DUI Crime and Punishment

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…

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 27, 2011

Pasadena DUI Arrest Propensity: Does It Run the Family??

by Michael Kraut

If you or someone you know has been recently arrested for driving under the influence in Pasadena, inevitably, when you discuss your situation, you and your fellow armchair pundits will bring up the concept of “genetics.”

How might your genes (or your friend or family member’s genes) have played a role in the accident and/or arrest? Might there one day be a gene that scientists can target to eliminate problems like DUI in Pasadena, Burbank DUI, Glendale DUI, and Los Angeles DUI?

There is obviously some link between alcoholism and genetics. But how sturdy a link? No one really knows.

A crazy story last week out of Idaho Falls, Idaho suggests that genes may have a lot more relevance than the policy community acknowledges. 51-year Diana Gardner and her daughter, 28-year old Alisha Gardner, got arrested for DUI in Idaho Falls in totally separate incidents within a single hour of one another! Amazing.

A blog post at gather.com can fill us in on the details. Allegedly, a sheriff’s officer had seen the younger daughter “swerving and crossing the central line, posing an extreme threat to other drivers in the area. Her blood alcohol level was measured to be twice the legal limit. Within that same hour of time, [Alisha’s mom] drove out to her daughter’s car in order to retrieve the dog. When she arrived, the same officer smelled alcohol on her and had her go through a test as well. Diana Gardner’s blood alcohol level came back at twice the legal limit as well, netting her a jail cell right along with her daughter.”

At first blush, you might immediately leap to judgment: something is clearly wrong with both the mother and the daughter! Maybe they both have a genetic propensity to alcoholism, you might muse. Or maybe they both have genetic propensity to make poor driving decisions. Who knows.

But a deeper and more subtle (and interesting) reading of the story could be as follows. We all know that biochemistry can impact your Pasadena DUI breath test. Some people, for instance, process alcohol differently than others. It’s been proven that men process alcohol differently than women do. And that diabetics underperform on breath tests.

So maybe — just maybe — both Gardners have a genetic propensity to perform poorly on breath tests. In other words, maybe these women are genetically predisposed to process alcohol in a way that makes “false positives” for DUI more likely. Now, since these women were both allegedly twice the legal limit for Idaho Falls DUI, this hypothetical is probably moot.

But say they both tested right at the cutoff line for DUI – 0.08% BAC for a Pasadena DUI. Then more subtle factors, like a genetic predisposition to “test badly” on breathalyzers, might come into more play.

The general point here is that, when it comes to DUI charges, there is often more than meets the eye. But to probe your case and tease out “out of the box” defenses, you want to be sure to work with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who has plenty of experience, a great reputation, and a deep understanding of the applicable law. Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) can guide you and help you build a strong case.

July 25, 2011

Glendale DUI and 2012 Presidential Election: Could Crenshaw County Arrest Derail “Dark Horse” Presidential Candidacy?

by Michael Kraut

A Glendale DUI arrest might have radically altered your life and, potentially, your family’s future. But an even more profound (at least from the perspective of national politics) arrest took place last Sunday in Crenshaw County, Alabama, when Caleb Moore, the 20-year old son of possible presidential contender Roy Moore, got pulled over on suspicion of speeding. Police arrested Moore on charges of possessing drug paraphernalia and controlled substances and driving under the influence. Now how, you might ask, does Mr. Moore’s arrest tie back to both the 2012 presidential campaign and to issues germane to those who’ve recently been stopped and charged with Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, Burbank DUI, Los Angeles DUI, etcetera?

Let’s go slowly, and we’ll tie it all together.

First, understand that Moore’s arrest creates a certain degree of trouble for his father’s presidential aspirations. Roy Moore, if you might recall, is an extremely conservative former Alabama Supreme Court Justice who famously was removed from office for refusing to remove a monument of the 10 Commandments from the court’s lobby. This defiant act made him a hero to many social conservatives. Given that Moore tried to cultivate a persona as a morally upstanding figure, his son’s arrest might damage his image.

