DUI Category Archives — Page 14 of 24 — Los Angeles DUI Attorney Blog Published by Los Angeles & Southern California Criminal & DUI Defense Attorney Michael Kraut

February 8, 2012

Are All Pasadena DUI Defendants Treated Equal? Story Out of Denver Suggests…Maybe Not

The law is the law. Driving under the influence in Pasadena (or elsewhere in the Southland) can be punished pursuant to California Vehicle Codes 23152(a) or 23152(b)…or, if you caused injury to someone, by the harsher CVC Codes 22153(a) and 22153(b).

No one wants to have to find a Los Angeles DUI lawyer to fight these charges and deal with the hassles of punishments like license suspension, mandatory alcohol school, mandatory interlock ignition device installation, fines, court costs, jail time, insurance hikes, destruction of personal reputation, etc.

But at the very least, if we’ve been accused of a DUI in Pasadena, we can take heart that the law will treat us just like it would treat any other citizen. After all, this is America.

Or is it?

Steven Colbert style humor aside, a news story out of Denver, Colorado has some observers scratching their heads: are some Pasadena defendants, in fact, more privileged than others?

The Scoop Out of Denver
In late January, Denver police nearly arrested Republican representative Laura Bradford for DUI. Nearly, but didn’t. Bradford was driving erratically, after she attended a “lobbyist happy hour” function. It’s unclear whether or not she was actually above the legal limit for DUI in Pasadena (or Colorado or wherever) of 0.08% BAC. But critics have accused the lawmaker of “invoking legislative immunity” to get out of her DUI charge.

A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department, Matt Murray, issued an apology for harassing Bradford. Curiously, Bradford reportedly told the sergeant who pulled her over that she had a firearm at her car. In Colorado, if you drive DUI with a firearm, you can be tagged with a significant misdemeanor.

Meanwhile, the political implications of this “DUI that wasn’t” could really stir the pot of Colorado’s politics.

Currently, Colorado’s house is almost totally divided between Republicans and Democrats: 33 to 32. Bradford now may face an ethics investigation. She’s apparently furious at the “lack of support” she’s received from Republican colleagues. She’s even hinted that she might switch parties. If she went from Republican to Independent, Colorado politics would be momentarily thrown into turmoil, since the House would have to elect a new speaker. If she flipped to the Democratic side, the Democrats would control the ball game.

Not every Pasadena DUI case is as dramatic and fraught with political implications, obviously.

That said, you want to connect to a Los Angeles DUI attorney who has the capacities, resources and experience to help you, if your case does become complicated or convoluted. So even if your situation seems simple now – perhaps you just got pulled over at a checkpoint and tagged for driving under the influence in Pasadena with a BAC of 0.10% or something (no injuries or vehicle damage, etc) – the seeming simplicity of your case may be misleading. When your Los Angeles DUI lawyer delves into your case, who knows what he or she might find? You need to be prepared to face anything the prosecutors will throw at you.

To that end, consider connecting today with Pasadena DUI criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899). For nearly a decade and a half, Mr. Kraut served as a city prosecutor (going after people for crimes like DUI) before switching over to become a criminal defendant. Connect with this well-established, highly reputable, Harvard Law School educated attorney today to solve your Pasadena DUI defense issues.

February 3, 2012

Changing the Burbank DUI Paradigm: Part #1 – What’s the Point of Fighting Los Angeles DUIs, Anyway?

by Michael Kraut

In an ideal world, Burbank DUI arrests would never happen.

But we don’t live in an ideal world. Far from it.

Instead, we live in a world in which Burbank DUIs are all too pervasive. What’s more, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, police, and the public all operate with false beliefs about the underlying causes of Los Angeles DUI and alcohol and drug addiction. Our inability to “move the needle” and permanently solve problems like Burbank DUI leads to needless suffering, traffic accidents, ruined lives, wasted law enforcement resources, wasted court time, and nasty indirect consequences for our entire city and country.

