Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

July 31, 2015

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

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 23, 2015

Illinois Bars Happy with New Law [But What Does It Mean for DUI Prevention?]

by Michael Kraut

California state legislators occasionally revisit laws against driving under the influence in an attempt to reduce the number of cases of DUI in Los Angeles and other locales around the state. But Illinois lawmakers appear to be moving in a different direction. They recently passed legislation—signed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner—that allows the return of Happy Hour in bars around the state.

Don’t expect a free-for-all at local watering holes between the hours of four and seven, however. The new law comes with fairly restrictive provisions that should make it less likely that people will overindulge before they get behind the wheel.

When Illinois abolished happy hours in the state back in 1989, the law’s proponents hoped that the restrictions would reduce the number of people who drove under the influence. An Associated Press story reported, statistics suggest that the law did not do much to alter the number of DUI arrests. Backers of the new 2015 law, meanwhile, argued that the law’s passage would help increase alcohol sales, which in turn would increase money flowing into the state’s coffers.

According to the AP story, bars in Illinois can now offer drink specials up to four hours a day, as long as the number of happy hours for a bar or restaurant doesn’t exceed 14 a week. Establishments can’t, however, offer specials like two drinks for the price of one or unlimited drinks for a fixed price.

So far—and perhaps somewhat surprisingly—advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists have taken a neutral stance on the law. Along with the Illinois state legislators, they will probably be watching what happens to the number of DUI arrests in the state. In 1989, police in Illinois arrested more than 49,000 motorists for DUI. By 2013, that number had fallen to fewer than 35,000, mirroring a national trend.

Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer, Michael Kraut, of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to offer critical insight into your case and potential defense options. Call him and his team today to begin regaining control over your case and your life.

June 29, 2015

Police Will Remember This Crazy DUI Arrest

by Michael Kraut

When people are arrested for DUI in Los Angeles, they may harbor the hope that the arresting officer will go easy on them. But it probably won’t help their case if some unpleasant incident—like getting sick all over the back of the police cruiser–occurs during the arrest.

Police in Seminole County, Florida, for example, will probably remember (and not in a good way) 29-year-old Metilia Petties, picked up for DUI in mid-June. Petties had apparently been involved in a fight earlier in the evening, and then she allegedly used nine (nine!) vodka-and Sprite mixed drinks to take the edge off her anger. She eventually left the bar and drove off in her Toyota sedan, but officers spotted her swerving into traffic going the opposite direction on Goldsboro Boulevard.

Petties then hit a sedan that was attempting to make a turn, which sent the driver of that car to the hospital because of neck and body injuries. Petties allegedly fled the scene, but cops eventually caught up and pulled her over. After determining that she was DUI, they put her in the back seat of a patrol car. Petties then threw up everything that she had consumed that evening.
Authorities did not take it easy on Petties, who allegedly had a blood alcohol content of .091. They charged her with DUI, hit-and-run crash with injury, operating a vehicle without a valid license and fleeing/eluding police.

Petties had one additional problem as well. The police found that she was wanted on a grand-theft charge in Seminole County.
Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer, Michael Kraut, of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to offer critical insight into your case and potential defense options. Call him and his team today to begin regaining control over your case and your life.

June 10, 2015

Will New Technology (DADSS) Make DUIs Disappear?

by Michael Kraut

A new technology introduced by the DADSS program (the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety) holds the potential for eliminating arrests for DUI in Los Angeles and all over the country.

DADSS is building prototypes of an alcohol detection system (ADS) that would prevent a car from moving if the blood alcohol content of the driver exceeded 0.08. That’s the legal limit in all states. DADSS is experimenting with two types of technology to determine BAC. One is a breath-based system that automatically measures the alcohol level in a driver’s exhaled breath. (No breathalyzer needed.) The DADSS website said the technology would “accurately and reliably distinguish between the driver’s breath and that of any passengers.”

