DUI Crime and Punishment

September 7, 2013

Sordid Southern California DUI Case – Sheriff’s Deputy “Sold His Badge” to Bust Three Men for “Dirty DUIs”?

Most Southern California DUI arrests are fairly straightforward. For instance, maybe a police officer stopped you at a checkpoint on Westwood Boulevard after a UCLA game. Or maybe you got into a fender bender on Vermont near USC and got busted after you punted your field sobriety tests.

But some DUI stories are intense, enigmatic… almost worthy of their own mini series.

File in that second category the story of Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Deputy Stephen Tanabe!

The 50-year-old Tanabe stands accused of seven federal charges for his role in staging three separate DUI arrests. Tanabe allegedly worked with Christopher Butler, a private investigator. Butler worked for a string of divorced women, who wanted to make their ex-husbands look bad, so that they could have stronger positions in their divorce and custody cases.

Tanabe and his friends apparently worked with Butler to encourage these unassuming ex-husbands to consume alcohol at bars and then drive. Once the men left, waiting police officers immediately pulled them over and busted them for DUI. According to Tim Pori, Tanabe’s attorney, Butler was the real “masterful manipulator” behind the scenes. Indeed, the PI may have played a role in 9 other “dirty DUI” arrests in California on top of the ones that Tanabe allegedly participated in on November 2, 2010 and January 9 and 14, 2011.

As a reward for his participation, Tanabe apparently got a pricey Glock gun and cocaine.

Butler and Norman Wielsch, an ex-drug squad commander, are both testifying for the prosecution in Tanabe’s case to get a reduced sentence. Wielsch is serving 14 years in jail, and Butler faces an eight year prison sentence for crimes ranging from staging DUIs to extorting money from employees of an “illegal massage parlor” that the two men founded.

Tanabe, for his part, faces three wire fraud charges, three counts of extortion, and one count of “conspiring to deprive others of his honest services.”

Your Southern California DUI charges: Were you framed? Was any police misconduct involved?

Most Los Angeles DUI cases are straightforward. Most police officers are honest. They work hard to keep the community safe and protect people on the roads.

This isn’t to say that police officers don’t make mistakes (ranging from big Constitutional sized mistakes to smaller errors of process and procedure) or that the technologies they use (e.g. breathalyzers, blood tests, etcetera) are foolproof. Far from it!

But odds are high that your DUI was not “dirty.”

That said, you owe it to yourself and your family to explore all Los Angeles DUI defenses. For instance, if you blew a 0.10% on the breath test – well over the legal limit, as defined by California Vehicle Code 23152 (b) – your attorney might challenge the test results by a variety of strategies, outlined in this website.

For help, look to Attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. As a Harvard Law School educated Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer who worked for 14+ years as a prosecutor, Mr. Kraut understands how to structure and execute effective defenses.

September 6, 2013

Long Beach DUI Sports News: Terrence Mitchell and Geno Smith, 2 Promising College Football Players, Busted in Separate DUI Incidents.

by Michael Kraut

As someone who was recently stopped and arrested for DUI in Long Beach, you’re probably more sympathetic than most people when you read about sports figures and celebrities busted for DUI and driving without a license. These tabloid-like stories can teach good lessons, if you take the time to understand what happened and why.

Consider two recent DUI arrests that have shaken up the college football world.

The first involves Geno Smith, a cornerback for Alabama, who was arrested on August 18 for DUI and later released on $1,000 bond. Smith’s coach, Nick Saban, put out a statement the next day: “this is obviously not the kind of behavior we expect from our players… I don’t have all of the details at this point and will handle it appropriately once I’ve had a chance to review the information.”

Smith was a four star recruit for Alabama.

Meanwhile, more serious news out of University of South Florida, where 23-year-old Terrence Mitchell was busted by Tampa police for DUI at North 30th Street and Bougainvillea Avenue. News sources report that he blew a 0.165% and 0.171% on two breathalyzer tests – more than twice the legal limit for Long Beach DUI or DUI in Florida. On top of that, he was driving with a bad license, and he faces charges that he assaulted a firefighter (bit the man! – more on that in our next post!).

This has been difficult year, legally speaking, for the 23-year-old, who was arrested for possession of marijuana (a misdemeanor) back in March. Mitchell once had a promising career. In 2010, The Tampa Tribune named him “male athlete of the year.” As a freshman, he was an All-American.

Mitchell had been in a six-month intervention program, after his misdemeanor offense.

