Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

September 9, 2011

Pasadena DUI Process and the News Media: When Is it Appropriate and Fair to Cover Someone’s DUI Arrest?

If you have been recently tagged for driving under the influence in Pasadena, you might have had the quite unwelcome surprise of finding your face and the intimate details of your arrest plastered all around the internet on blogs and perhaps even on local news reports. Whether your arrest was highly publicized or not, the media and blogosphere needs to start a general conversation about what exactly constitutes a “newsworthy” Pasadena DUI arrest.

Factors that typically seem to be considered include:

• The defendant’s status e.g. – celebrity, politician, athlete, rich person, CEO of a major company;
• The severity of the charges – e.g. Pasadena DUI murder or manslaughter story is generally more newsworthy than a standard arrest for simple violation of CVC 23152(a);
• Whether anything about the story was bizarre, eclectic, or otherwise newsworthy – e.g. maybe the defendant was arrested for driving under the influence on a lawnmower; or maybe he or she was arrested for the seventh time in 10 years; or maybe he or she caused a 20-car pileup on a lonely mountain road.
• Story serves as a lesson to prove a political point, open a discussion about broader ramifications of Pasadena DUI policy, etc.

A small story out of the Kalamazoo Gazette, of all places, examined the criteria that the media and the blogosphere use to report on DUI stories. Last Tuesday, the Gazette took a closer look at the reporting done about the DUI arrest of a public school curriculum director, Denise Bresson. The arrest was her second DUI in four years.

Was Bresson’s arrest newsworthy or not?

Regular readers of the Gazette weighed in on both sides. Some argued that, of course, her arrest should have been newsworthy, since she is part of the public school system, and her behavior could impact the community’s educational system. Readers debated the pros and cons of exhibiting this official’s dirty laundry – what’s the ultimate purpose of this reporting? Should she be held to higher standards since she works in education? Is the Gazette “just picking on educators” or not?

While this blog obviously is not going to weigh in on the case, it is heartening to see vigorous “meta discussion” about the nature of Pasadena DUI coverage.

The news media filters the public’s understanding of DUI law, process, practice, and penalties. And everyone – especially Pasadena DUI criminal defense attorneys – wants to educate the public about the risks and dangers of driving under the influence. So the more that we can open up the discussion about how best to report DUI news, the better.

On a less heady level, if someone you care about has been arrested for DUI, attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) is here to serve you. Attorney Kraut is a widely respected Harvard Law School-educated former prosecutor who has the talent, skills, and tactical know-how to deliver optimized results for your case.

September 7, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI with Alcohol News – Happiest Night of Couple’s Lives Ironically Ends with Their Car Twisted around Utility Pole

by Michael Kraut

A Beverly Hills DUI accident is, almost by definition, an ironic affair. The public imagination associates Beverly Hills with luxury, the good life, and good health and spirits. Likewise, when we think of “DUI” we think of horror stories, cars wrapped around telephone poles, mothers and children crying, and other ghastly images. In other words, when we combine these two images in our minds, we get a kind of dissonance. It’s like thinking of chocolate-covered brussel sprouts – the two things don’t go together.

Likewise, when we think of people getting married, we think of happy occasions, such as singing, dancing, merrymaking, and jubilation. The last thing we think of is DUI. But a tragic accident in Western Pennsylvania highlighted how even life’s most happy events can be tarnished – suddenly and surprisingly – by things like a Beverly Hills DUI.

According to the Houston Chronicle, 56-year-old Billy Leroy Peroney was driving home from his own wedding reception with his blushing new bride, Kelly, when Paroney lost control of his vehicle while passing another car and slammed into a utility pole. The force of the impact was so powerful that it ricocheted the vehicle into a nearby house. The Houston Chronicle reported that Kelly was airlifted from the accident; as of the most recent report, there was no information on her condition. Billy Paroney was put through a field sobriety test; and he admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the accident.

Beverly Hills DUI sobriety tests – such as walk the line, finger to the nose, count backwards by threes, say the alphabet backwards, stand on one leg, and horizontal gaze nystagmus – are unpleasant and scary. But if you fail your Beverly Hills FSTs, you are guilty, right? Not so fast. Indeed, there are many reasons why you think you might underperform on FSTs that have absolutely nothing to do with the amount of alcohol you did or did not consume. These include:

• Your level of fatigue (if you are tired, you might stumble and fumble);
• Your level of fear or anxiety (who hasn’t done the equivalent of forgetting a big line in a play when they are under pressure?);
• Police error, overestimation, or misjudgment of your behavior;
• Your natural habits and tendencies (maybe you are just a klutz by nature);
• Interference from other, non-alcohol factors, such as illness, disease, or other medication that you are legally allowed to take.