The second technology DADSS will be testing is a touch-based system. This measures blood alcohol levels under the skin’s surface by shining an infrared-light through the fingertip. DADSS said automakers could integrate this system into a vehicle’s start button or steering wheel, making it possible to take multiple accurate readings in less than a second.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), which represent automakers, have formed a public/private partnership to sponsor the DADSS research. Their plan is to make the ADS an optional safety feature on vehicles, like automatic braking and lane departure warnings.

If and when the ADS technology becomes commercially viable and available to car buyers, it could help save some of the 10,000 lives lost to DUI incidents each year.

Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer, Michael Kraut, of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to offer critical insight into your case and potential defense options. Call him and his team today to begin regaining control over your case and your life.

June 8, 2015

Victim Corrals DUI Driver

by Michael Kraut

If you were to see someone driving erratically down a street in your neighborhood, hitting other cars, what would you do? For most people, the instinct would be to get out of the way; they would want to avoid getting in the path of a DUI driver or in the path of anyone who appeared so out of control that they might face arrest for a DUI in Los Angeles.

But Californian Kevin Johnson is made of sterner stuff. When Johnson felt the safety of his neighbors was at risk, he took action to ensure that an alleged DUI driver couldn’t stay on the road.

The unidentified driver of a green SUV was causing damage in Bay Terraces in San Diego around 8:30 p.m. on the night of May 31st. According to TV news reports, the man was swerving all over the road and finally crashed into a fire hydrant and then several parked cars. But that didn’t faze him–he tried to keep going.

Johnson’s black Nissan Altima was one of the cars hit–and Johnson was in it. He decided enough was enough and blocked the road with his damaged vehicle so the suspect couldn’t flee.

Despite Johnson’s efforts to talk the driver out of his car, the man continued to try to leave the neighborhood, hitting Johnson’s Altima several more times on purpose. Eventually the DUI driver gave up. Johnson, who has three kids, said his main concern was for the safety of his neighbors.

When police arrived they found the driver had several liquor bottles, pot and even a machete in his vehicle. They arrested him on suspicion of DUI.

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.

June 1, 2015

Authorities Mean Business When It Comes to Los Angeles DUI Charges

by Michael Kraut

Although it won’t ultimately solve the problem, some people respond to a Los Angeles DUI arrest by simply ignoring it. They miss their trials or continue to drive even if they’ve temporarily lost their licenses.

That won’t work in Riverside County, California. When you’re charged with a DUI in that county, you’d better follow through on what you’re supposed to do. Otherwise the cops may come looking for you.

On May 30th, beginning at 6 a.m., the Eastvale and Jurupa Valley Police Department Traffic Team hit the streets looking for high-risk DUI offenders who had either failed to show up for a court date or violated the terms of their probation in an outstanding DUI case. The cops attempted to serve 80 warrants by going into various neighborhoods; they netted 26 offenders.
According to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s office, people caught in such a sweep may face additional jail time. They also have to suffer the personal embarrassment of being led away in handcuffs as family, friends, and co-workers watch and/or learn of their arrest. There’s also the problem of missing work while they’re sitting in jail.

Riverside County takes DUI enforcement very seriously. The previous evening, the Lake Elsinore Police Department conducted a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint that netted two DUI arrests plus 30 people either unlicensed or driving on a suspended license. On Saturday evening, officers of the Menifee Police Department held a similar checkpoint that resulted in eight DUI arrests (six alcohol-related and two drug-related) and 10 people cited for driving on a suspended/revoked license.

Do you need help defending against a drug or DUI charge? Michael Kraut of Los Angeles’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is a trustworthy, highly qualified former prosecutor. Call a Los Angeles DUI attorney today to strategize for your defense seriously.

May 18, 2015

DUI Drivers Run Out of Gas and into Trouble

by Michael Kraut

Anyone who’s ever run out of gas while traveling knows just how much of a problem it can be to get the car to a safe place, call for help and wait until that assistance arrives. But if cops show up and discover that drivers have another problem—like enough alcohol in their systems to be arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles—those drivers are more likely to be headed to jail instead of to the nearest gas station.