Lessons for Your Long Beach DUI Arrests

Fortunately for both of these young men, their DUIs did not involve serious injuries to themselves or other people – or serious property damage. Unfortunately, early DUIs can be signs of future problems.

Even if you construct an effective defense to DUI in Long Beach charges – and avoid serious jail time, intense probation, an interlocking ignition device (IID) in your vehicle, and so forth – you still face longer term issues. Recidivist offenders (repeat offenders) can be charged quite harshly, per Long Beach DUI law. For instance, if you’re convicted three times within 10 years – and your third offense would normally just be a misdemeanor – prosecutors can automatically elevate your charge to a felony. That could mean a jail sentence of over a year.

For help planning what to do next, get in touch with the team at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Mr. Kraut racked up a 99%+ record at jury trials as a prosecutor, and he maintains excellent relationships with judges, prosecutors and police officers in the Los Angeles court system.

September 4, 2013

Want to Make Your Burbank DUI Charges Worse? Bite a Police Officer, Like This 27-Year-Old Woman Did.

by Michael Kraut

Hopefully, we can safely assume that you did NOT bite the police officer who arrested you for driving under the influence in Burbank.

But not every driver has that level of restraint!

Believe it or not, two major recent news stories involved drivers who bit people while getting busted for DUI.

For starters, let’s take a second look at the DUI arrest of former USF football star, Terrence Mitchell, who bit an EMT, after officers found him passed out in front of his car. The Tampa Bay Times summarizes the blow by blow: “while being evaluated by Tampa Fire Rescue personnel, Mitchell ‘became agitated’… and “twice attempted to bite an EMT [against the will of the EMT]…. Mitchell [later] admitted to police that he had consumed alcoholic beverages, was feeling its effects and ‘that he should not have been on the road.'”

But Mitchell’s spectacular story pales in comparison to the charges against 27-year-old Allison Richards of Connecticut.

Richards was arrested on August 13th for a variety of charges, including DUI, failure to signal, breach of peace, interfering an arrest, and – most vividly – assault on a police officer.

Here’s how it all went down.

Richard’s 2005 Subaru Legacy hit a lawn on Hollow Tree Road. Police found Richards standing by the vehicle, exhibiting signs that could indicate DUI in Burbank (or elsewhere), such as slurring her words. Inside the Subaru, officers found a six pack of beer with a bottle missing. Richards said that she was shopping at Lord & Taylor. She then took her son home and began to consume alcohol. She could not remember how she wound up on Hollow Tree Ridge Road.

Once the police moved to arrest her for DUI, things got heated – fast.

First, allegedly Richards stripped off her shirt and started cursing at the police. When the officers tried to subdue her, she lashed back by punching and kicking. Once they got her into the car, she continued with her tantrum, bashing at the partition with her feet. When they got to the police station, she wouldn’t get out. Eventually, they yanked her free and took her inside to be processed. Richards continued to try to strip off her clothing, and she bit one of the officers on the elbow. Eventually, police had to carry her to her cell, where she was held on $2,500 bond.

Something about Burbank DUI arrests bring out the “inner animal” in some people. Not everyone reacts to being arrested the same way. Some people are calm and cooperative. Others activate the “flight” part of the “fight or flight” response and try to leave the scene of the crime. (a big no-no, particularly if you hurt someone or caused property damage.)

The reality is that being arrested is a foreign, terrifying, and uncertain experience. Very few people leave their homes thinking “today is the day I am going to be arrested!” It certainly doesn’t help matters that many people stopped for crimes like DUI are on controlled substances, like alcohol, drugs, or prescription medications.

The silver lining is that, no matter what charges you face, you may have major legal defenses available to you. Connect with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers to explore your defense options now. Mr. Kraut is a former Harvard Law School educated ex-prosecutor; he and his team have the wherewithal and knowledge to build you a very effective Burbank defense to DUI.

September 2, 2013

Hollywood DUI Update on Linda Hogan’s Case: Hulk’s Ex-Wife Finally Pleads Guilty to DUI Charges

by Michael Kraut

Breaking Hollywood DUI news — Linda Hogan, ex-wife of WWE Star, Hulk Hogan — has plead guilty to charges that she drove on the influence in October 2012.

The reality star had publicly and vigorously claimed innocence, asserting that she “had only drunk one glass of champagne,” before police stopped her on the westbound 101 in her black Mercedes Benz. At the time, her BAC tested at 0.084% — just over the legal limit for Hollywood DUI (0.08%), per CVC 23152(b).