A Beverly Hills DUI defense attorney, like the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers’ Michael Kraut (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935), can help you unpack possible plans to fight back against the charges and make sure that you are treated justly and fairly. Attorney Kraut is an experienced former prosecutor, and he has the wherewithal and the resources to help you.

August 25, 2011

Pasadena DUI Penalties for Six-time DUI Offenders – Do they Match Penalties for Greenville, South Carolina, Offenders?

by Michael Kraut

What might happen if you got arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Pasadena six times in a single calendar year?

What might that experience teach you?

Let’s not jump to conclusions. There is always the possibility that you were just unlucky. Or maybe a local police officer has it out for you because you two got into a bar fight once, and he hasn’t let the grudge go. It’s possible. But if you’ve been arrested and charged with DUI six separate times in a single year – like Greenville, South Carolina, resident Warren Brooks – maybe it’s time to have a serious heart-to-heart with a therapist to find out what’s at the core of your bad decision making and risky behavior.

That’s right – this actually happened to somebody.

Accordingly to WSOCTV.com (a South Carolina-based TV station website), Brooks was pulled over and arrested for DUI six times within a calendar year.

Here is a quote: “Brooks’ first driving the under influence charge occurred in August 2010. The second charge came in May. His third and fourth followed within two weeks. The fifth charge in June involved a hit and run, and he had to post higher bond amounts of $25,000 for DUI and $10,000 in the hit and run charge. The sixth DUI charge was in July, according to police reports and court records.” Greenville County Chief Prosecutor Walt Wilkins criticized Brooks’ behavior: “This is one of the most egregious cases that we’ve seen in a long time…obviously, he has an issue with alcohol.”

Brooks’ lawyer publicly stated that his client has never been in legal trouble prior to this spate of charges: “He is a very intelligent man…his life just spiraled out of control.”

Look, sometimes in life we face unlucky streaks: we make bad decisions often. That’s life.

Unfortunately for defendants, Pasadena DUI penalties ratchet up every time you are convicted of an offense. For instance, if you are a first time offender, you might face a misdemeanor. The consequence could be dire, but not end-of-the-world dire: 40 hours in jail, $1,000 fine on top of court costs, six weeks to nine months of DUI alcohol school, one year suspended license, mandatory installation of an interlock device in your car in some cases, and tough probation terms.

But if you are arrested for a second time, third time, fourth time, or, unbelievably, sixth time, the penalties become harsher. For instance, a fourth-time Pasadena DUI offender – someone who commits four DUIs within a 10-year span — faces a minimum of 180 days in a jail, just for a misdemeanor! Stack on: a four-year license suspension, 30 months of alcohol school, three year license suspension, and a variety of other punishments, including the possibility of escalating that misdemeanor charge to a felony.

Once you get on this rollercoaster of multiple charges and losing control in general, it’s hard to hit the metaphorical brakes in your life.

That’s why attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) is a strong advocate for strategic defense thinking. You need to think long term. It’s not just about getting yourself exonerated from, or minimizing, your current penalties. Yes, those are important. But your challenge is also about probing deeper, trying to identify the fundamental causes driving your Pasadena DUIs or criminal behavior, addressing those, rebuilding your confidence, and getting your life back on track. You don’t have to figure this out all on your own. A Pasadena criminal defense attorney can help you understand your rights and figure out what to do next.

August 15, 2011

Burbank DUI Penalties Abolished? Perhaps if Michel Moore Gets His Way and the Nation Elects Matt Damon as President….

by Michael Kraut

Burbank DUI penalties are notoriously unpleasant.

As this blog has blogged about umpteen times, if you are arrested and convicted – even for a misdemeanor – you could lose your license for a year, serve jail time, pay colossal fines and fees, and even suffer the indignity of paying to install an interlocking ignition device (IID) in your vehicle.

Not exactly something you want to show off on a first date.

Some people think that our draconian Burbank DUI process is in serious need of reform. But what kind of reform? Who knows. But if the liberal firebrand Michael Moore has his way, the reform could be handed down by none other than President Matt Damon.

You read that right.

Last week, Michel Moore “endorsed” Damon to be President. In a recent statement, the progressive filmmaker said this about the 40-year-old Damon, “I think that he has been very courageous in not caring about who he offends by saying the things that need to be said here… sometimes even when you run an actor, you win. And I guess I only throw his name out there because I’d like us to start thinking that way.”