According to the Washington Post, Roy Moore is refusing to talk about the details of the arrest “because his son has applied to be treated as a youthful offender.”

But rather than get side-tracked on a tired discussion about political morality and hipocracy, let’s think about this situation from a more compassionate point of view. Many people – including friends, family members and co-workers – are quick to “judge” anyone arrested for driving under the influence in Glendale. Even if you clear your name by, for instance, showing that you passed all of your Glendale field sobriety tests or that the police made a mistake, you may find yourself subjected to a lot of subtle moral judgments.

How do you deal with all of that?

The answer is trickier than you might think. If you really do have a problem with alcohol — or even with impulsive decision-making in general — you want people to tell you the truth. You want to address the root causes of that behavior. On the other hand, you want to be able to separate yourself from your DUI arrest – to avoid having the arrest become a kind of albatross hanging around your neck, dragging down your self esteem, your work prospects, and infecting your relationships with colleagues, friends, and family members.

Cultivating the most appropriate response begins with getting good help. Glendale’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (121 W Lexington Dr, Glendale, CA 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123) can provide a free consultation to help you sort out your strategic options. Mr. Michael Kraut, an experienced and highly regarded Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, will work with you to help you come up with a plan that meets your needs, goals, and principles.

July 19, 2011

Pasadena DUI Sports News: DUI Charge Dropped against University of Montana’s QB, Montana

by Michael Kraut

What if you could just click your heels three times and make your Pasadena DUI charge disappear, like something out of the Wizard of Oz? That’s obviously impossible, even for the most adept Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. But you may have more resources to battle charges of Burbank DUI, Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Los Angeles DUI than you realize.

Situations that at first seem dire can often be resolved successfully through negotiation, strategic planning, and well-directed effort. Consider, for instance, the case of Nate Montana, a quarterback for the University of Montana and the oldest son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana (try saying “Montana” three times fast). On June 3rd, the younger Montana got pulled over and arrested under suspicion of DUI. He refused a breathalyzer test but performed relatively well on field sobriety tests. Ultimately, the Missoula County Attorney’s Office decided that Montana’s performance on the FSTs did not merit a DUI charge. Montana worked out a plea deal. He agreed to pay $435 in court costs and fines, participate in a chemical dependency program, and accept a six month license suspension (because he refused the breath test). In exchange, the court suspended a 90-day jail sentence for the Grizzlies’ QB.

This was not Montana’s first brush with the law – or with charges of intoxication. Last year, while playing for Notre Dame, he and 10 other Fighting Irish athletes were busted for underage drinking and charged with misdemeanors.

If you’ve been recently hit with a charge of driving under the influence in Pasadena, you might be wondering how this “football royalty’s” experience relates to yours in a constructive way. It does, obliquely. Nate Montana’s experience illustrates that DUI defendants – even ones who perform inadequately on Pasadena field sobriety tests (e.g. figure to the nose, Rhomberg, walk the line, counting backwards by threes, etcetera) can rebound surprisingly quickly from their charges and from the humiliation, frustration, and agitation.

The first step is getting the best help you can and identifying a clear path toward success. Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) can help you outline, sketch out, and move forward with an appropriate strategy based on your needs, concerns, and principles. Mr. Kraut is a renowned former prosecutor who often appears on television (and in major newspapers) as an expert guest commentator on DUI news issues.

July 11, 2011

Long Beach DUI Object Lesson: When to Hold Your Tongue

by Michael Kraut

Ask anyone who specializes in helping people who have recently been charged for driving under the influence in Long Beach about their experiences, and you will hear a common refrain: Drivers often needlessly dig themselves deeper after getting stopped, and these stupid post-hoc actions often cause far more legal trouble than defendants realize.

Let’s say you get pulled over for driving under the influence in Pasadena, Glendale DUI, Los Angeles DUI, Burbank DUI, or what have you: Likely, you will feel terrified, angry, frustrated, ashamed, and many other emotions. In that highly volatile, spiked emotional state, you might say or do things that can make your legal woes infinitely worse. For instance, you might swear at or hit a police officer, leave the scene of an accident that you just caused, or even try to flee an accident by swimming across a local reservoir (as a Boulder Colorado woman recently tried to do – this blog covered that last week).