In exchange for Hogan’s guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop one of the two misdemeanor DUI charges against her. She also got three months of alcohol classes and three years of probation.

Hogan (whose real last name is Bollea) starred with the Hulk (a.k.a. “Terry Bollea”) in the short-lived but much gossiped-about reality show, Hulk Knows Best. Their show – and marriage – ended in 2007. Linda then commenced a relationship with a 23-year-old, Charley Hill. They briefly got engaged, but then broke it off.

One reason why Hogan’s arrest caused so much ruckus in the blogosphere is that it coincided with the release of Hulk Hogan’s sex tape on YouTube. The 59-year-old Hogan was filmed performing a sex act with Heather Clem, former wife of DJ Bubba The Love Sponge, Hulk’s best friend.

Linda expressed shock about the sex tape. She said she found it “a little twisted,” especially because the Hogans, Clem and Bubba the Love Sponge had all been close friends.

So essentially: private and public theatrics galore.

Of course, if you’ve recently been arrested for DUI in Hollywood, you‘re probably less interested with the tabloidy exploits of realty stars and wrestlers then you are with building a sound and rigorous defense. After all, Hollywood DUI charges – even first time charges – can be punished with jail time, probation, license suspension, mandatory alcohol school, compulsory interlock ignition device installation, fines, fees, and more.

To build an intelligent, energetic defense, talk to the team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today. Mr. Kraut is a former prosecutor with 14 plus years experience on the “other side,” and he can adeptly represent Southern California criminal defendants.

August 30, 2013

Los Angeles DUI for Lamar Odom: Career Ender for Former Lakers and Clippers Star?

by Michael Kraut

At 3:56am this morning, Lamar Odom was stopped and arrested in the Valley for driving under the influence in Los Angeles. Odom spent over 31 hours in jail before he was released on a $14,000 bond. His court date has been set for September 27.

Police stopped the 6’10” forward — who played pro ball for 14 years for the L.A. Lakers and the Clippers — after officers saw his white Mercedes weaving all over the 101. Cops tried to pull him over, but he kept driving past Van Nuys and Woodman Ave. He finally stopped at Coldwater Canyon and submitted to field sobriety tests. (The “FSTs” can include balancing tests, like the stand on one leg test, as well as tests of mental acuity, like the count backwards from 100 by 3s test).

Per a CHP report, Odom didn’t exactly pass his exams with flying colors:

“[Odom showed] objective signs of intoxication and was unable to perform field sobriety tests as explained and demonstrated.”

Sometimes factors such as fatigue, nervousness and general lack of coordination can explain why people fail FSTs. As a pro athlete, Odom would have a hard case to make that “general lack of coordination” screwed him up on the FSTs. Of course, he HAS been struggling on the court recently. One anonymous NBA executive told the Los Angeles Times “Lamar can’t play anymore.” The once highly celebrated forward put up lousy numbers (for him) last year with the Clippers, “averag[ing] career lows in points (4.0), assists (1.7) and minutes (19.7).”

Since Odom refused to take a DUI breath test or DUI blood test, his CA driver’s license was automatically stripped from him for a full year. If he’s convicted of Los Angeles DUI, he’ll face more than just the “standard” punishments for misdemeanor DUI, which can include jail time, fees and fines, mandatory DUI alcohol classes, probation, and license suspension. He’ll also face possible disciplinary action from the NBA… assuming he’ll be signed as a free agent, which is not guaranteed.

Days before his Los Angeles DUI stop, Odom got into a fender bender on the 101 with Adolfo Flores, a sports reporter for the L.A. Times, in the car with him.

Several months ago, he got into a major fight with a paparazzo, who had been pestering Odom about rumors that the b-ball star had been cheating on his celebrity wife, Khloe Kardashian Odom. Enraged, Odom allegedly threw a bag of the photographer’s stuff onto Hollywood Blvd. (The D.A. didn’t have enough evidence to file charges in this case.)

In the wake of the arrest and other off-the-field shenanigans, Odom’s high profile pals from the basketball world weighed in with words (and tweets) of concerned support.

Magic Johnson, the most famous Laker of all time, tweeted: “I hope my man and former Laker, Lamar Odom is doing okay,” to which Phil Jackson tweeted” “Double ditto, LO.”