Obviously, it’s more than a little bit of speculation to suggest that Michel Moore’s endorsement would catapult Damon to launch a progressive challenge against Barack Obama in the 2012 election, win the election, and then make it a priority to reform Burbank DUI laws. There are probably multiple flights of fancy and gaps of logic in that sequence. But it’s worth at least mulling over hypotheticals like this.

So much of our laws are based on arbitrary historical precedents. Someone decided a certain law, restriction, or punishment was a good idea; that idea stuck, and it paved the way for our current thinking. And so, it’s useful, healthy, and even invigorating to play with speculations like, “What if President Matt Damon legalized marijuana?” Or “what if President Damon radically changed America’s view on DUI, distracted driving, and other driving dangers?”

Obviously, the speculation is quite ridiculous. But it’s intentionally so. Because it’s trying to break you out of your old ways of thinking about DUI policy and practice.

Of course, there is a very pragmatic element here – particularly if you or a loved one faces a Burbank DUI charge. You want someone who is an expert in Burbank DUI, someone with credentials, and someone who is respected not only by clients but also by their legal peers (including prosecutors and judges).

Connect with Attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810). Attorney Kraut is a highly-esteemed Burbank criminal defense attorney and can help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a defendant and make smarter choices.

August 3, 2011

Long Beach DUI Homicide Tragedy: Suspect in Fatal DUI Jumps to his Death in Prison Cell

by Michael Kraut

A fatal DUI in Long Beach is always a needless tragedy. We can all agree on that.

But sometimes horrific events can be ratcheted up in terms of their horribleness fivefold, thanks to “after the crash” mistakes, errors of judgment, lack of decisive positive action, and so forth.

Indeed, many cases of DUI in Burbank, Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, Los Angeles DUI, and DUI elsewhere throughout the Southland take turns for the tragically worse – when defendants react non-resourcefully to their situations.

This is all little abstract. So let’s bring it home with a specific example – a case out of suburban Philadelphia. Last week, a 45-year old man, Mathew McNamara, apparently killed himself in prison. He had been charged with vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, after a July 13 automobile accident killed a woman and hurt a child.

According to a local Indiana paper, the Daily Reporter (out of Greenfield, Indiana), McNamara “died from injuries sustained in a fall from the upper level of the cell block at a central Pennsylvania prison… police say accounts of McNamara intentionally jumping from the cell block’s upper level are consistent with surveillance footage.”

Obviously, if you played any role in a fatal Long Beach DUI event – even if you were not fully culpable – the grief and guilt may be weighing heavy on your heart. Even if you caused only minor damage – such as a Long Beach DUI with injury or just damage to an automobile or property – you may be feel overwhelmed, confused, and, frankly, angry at yourself.

But you can’t turn back the clock. What’s done is done. You made a mistake — or you got unfairly charged. And that’s the reality now. The question is: how do you deal resourcefully with your circumstances?

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can help you plot out a strategy for your defense, combat charges, and clue you into outside resources to help you deal with your alcohol problem (if you have one).

You face fundamental choices. You may need to make reparations to someone you harmed. But there are resourceful ways of doing this that can not only help release your guilt but also help the victim – or the victim’s family – come to turns with what happened and experience emotional relief.

Doing all this is tricky. And right now, you are probably most concerned with urgent issues: Will you go to jail? For how long? What are your other punishments? What can you do to bring order to this chaos? Etcetera.

Turn to Long Beach attorney Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (444 West ocean Suite 800  Long Beach, California 90802 (562) 531-7454) for help with your situation. Mr. Kraut is a former Deputy District Attorney (a high profile prosecutor), and he can help you understand what to do next.

August 2, 2011

Burbank DUI: Will It Be Eliminated Entirely Thanks to New Technologies?

by Michael Kraut

What causes people to drive under the influence in Burbank, and what can stop them?

These questions obsess lawmakers, policymakers, police, and analysts who cover news about DUI in Los Angeles, Burbank DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Glendale DUI.

Most solutions concentrate on driver behavior. Policymakers try to deter drivers from consuming alcohol, narcotics, and prescription medications before getting behind the wheel. And they punish people who violate these rules and laws — not only to send a message but also to “clear the roads” of dangerous drivers.

A new movement has cropped up that’s focusing on looking beyond behavior. This new crop of DUI analysts believes that technology may be able to play a vital role in terms of reducing the number of crashes and the severity of injuries.

A recent story in the Washington Examiner analyzed a proposed Maryland law that would compel anyone convicted of driving DUI with a BAC of 0.15% or greater to install an interlock ignition device (IID). (0.15% BAC is nearly twice the BAC for Burbank DUI, as specified in California Vehicle Code Section 23152).

As this blog has discussed at length, California has started a mandatory IID installation program of its own – and Los Angeles County is one of the test counties.