Perhaps the most common mistakes come from failing to hold one’s tongue.

By saying things to the police like “I only had 6 drinks,” talking back to police, prematurely confessing to guilt in an accident, and so on, you might, within a span of seconds, accidently add months or even years to your sentence.

Last week, a DUI suspect in Santa Rosa illustrated this lesson literally. According to California Highway Patrol reports, Olan Yahal Mitchell got pulled over early Saturday morning on the 101. The suspect refused to take field sobriety tests (common Long Beach field sobriety tests include walk the line test, finger to the nose test, Rhomberg test, other balancing tests, reciting the alphabet backwards, counting backwards, etc).

According to officer Jonathan Sloat: “While seated [in the police cruiser], Mitchell began to lick the keyboard of the officer’s computer…the officer ordered Mitchell not to interfere with any equipment. Mitchell repeated his behavior, and the officer reached in to move the computer out of his reach… That’s when Mitchell kicked the officer, promoting both officers to restrain him and put him in the back of a “caged” patrol cruiser.”

At the end of the day, Mitchell was charged not only with DUI, driving without a license, and possessing marijuana but also with resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer.

As a qualified Los Angeles criminal defense attorney will tell you, those extra two charges – the battery charge and resisting arrest charge – will almost certainly compound the defense.

Part of the problem is that, if you’ve already committed a crime (or likely crime), you may be in an irrational state of mind. Thus, you might not realize the consequences of your continued criminal conduct. Education is critical – not only to help you deal with your current situation but also to help you avoid future mistakes and punishment.

Connect with Long Beach’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) for a free consultation to go over your options and figure out a smart and strategically sound plan to go forward. Attorney Kraut understands how prosecutors think and react, since he actually was one for nearly a decade-and-a-half (Los Angeles Senior Deputy District Attorney).

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.

July 1, 2011

Pasadena DUI Curio: Idaho State Senator Busted in Bizarre Truck Theft and DUI Case

by Michael Kraut

Last Monday afternoon, while most Pasadena DUI blogs (and, let’s face it, the entire news media) had attention turned towards the fatal catastrophe in Pennsylvania that took the life of Jackass co-star Ryan Dunn, Idaho Senate Caucus Chairman John McGee quietly bailed himself out of jail on a $5,000 bond, following a brief 10 minute hearing. The Republican Chairman of the Canyon County’s GOP was involved Saturday night in a truly bizarre disaster that surpassed any of the weird arrest and news stories involving Los Angeles DUI, Burbank DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Glendale DUI last week.

Let’s lift the lid on this curio and discuss its broader implications.

According to the Idaho statesman, “The 38-year-old Caldwell Republican was arrested early Sunday morning on a charge of felony truck theft and misdemeanor DUI, after police found him in the backseat of an SUV – towing a 20-foot trailer – that witnesses say he initially tried to drive off in.”

McGee apparently blew a 0.15 BAC level – nearly twice the Pasadena DUI limit of 0.08% — after drinking and partying at a golf course club house in Boise.

Around about 3 A.M., he hopped into a Ford Excursion and drove away… but then jackknifed the 20 foot rig before getting too far. Two teenagers watched the bizarre accident scene unfold, and the mother of the boys noted that “McGee appeared to be disoriented and hallucinating.” The Idaho Statesman also noted that the Senator’s attorney “might argue that a medical issue was at play.” A hearing has been set for the 1st of July, and many Idaho state political figures are keenly watching the outcome here, as it might have strong bearing on future elections.

One thing that’s striking about this story is that McGee was not exhibiting typical Pasadena DUI symptoms. Normally, someone under the influence might behave recklessly, incoherently, smell like alcohol, or blow a high BAC reading on a breathalyzer test. But if McGee indeed had been hallucinating — and if he did in fact have an underlying medical condition — these factors might influence the nature and quality of his defense. Obviously, it’s illegal to drive with a BAC level of greater than 0.08% in Idaho, just as it is here in Pasadena. But your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney will probe the details of your arrest for facts just like these to help construct a sympathetic and smart defense. After all, your punishments (and potential counterarguments to prosecutorial charges) depend intimately on a clean and vivid accounting of the true facts of the DUI stop and any subsequent acts that you or police officers took.

