office holders in the Village have a different idea. The Mayor and three other Trustees have asked him to step down, but they have no legal way to force him out of office.

What should you do if you or someone you love faces a serious DUI count? Will you go to jail? Will you lose your license? Call Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer Michael Kraut immediately to understand your options and craft a strategic response.

May 27, 2015

Man Loses More than $1,000 through Unfounded DUI Charge

by Michael Kraut

The expenses associated with a DUI in Los Angeles are high and can include everything from fines and vehicle impoundment to the cost of getting an ignition lock system installed. Putting out that money is bad enough when the cops have some basis for charging a person with a DUI, but it’s even worse when an officer has lied about the evidence for the arrest.

Gavin Gabor of Salt Lake is fighting to get his money back after prosecutors dismissed the DUI case against him because of questions about the cop’s truthfulness. According to the website Good4Utah.com, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Neil Green pulled Gabor over for failing to signal a turn. Green discovered there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Gabor for another traffic violation. He questioned Gabor and then arrested him for driving under the influence of drugs.

When Gabor appeared before a hearing officer, he heard Trooper Green testify that Gabor had failed a field sobriety test. But Gabor claimed that he couldn’t have failed the test, because Green never administered it. Gabor even bought a copy of the trooper’s dash cam video, which appeared to support his claim.

But the administrator didn’t believe the driver’s story, and Green lost his license for six months. He had to pay $300 to get his license back, $400 to get his vehicle out of impound and another $300 for a release title.

But Gabor wasn’t willing to let the case rest. He got a public defender, who succeeded in getting his case dismissed (although not before Gabor had paid all the money and done without his license). Meanwhile, the UHP began investigating the veracity of all of Green’s DUI arrests; the trooper later resigned.

Green has gotten some of his money back from the DMV, but he’s still fighting with the state Tax Commission, the agency that collected the impound and release fees, to return the money he paid to them.

How should you respond to your recent and disarming charges? Call a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer (and ex-prosecutor) with nearly two decades of relevant legal experience.

April 20, 2015

DUI May Not Be the Worst Charge for Senator’s Brother

by Michael Kraut

What could be worse than getting picked up for a Los Angeles DUI? Getting picked up in Nevada while driving under the influence and carrying a gun–and then punching a state trooper in the face. Under those circumstances, being the brother of a high-profile U.S. Senator may not be of any help.

Larry Reid, the younger brother of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, was apparently driving his black Lexus SUV in the median of Highway 95 between Boulder City and Searchlight, Nevada around noon on February 2. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that when a Nevada trooper stopped Reid around noon on February 2, the 73-year-old was slurring his words so badly that the officer couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Reid wanted to leave and began cursing when the officer told him no. He put the vehicle into gear, and when the trooper reached into the car to move it back into park, Reid allegedly slugged him twice in the face. The trooper subdued Reid after a scuffle, then searched the SUV and found a gun. Reid ended up spending the night in the Clark County jail.

The Senator’s brother is facing a barrage of charges, including DUI, battery on a protected person, driving in or across the median, failure to obey or comply with an officer, violation of the seatbelt requirement and possession of a gun while under the influence of alcohol, according to Fox News.

The morning after the arrest, Reid reportedly had no recollection of what had happened. He thought he had been in an accident.

To respond effectively to your charges, call a qualified Los Angeles DUI lawyer with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.

March 20, 2015

Will You Use Your Smartphone to Avoid Charges of DUI in Los Angeles?

by Michael Kraut

People who have had a drink or two (or three) often don’t realize that they shouldn’t drive because they’re over the legal limit for blood alcohol content. That could change if Uber (the app that connects people needing rides to those willing to offer them) is successful in a new partnership with Breathometer, a startup company featured on the Shark Tank television show last year. The partnership might not eliminate everyone’s need for a Los Angeles DUI attorney, but it could reduce the number of DUI arrests in the city and in others.

Breathometer gives people the ability to check their blood alcohol content. It works through a combination of a smart phone app connected by Bluetooth technology to a device that people breathe into after they’ve been drinking. In less than a minute, people can get their BAC measurements to determine whether or not they’re legally safe to drive.

The partnership between Uber and Breathometer should make it easier for anyone who’s had a little too much to drink to get a ride, because they will be able to call Uber directly from the Breathometer smartphone app. The idea is that people will be less likely to get behind the wheel if they have this quick-call option.
Uber has been claiming that its service is reducing the number of DUI drivers. A joint Uber/Mothers against Drunk Driving study suggests that the availability of Uber as a transportation alternative helped decrease the number of DUI crashes in a city by 60 percent for drivers under 30. But ProPublica, a public interest journalism website, said that while the drop in accidents may correlate with the presence of Uber in a certain city, there’s no proof that Uber is actually the cause of that drop.

Designing and executing an effective defense against DUI charges (even simple ones) is not intuitive. Fortunately, you can trust the seasoned, highly successful Michael Kraut. Call a DUI lawyer in Los Angeles with nearly two decades of experience.