This technology-centered approach to ending DUIs makes some sense.

But rather than getting mired in the debate about the rightness or wrongness of this conclusion – one could probably also paint an argument that first time offenders are penalized too much – let’s think bigger picture.

Maybe correcting behavior alone is not enough. And maybe technology won’t solve our problems either. Maybe we need a solution that is more humanistic, diverse and social science based. In other words, instead of continuing to trust old broken systems or shooting for the moon and hoping that some random new technology will solve all our problems, let’s take a deeper look at what makes drivers do the things they do.

One hard to ignore factor is social contagion.

Human beings like to fit in. That’s a deep human need. Peer pressure is an enormously powerful factor. And policymakers surely do not leverage this factor well enough.

For instance, we all know that Burbank DUI arrests spike around national holidays, like New Year’s Eve, the 4th of July, and the Super Bowl. This is because there is a social contagion effect going on. More people party. More people drink. More people get behind the wheel.

Thinking in terms of social contagion leads us to cool new solutions. For instance, what if we focused on making DUI behavior look less cool? We need not necessarily increase punishments. Rather, we need only source and address the core, often counterintuitive motivating factors. Perhaps we would make better progress.

In any event, from a practical point of view, if you have a question about a Burbank DUI, you likely want to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. Mr. Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor Burbank, California 91505 (818) 563-9810) has ample experience – not just as a defense attorney but also as a former prosecutor. His experienced on both sides of cases gives him a profound and unique vantage, which he can bring to bear to deliver strategic results for you.

July 29, 2011

Burbank DUI Brouhaha: Hines Ward’s Arrest Sparks Critical Tweet from Ray Rice: Steelers and Ravens at it Again, Months Before Pre-Season…

by Michael Kraut

Burbank DUI sports news often follows a relatively simple, predictable script.

An athlete – such as four time pro-bowler and “Dancing with the Stars” champion like the Steelers’ Hines Ward – gets pulled over for a crime like driving under the influence in Burbank, DUI in Pasadena, Glendale DUI, Los Angeles DUI, or DUI whatever – and then the athlete and his/her team launches into a double-pronged defense:

1. Deal with the legal and logistical fallout of the arrest.
2. “Spin” the publicity to minimize damage to the athlete and/or his/her team or league.

As this blog (we believe, astutely) pointed out last week – back when everyone was huffing and puffing about the Carmageddon disaster that wasn’t – the Steelers’ wide receiver’s July 9 arrest outside Atlanta, Georgia sparked far more publicity than Ward, the Steelers, or probably the NFL as a whole would prefer.

But the drama isn’t over.

The latest salvo was fired in cyberspace… by none other than Baltimore Ravens’ runningback, Ray Rice, who tweeted, chidingly, that Ward’s alleged actions were “not a good look.”

Side note: You may or may not know this, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are huge rivals. So when a Ravens star publicly scolds a Steelers star, you can expect sparks to fly.

If you are concerned mostly with Burbank DUI news, you might not be aware of just how viscerally Ward’s arrest (and Rice’s retort) impacted citizens on those two east coast cities. But the broader lesson here is the sheer unpredictability of the story.

While the press obsessed about Carmageddon (and barely even touched on the Hines Ward story), guess which story had more “legs”? Surprise – the Ward story did.

This kind of unpredictability holds true not just for sports DUI arrests – but also for “every day” simple misdemeanor arrests for things like violating California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) or 23152(b) in Burbank. Obviously, most people who get arrested take their situations seriously. But what they may not realize – or at least not fully grasp to the extent they should – is that the law of unintended consequences is almost certain to “visit” your case and create challenges that you did not anticipate.

So what do you do?

As author Nassim Taleb illustrated so nicely in his book, The Black Swan, you cannot predict, with 100% accuracy, these disruptive “bolt out of the blue” events. But you can prepare against them! For instance, by retaining an experienced, creditable Los Angeles criminal defense attorney to build your Burbank DUI case, you can increase your odds – not just of general success – but also of being able to manage “bolt out of the blue” type surprises without getting stressed out and without compromising the quality of your defense.

Attorney Michael Kraut (of Burbank’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers –  2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810) can help you understand your options and build a strategic defense. Mr. Kraut is a former Harvard Law School educated former LA city prosecutor, and he provides free, confidential consultations.

July 15, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI Celebrity Update: Rick Springfield Pleads Not Guilty to Malibu Charges

by Michael Kraut

When a celebrity like famous 80’s rocker Rick Springfield faces a charge like driving under the influence in Beverly Hills or Malibu, you can be sure that tabloids and websites like TMZ.com will be all over the story: speculating, criticizing, and occasionally sympathizing with the famous person at the center of the storm.