Pasadena’s Michael Kraut (Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers located at: 790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) has the track record and success at jury trials, knowledge of prosecutorial tactics and strategies, and diverse experience you need to identify your most strategic path to success. This may not mean getting all of your charged dropped, but it will mean feeling less overwhelmed, anxious, and confused. And more confident about exactly what you need to do to restore your life and make amends for any wrongdoing you committed.

June 29, 2011

Long Beach DUI Disaster for R&B Fans – Singer Nivea (Baby Mama Number 4 for Lil Wayne) Smashes Into a Tree While Allegedly DUI

by Michael Kraut

Last Sunday was not a good day for R&B singer Nivea. Her story of DUI in Atlanta was largely drowned out in the Long Beach DUI blogosphere by Ryan Dunn’s (of “Jackass” fame) explosive 130 mile per hour fatal wipe out in Pennsylvania. But pundits and celebrity watchers who listen closely to news about Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, Los Angeles DUI, and Burbank DUI story lines couldn’t help but notice some similarities between Nivea’s crash and the fatal crash that took the life of Dunn and another passenger on Monday.

• First of all, Nivea wrapped her Mercedes around a tree that had fallen down (she apparently missed the police lights and yellow tape around it); whereas Dunn crashed his Porsche into a tree on the side of the road.

• Nivea had a passenger in her car with her (a tiny baby – Lil Wayne’s); whereas Dunn also had a passenger with him;
• Significant circumstantial evidence suggests at least some wrongdoing. The police allegedly reported that Nivea “had bloodshot, glassy eyes and smelled like alcohol,” swore at an officer on the scene, and admitted to having had 3 drinks before getting behind the wheel; Dunn, for his part, had a history of reckless and careless driving charges (including a DUI) and he photographed himself earlier in the evening at a bar.

• Both had been driving expensive, fast cars (for whatever that’s worth): Nivea was driving a ’06 Mercedes’ whereas Dunn had been driving a Porsche 911 GT3.

What happens when someone gets charged and convicted of driving under the influence in Long Beach with injury to someone else? The answer is stark and scary: You can be charged pursuant to California Vehicle Code Sections 23153 (a) or 23153 (b) – basically what these CVC codes do is escalate what might ordinarily be a misdemeanor charge (still pretty serious) to a felony count (extremely serious). The result? More jail time, stricter penalties, bigger fines, and a harder road back to normalcy.

Can a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Help You with Your Long Beach DUI Case?

The answer depends on whom you select, how you work with that lawyer, and the nature of your DUI arrest and behavior afterwards. The Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (located in Long Beach at: 444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) can provide a free and confidential consultation regarding your arrest and suggest best practices to prevent you from doing more damage and to put you on a path towards maximizing your defense. Attorney Kraut is not only an experienced defense attorney who has garnered great reviews from clients, legal peers, and the media (e.g. CNN, New York Times, KTLA News), but he is also a former prosecutor who uses his knowledge and connections as an ex-deputy DA to help his clients.

June 8, 2011

Pasadena Breath Test Implications: Will Tainted Santa Clara County Breathalyzer Tests Ultimately Impact Southern California Cases?

by Michael Kraut

If you have recently been arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Pasadena or elsewhere in Southern California (e.g. DUI in Burbank, DUI in Glendale, DUI in Pasadena, DUI in Los Angeles) chances are you’ve tuned into some very curious news out of Santa Clara County, California. Over 850 DUI cases up are being reviewed, after evidence emerged that the Alco-Sensor V breathalyzers used throughout Palo Alto and San Jose may have been significantly defective. As this blog reported a few weeks ago, the Alco-Sensor V breathalyzers have a manufacturer’s defect that causes condensation buildup and skews BAC readings.

The defective breathalyzers may have led to false arrests and convictions.