Just ask Jason Kinthiseng of Cortland, New York. When his car ran out of gas around midnight on May 4th, he flagged down an officer who was returning from handling another call. It didn’t take Sergeant Christopher Marinelli long to figure out that at that moment Kinthiseng needed a breathalyzer test more than he needed gas for his vehicle. Kinthiseng’s blood alcohol content measured .18–more than twice the legal limit. The news story doesn’t mention whether or not Kinthiseng eventually got gas for his vehicle, but he did get a charge of aggravated driving while intoxicated.

Then there was 30-year old Jovanna Dawn Talks from South Dakota. Her running-out-of-gas incident not only yielded two counts of DUI but also three counts of abuse or cruelty to a minor and one count of hit and run.

Talks had her three young children–all under five years old–in the car with her when she rear-ended a 2001 Ford Edge at an intersection in Argus. Instead of stopping, Talks allegedly kept driving and got onto I-229, where she ran out of gas. It was 3:20 a.m. when the police found her and her kids in the car, resulting in the charges against her.

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.

May 6, 2015

DUI Driver Tries for Revenge with Fake Affair

by Michael Kraut

Some drivers pulled over for DUI in Los Angeles may fantasize about getting even with the cop who arrested them. They may be too impaired at the time of their arrest to realize this isn’t a good idea, but when the alcohol fumes dissipate their plans for revenge usually disappear as well.

That wasn’t the case with one Illinois man arrested on February 2 for DUI, reckless driving and fleeing police. The 37 year old driver threatened a local Sheriff’s Deputy, who corralled him on a road near Decatur Airport after a brief chase.

According to the Decatur Herald Review, the driver threatened revenge because his wife was less than pleased after receiving a call from her jailed husband. The driver told the deputy that he had ruined his life and his marriage.

So the driver tried to destroy the deputy’s marriage by faking a series of letters to the deputy’s wife. He pretended to be a female corrections officer who was having an affair with the deputy. At one point the driver even sent a pair of pink women’s panties to the deputy.

The deputy immediately alerted his superiors, who began an investigation. They finally traced the letters to the driver through an Easter card he sent asking him to take the supposed affair to the next level. After discovering that Walmart sold the card, investigators were able to use surveillance video and credit card information to link it to the driver.

Revenge will not be sweet for the driver, who has already lost his license for three years for refusing a breathalyzer test and faces DUI charges. Now he’s also looking at felony charges for threatening a witness and for forgery.

Do you need assistance constructing an appropriate response to a DUI charge? Look to the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers’ Michael Kraut for insight and peace of mind. Mr. Kraut is an experience Los Angeles DUI attorney with many relevant connections in the local legal community.

April 27, 2015

Drivers Can Run But They Can’t Get Away

by Michael Kraut

Motorists who cause an accident while driving under the influence may try to escape the consequences by fleeing the scene. But their respite from arrest is usually brief, and they’re picked up and charged with a Los Angeles DUI or some similar offense.
But it’s not always easy to make a clean getaway. Just ask William Yeckering of Owens, Illinois. He rammed into another vehicle while allegedly driving under the influence and tried to run away. But he had made the mistake of hitting a car owned by 6’ 2” high school football player Evan Williams.

The senior guard and defensive tackle put his on-field skills to use by chasing after Yeckering and bringing him to the ground. Williams held Yeckering down until police arrived at the scene.

Williams was dressed up for his impromptu chase—he and his date were leaving the prom when Yeckering hit their car.

The abrupt end to the chase wasn’t the only unpleasant surprise that Yeckering faced that evening. When police arrested him, they found he had a gun in his car, for which he did not have a permit. They also discovered that he had four previous DUI driving arrests—and that he was driving on a suspended license.

Whether or not alcohol is involved, leaving the scene of an accident in California can get a driver charged with a hit and run misdemeanor or felony. For a misdemeanor charge, involving damage to property, fines can run to $1,000 and drivers face six months in county jail. When a driver leaves the scene of an accident involving personal injury, the fines can go up to $10,000 and the driver could end up in state prison for as long as four years.

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.

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.