If you or someone you care about has recently been hit with a similar charge, such as Glendale DUI, DUI in Pasadena, DUI in Los Angeles, or driving under the influence in Burbank, you might follow these celeb arrests particularly closely – not only to see whether they might have indirect bearing on your case but also to learn more about how defendants deal with them, functionally and dysfunctionally.

Before we get into too much speculation, let’s take a closer look at what happened to Springfield. On May 1, as this blog reported, the “Jessie’s Girl” singer got stopped on Pacific Coast Highway in his 1963 Corvette – allegedly he had been speeding. The 61-year-old Springfield took a blood alcohol test and scored 0.10% BAC – as regular readers of this Los Angeles criminal defense attorney blog know, a BAC level of over 0.08% constitutes a DUI level of intoxication, according to California Vehicle Code 23512(b).

As this blog also tries to hammer home, just because you fail a Beverly Hills breathalyzer test, field sobriety test, or even blood test does not mean that you will be convicted of charges. Springfield, for instance, pled not guilty through his lawyer last Tuesday in Malibu. His case is relatively straightforward (or at least it appears to be, from news stories). His misdemeanor DUI charge is not associated with injuries, hit and run, or other criminal or logistical complications.

Not every defendant faces such simple charges. You might face extra legal trouble and hurdles if you have previously been convicted for a DUI or other criminal charge, if you hurt someone during your DUI, if you engaged in a “hit and run” accident or acted belligerently or inappropriate to police at the scene, etc.

One of the keys to success is acknowledging your specific reality – your concerns, values, fears, and potential punishments. The details of your DUI case matter profoundly – as does your choice of legal representative. Beverly Hills’ Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) can not only advise you about your rights but also help you uncover unique and extremely helpful strategies to battle charges, potentially get them dismissed, and get your life back on track. Attorney Kraut is a well respected former prosecutor (14+ years as a Senior Deputy DA). His combined experience from both sides give him an advantage that few other defense attorneys have.

July 7, 2011

Beverly Hills DUI Stories Have Nothing On Boulder Colorado This Week: Another Crazy Story as 19 Year-Old Steals a School Bus and Smashes It into His House

by Michael Kraut

One of the reasons why stories about driving under the influence in Beverly Hills capture media attention is that Beverly Hills is well, Beverly Hills. Celebrities, sports stars, movie executives, politicos and other A-listers live, visit and celebrate the city. Thus, stories about DUI in Beverly Hills as well as Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, Burbank DUI, and Los Angeles DUI tend to get a ton of press because they involve famous people and, often, very weird events.

But Boulder, Colorado – of all places – was in the news twice last week for gripping, bizarre, jaw-dropping stories. We already covered the sad story of a 32-year-old woman who allegedly committed a DUI homicide then tried to flee by swimming into a reservoir. The other big story involved a 19-year-old Boulder man who was arrested and held on a $10,000 bond after he allegedly stole a school bus and then smashed the bus into his house. According to an Associated Press article, “police found a privately-owned school bus parked and still running in the yard of William Levin Goodrich on Tuesday.” Officers said Goodrich’s license had been revoked for multiple DUIs. Goodrich told officers he felt weird after eating something a friend gave him. Police said Goodrich then told them the friend gave him the bus keys and told him to drive home.

Goodrich was held in a county jail on multiple charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, aggravated motor vehicle theft, careless driving and DUI.

Here’s a key takeaway from both these bowl-you-over-in-Boulder stories: the Beverly DUI arrest and conviction process can be complicated – and your situation can be made FAR worse — if you continue to make bad decisions after you’ve been tagged with a DUI.

In this case, assuming the allegations are true, Goodrich already would have been in trouble for stealing the schools bus. But he wildly aggravated the situation by crashing the school bus into his yard. It’s a bit like the “Butch and Sundance syndrome” – once you’ve become an outlaw, you take your crime to the “nth level” because you come to believe “there’s no turning back.” Not that this line of thinking makes sense. But apparently that’s how some people react once they realize that they have committed a crime, like Beverly Hills DUI.

Your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney – no matter how good – can only do so much for you if you compound and “complexify” your crime. It’s time to break the cycle. Connect immediately with the reputable Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Attorney Kraut served as a prosecutor of DUI crimes for 14 years for the City of Los Angeles, rising to the level of Senior Deputy District Attorney. So he knows how prosecutors typically approach DUI crimes, and he can walk you through the ins and outs of what to do – and what not to do – to develop and execute a plan to restore your name, reputation and freedom.

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 Criminal & DUI Lawyers (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.