If you’ve recently been arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles, you probably need smart, effective legal representation to protect you against dire legal consequences (only some of which are described above.) Trust Harvard Law School educated attorney, Michael Kraut, to construct a powerful and savvy defense for you. Mr. Kraut is a former Deputy District attorney for Los Angeles (14+ years as a prosecutor) who has racked up a stellar record as a Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer. He’s also a regular DUI commentator on national news programs, such as Good Morning America.

August 26, 2013

Could You Get Arrested for DUI in Burbank with a 0.00% BAC, Like This Guy Did?

by Michael Kraut

Every effective Burbank DUI defense lawyer worth his or her salt knows the standard legal limit for BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is 0.08%. In other words, if you have this amount of alcohol or more in your system, you’re automatically DUI, per California Vehicle Code Section 23152. Of course, you can also be charged with DUI if you have less alcohol in your system (e.g. if you’re a minor and never should have been drinking in the first place). But the point is: everyone knows the 0.08% number. 0.00%20BAC.jpg

Consider that, as we discuss the sad story of a 61-year-old man in Arizona, who just got arrested for having a blood alcohol level of…0.00%.

That might look like a typo. But it’s not. The number once again: 0.00%.

The arrest of Jessie Thornton, a retiree living in the appropriately named community of “Surprise” Arizona, sparked a vitriolic conversation in the blogosphere about racial profiling. According to reports, the retired firefighter was on his way home at around 11 pm, when a police officer saw him cross a white line.

The officer allegedly told Thornton: “I can tell you’re driving DUI by looking in your eyes.”

Thornton had just been swimming in an L.A. Fitness gym nearby, and his eyes were bloodshot from the chlorine. But the officer thought that the bloodshot eyes indicated potential DUI (in his defense, bloodshot eyes are a classic symptom of Burbank DUI). So he had Thornton do a sobriety test. Thornton warned the officer that he had bad knees and a bad hip, and that he was about to go in for surgery. Understandably, he didn’t perform perfectly on the balance tests. Afterwards, officers placed him in handcuffs and asked him to sit down on the side of the road.

Thornton told a local ABC News affiliate “I couldn’t even sit on the ground like that, and they knew it and I was laying on the ground. Then they put me in the back of an SUV, and when I asked the officer to move her seat up because my hip hurt, she told me to stop whining.”

The police took the man to local station and gave him a breath test. He blew a 0.00% — not even a trace of alcohol in the system. But it didn’t stop officers from impounding Thornton’s car, suspending his license, and ordering him to take an alcohol education class. Thornton later managed to get the DUI charge dropped, unsurprisingly — a local drug and alcohol recognition expert told him “I would never have arrested you” — but he’s obviously outraged by the situation, and he’s since launched a claim against the City of Surprise for $500,000.

His attorney put it bluntly: “this is a case of D-W-B – driving while black.” Thornton told local reporters about his reasons for the suit: “it’s not totally about the money, although I already have [paid] more than $5,000 and that’s $5,000 that I don’t have.”

Your Burbank DUI charges may be less clear-cut. You may have actually been under the influence of alcohol – maybe significantly above the legal limit. But the case indicates an important point, which many prospective Burbank DUI defendants fail to realize. And that’s this: despite their best intentions, officers can and do make serious mistakes with respect to procedure and reporting and testing.

The good news is that attorney Michael Kraut of Burbank’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers and his support team are just a phone call or a click away. Connect with a Harvard Law School educated lawyer at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers to construct your defense.

August 19, 2013

3 Excuses That Landed You with a Serious Pasadena DUI Charge

by Michael Kraut

In a recent post, we dissected three common excuses that drivers give just prior to collecting Pasadena DUIs. Whether you got pulled over after a rowdy evening at The Cheesecake Factory, or you had way too much sake at one of those revolving sushi restaurants in Old Town and then got busted driving back to the Caltech Campus, you’re searching for answers.

You want to find an astute Pasadena DUI defense attorney, and you also want to figure out what went wrong, so you can avoid ever “doing that” again.

Often, the subconscious messages that we use to talk to ourselves get us into trouble. Here are three common excuses that people make before they get behind the wheel and cause trouble, like DUI in Pasadena.

1. “I’ll compensate for the alcohol I’ve consumed by driving really slowly and being mindful.”

There is a neat logic to this approach. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work.

When we approach tasks “with fresh eyes,” we often do better at them. It’s easier to win a video game, for instance, if you are fully invested in duking it out on the computer, instead of trying to carry on a conversation with your roommate at the same time.