All that said, so far the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office has not identified too many problematic cases. Out of 858 files that theoretically could have been disputed, so far, only 42 questionable cases have so far surfaced. An Assistant Public Defender, Nona Klippen-Hughes, admitted “I don’t think there is going to be a huge number of cases.” Part of the problem is that the average BAC level for arrest was 0.19% – significantly over the legal limit – and many suspects who used the Alco-Sensor V device also blew DUI positive breath results at the police station after being taking into custody.

So the revelation about the faulty machines may not be as “newsworthy” as initial reports suggested…unless, that is, you consider the story in context. Then, it gets a LOT more interesting. For instance, Vermont and Florida have witnessed serious breathalyzer-related problems that may result in a wholesale throwing out of some pretty big charges.

These breathalyzer-related mishaps are disturbing. Especially because it can be easily demonstrated that breath tests skew in a variety of ways. As this blog has noted time and again, if you blow deeply into a breathalyzer machine, you get a higher BAC reading than if you blow lightly. Men and women process alcohol differently. Chemicals on your breath alter these tests. Calibration and officer errors mess them up. And, obviously, manufacturing defects can also do the job.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can unpack the evidence against you and develop a battle plan to fight the charges. For instance, say you blew an over-the-limit BAC level reading on a breathalyzer. Attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) could potentially challenge the results on a number of grounds. Attorney Kraut served as a prosecutor for nearly 15 years. He still uses his connections, insights, prosecutorial mindset, and perspective to help clients get the results that they want and deserve.

June 6, 2011

Los Angeles DUI Memorial Day Numbers Are In – Stats are Similar to 2010s, and That’s Kind of a Shame

by Michael Kraut

The California Highway Patrol released its Los Angeles DUI Memorial Day weekend statistics. According to various sources, CHP officers arrested 230 motorists in L.A. County from the period starting midnight Friday, May 27th, through midnight Monday, May 30th. All told, statewide, nearly 900 people were arrested for DUI – 132 fewer than 2010. So that’s good news, for the state. But in Burbank DUI, Glendale DUI, Pasadena DUI, and Los Angeles DUI news, other numbers weren’t so terrific. For instance, three traffic related DUI deaths happened in the first 36 hours of the Memorial Day weekend – thus L.A. County accounted for half of the six total California fatalities over Memorial Day.

Law enforcement officials are staging another anti-DUI effort starting on July 4th weekend ending on Labor Day weekend.

It’s a statistical reality that Los Angeles DUI injury accidents are far more likely to occur during holidays, such as Memorial Day, July 4th weekend, Labor Day, New Year’s Eve, and Super Bowl Sunday. Why?

The answer is at first blush obvious: more people party on those weekends. Therefore, more drivers — on average — will likely be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, prescription medications and thus more likely to commit injury accidents.

But take this idea and follow its logical extension: you might come to some pretty interesting conclusions. Holidays encourage reckless behavior. So since carousing leads to an increase in DUIs, would restricting or eliminating holidays therefore reduce DUIs?

In other words, say, starting immediately, we decided to end all national holidays – no more Memorial Day, no more Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc. These days would no longer be days on which people would celebrate, carouse, and be more likely to drive under the influence. Undoubtedly, this practice would save lives, probably hundreds of lives each year in every major American city — as well as prevent untold injuries and costs associated with property damage.

The question is: At what cost?

Would sacrificing all of our fun times and holidays be worth the trade-off of preserving life and protecting property?

Obviously, the philosophical implications are far too deep to explore in any length in a short blog post. But they are certainly interesting, and they go to show that controlling DUI is a lot more complicated than simply setting up a checkpoint here and there and spreading educational campaigns. These issues touch on the very fabric of who we are as a people.

A Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, such as Michael Kraut (Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers – 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, California 90028), a former prosecutor with a terrific record at jury trials, can help you understand how best to fight back against the charges you face. Whether you’ve caused minor property damage while DUI or got stopped at a checkpoint and tested to have a BAC level of just slightly over Southern California DUI limit of 0.08% BAC, Attorney Kraut can help isolate, design, and execute a sound strategy.