Concentration = focus = power.

Unfortunately, concentration is not something that can be summoned at will. Nor can it be – except perhaps if you’re an advanced yogi – sustained indefinitely. So you might hop behind the wheel, with the full intention that you will “concentrate harder.” But even if you could muster extra concentration:

A) There’s no way to maintain that concentration indefinitely and B) Even with the “best concentration,” your reaction time may still be slowed due to the effects of the alcohol.

2. “I don’t mind dealing with a fine, license suspension, and even a little jail time.”

When you’re partying hard, the thought of “turning in for the night” may not appeal in the slightest. So, in the moment, you might dismiss the long-term ramifications of a Pasadena DUI conviction, such as jail time, court costs and fees, points on the license, mandatory alcohol school, and so forth, because they seem so far removed and abstract.

It’s a lot easier to hop into a car with a cute girl (or guy) and let the night “play out” in a free-for-all fashion than it is to reflect, soberly, on your rational risks. But it should be done!

3. “I’m not going to hurt anybody because I’m a safe driver.”

You’ve probably heard the statistic that 80% of people think they’re above average.

And you might think that you’re immune from this statistic!

But that’s the problem. The reality is that you’re biased. And if you’re the type of driver who’s willing to hop behind the wheel after having two or three (or seven) alcoholic drinks – and you’re still having thoughts like “I’m safer than the average driver – then there’s clearly a disconnect going on.

You want to make smart choices going forward. Connect with a Pasadena DUI defense lawyer at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today to figure out your next steps. Attorney Kraut is a highly respected, well-connected ex-prosecutor who can help you analyze and deal with your case with compassion and acumen.

August 14, 2013

3 Mental Mistakes That Led to Your Pasadena DUI Arrest

by Michael Kraut

You made a mistake – a big one – now you face a Pasadena DUI charge.

The question is: Why? What errors, mental or otherwise, did you make before getting behind the wheel? Here are five very common errors of judgment, which often land otherwise community-oriented drivers behind bars, facing penalties like license suspension, mandatory IID installation, alcohol school, and exploding car insurance rates.

1. “I’ve only had x number of drinks, so I’m okay to get behind the wheel.”

You’ve see the charts – the ones that tell you that, if you’re X gender, and you weigh Y pounds, and then you can drink Z number of alcoholic drinks before becoming DUI in Pasadena.

While those charts can be helpful, they’re just rough guides. The body’s relative sensitivity to alcohol depends on a huge number of factors, including:
• Whether you’ve had food to eat or not;
• Whether you’re metabolically comprised in any way;
• How quickly the alcohol entered your system;
• Whether you’ve consumed other kinds of substances, such as over-the-counter medications.

2. “I smoked medicinal marijuana, and I only had one drink an hour ago, so I’m not DUI.”

Not necessarily!

First of all, you could get what’s known as a Pasadena drug DUI. For obvious reasons, it’s not legal (nor is particularly smart) to get behind the wheel after you’ve taken medicinal marijuana (or any strong medicine, for that matter).

When on meds, your ability to react rapidly and acutely to events degrades. You are slower. You are less likely to make the right decisions in emergencies. Etc.

3. “I’m only a few blocks from home – besides, I don’t want to have to leave my car at this party/bar overnight, because it would be a pain to do so.”

This kind of thinking might feel rational in the moment, but it’s definitely not.

The reason why it’s not, however, is elusive. Human beings have a difficult time understanding risks, particularly low percentage risks. If you’ve never driven a motorcycle before – if it’s an unfamiliar activity – you would never in a million years think to “just drive it a few blocks home” while under the influence. Because you recognize the inherent folly of doing that.

But if you know how to drive a car well, sober, you might reason that you could get away with it. In other words, the short-term convenience seems worth the small risk. But it’s really not! For instance, let’s say the odds are only one in 5,000 that you will get into a fatal accident. But if that happens, your life is literally over! The horror of that long-term “game over” consequence should trump the short-term inconvenience of having to take a cab, if you’re being strictly rational.

No matter what happened – why you got a Pasadena DUI arrest – you now need to contend with the consequences. The good news is that attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is available to help you approach your case. As a former prosecutor — and as a Harvard Law School educated attorney with excellent connections within the legal community — attorney Kraut can help you with your Pasadena DUI case.

August 12, 2013

Disturbing Los Angeles DUI News: Son Calls Police on DUI Dad

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve recently gotten arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles (or elsewhere), stories like the following undoubtedly will make you seethe because they confirm the public’s stereotypes about DUI drivers.

According to The Associated Press, a 10-year-old boy called 911 on his father, claiming that his dad was driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The young man considered jumping out of his dad’s Mercedes Benz on Interstate 95. His protestations and call to the police did not come in time – the father, 49-year-old Owen Gilman, plowed into a jeep driven by 22-year-old Michael Pernick, injuring Pernick and also causing injuries to the 10-year-old and his 12-year-old sister.

Fortunately, the children were not seriously hurt in the crash.

Pernick was transported to a local hospital, where he was listed in fair condition. The boy is recovering with his mother, Gilman’s ex-wife. He and his sister were reportedly “doing good, considering,” according to a report from The Day of New London. Gilman, meanwhile, was released from jail on a $250,000 bond.

The police gave Gilman a field sobriety test at the scene, which he allegedly failed. They also found marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Gilman was hit with a battery of charges, including alcohol or drug DUI, failure to follow at a reasonable distance, reckless driving, illegal sale of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, second degree vehicular assault, and risk of injury to a minor (two counts).

Lessons for dealing with your Los Angeles DUI Arrest

Whether the police pulled you over on Wilshire and Fairfax, after you and friends attended a wine and cheese at LACMA; or police stopped your son in Burbank, after he sped through a traffic light on Olive, you’re worried. You fear for your reputation and potential punishments. You also want to contextualize the scary incident and to avoid ever getting into a similar situation in the future.

Every driver makes bad judgments, now and again.

Hopefully, yours did not lead to the loss of life or serious injury. But even if you “royally” messed up – like the father in this story apparently did – you have options both to manage your legal crises and to move beyond your Los Angeles DUI. The thorough, experienced team with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers in Los Angeles has the wherewithal, deep knowledge of Los Angeles DUI law and connections to deliver an effective defense for you. Please connect with our team today to set up a free, confidential discussion about your needs.

August 9, 2013

Beverly Hills DUI Celebrity News: Kat Dahlia, Snagged for DUI in Miami, Cusses Out Police Officer

by Michael Kraut

If you recently got arrested for driving DUI in Beverly Hills, hopefully you behaved a little more calmly than Kat Dahlia allegedly did, after police stopped her recently in Miami.

According to news reports, the “Gangsta” singer was stopped at around 3 AM, after a police officer saw her driving her 2013 Nissan without headlights on. Dahlia, whose given name is Katriana Huguet, smelled like alcohol. She slurred her words and got into a verbal back and forth with the officer. When he asked her to take a field sobriety test, she refused and swore at him. He then tried to arrest her. She apparently resisted and said she wouldn’t put her hands behind her bank… compelling the officer to force her hands. She was then booked at Miami Police Station and charged with resisting arrest and misdemeanor DUI.

The singer had turned 23 just hours before. She had even posted on Twitter that the day was “the best day of the year” for her … at least until her arrest on multiple charges, one presumes.

What’s interesting about Dahlia’s case is that it highlights one of the common (although rarely mentioned) reasons why people get arrested for crimes like DUI in Beverly Hills. Most people think stress, anger, and other negative emotions compel folks to drive DUI. While negative emotions certainly do compel bad behavior, sometimes celebration drives the same process.

When we are in emotionally heightened states – either positive (celebratory) or negative (depressed) – we tend to make decisions more impulsively than we do when we’re in more equanimous states of mind. For instance, it’s much more likely that you will get arrested for a DUI in Beverly Hills after you’ve attended an award ceremony that’s amped you up, than after you’ve had a calm family dinner at a restaurant on Beverly Drive.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t celebrate (or get depressed). But rather that, when you’re in situations (physical or mental) that feed high or low emotions, be extra vigilant about your driving. Always be sure to have a designated driver, when you go to a party or a club or other event where you will consume alcohol. And don’t be afraid to take a cab home. It costs a LOT less than the fines, fees, insurance spikes, and mandatory IID installation and maintenance that come part and parcel with a Beverly Hills DUI conviction.

Of course, your saga is not over yet.

Connect with the team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today for a serious, thorough, and confidential assessment of your defense options. Mr. Kraut is a Harvard Law School educated former prosecutor who has tremendous connections in the Southern California legal defense community. He and his team would be more than happy to provide good insight into your Beverly Hills DUI case.