The Conventional Thinking
The conventional mindset about Burbank DUI prevention (held by many a Los Angeles DUI lawyer) is somewhat fatalistic. The CW suggests that Burbank DUI drivers “just don’t get it” and that they need to be punished and stripped of their rights to make Southern California’s roads safer. The problem, per the CW, is that certain drivers behave carelessly, recklessly, or otherwise inappropriately. These Burbank drivers must be bridled.

But is our punitive, blame-and-judgment-rich approach to DUI prevention really getting us anywhere?

Advocates of the current anti-DUI regime might say Yes. They might point to bright spots in the research, which suggest, for instance, that Burbank DUI checkpoints lead to more arrests and safer roads. You can also find data that suggest that certain types of fatal DUI injury accidents have declined over the past decade or so.

Granted. But DUI is still a pervasive problem. As any Burbank DUI attorney will tell you.

Perhaps the Burbank DUI community could benefit from a bird’s eye perspective on the process. What if we examined our core beliefs about what works and doesn’t work in terms of changing driver behavior, managing DUI-related problems and costs and helping drivers solve those problems more effectively?

Perhaps, for instance, we could think about road safety differently.

Here’s an idea, for starters: Discourage Angelenos from driving so much!

How? By doing things like eliminating sources of free parking. A recent Los Angeles Weekly article about parking theorist Donald Shoup highlighted Los Angeles’ obsession with free parking. Shoup suggests that our free parking fetish has led to many of our city’s most nasty traffic and pollution problems. By eliminating sources of free parking, perhaps we could discourage drivers from driving as much as they do.

Think about it: the fewer miles that drivers clock, the fewer DUI driving miles will be clocked as well!

We will speculate in greater depth in a follow-up post. In the meantime, if you or someone you care about was recently arrested and charged with Burbank DUI, you may need to speak with a Burbank DUI lawyer.

Consult with an experienced Burbank DUI criminal defense attorney at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810). Michael Kraut is a former city prosecutor (14+ years experience in that position); he is hugely respected by his legal peers, and he boasts a terrific record at jury trials.

January 4, 2012

481 Long Beach DUI Convictions?? Not That Many, but Still a Ridiculously Large Number…

by Michael Kraut

How many Long Beach DUI convictions should a person be allowed to rack up before that person is removed permanently from society?

This is not a purely theoretical question. In fact, a Bloomingdale, Indiana man, 49-year-old William Dietrich, was sentenced last Monday with two decades behind bars for his 11th DUI conviction since 1982. A local newspaper summarized the checkered, disturbing history of the defendant: “In addition to the April charge, Dietrich received DUIs in McLean County in 1982, 1985, twice in 1986, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2002 and 2005. He also was cited for the offense in 2007…a conviction that resulted in an 8-year prison sentence.” Dietrich was released on parole in September 2010 on that charge, but returned to prison for violating the terms of his release after the 2011 charges.

Dietrich’s odyssey is not typical for a Long Beach DUI defendant. But his escalating punishments – and the reasons behind those punishments – serve as a powerful cautionary tale. Consider what Indiana attorney Jane Foster said about Dietrich’s situation: “[The State of Indiana] has made repeated efforts to stop and change this defendant’s behavior through fines, jail, prison, treatment, probation, parole and revocations of his license. Since he has refused to comply with the law and to stop driving under the influence, our office wanted him removed from society.”

California also has an escalating system of punishments. Any Long Beach DUI conviction is a blemish, and you could face jail time even for just one DUI event – particularly if you caused injury to someone else or engaged in other crimes while DUI, such as hit and run, assault, etc. If you get three or more Long Beach DUI convictions within a 10-year span, prosecutors might be able to charge with you a felony instead of a simple misdemeanor. This could be in addition to escalating penalties – hiking up your fines and fees, increasing the amount of mandatory alcohol school and the strictness of your probation, etc.

Dietrich’s odyssey raises questions about what can be done to stop and, ideally, treat seriously recidivist Long Beach DUI drivers. Why did treatment and rehab fail for him? Is Dietrich just a rotten apple? Or did the problems stem from ineffective punishment and/or treatment? All of the above? None of the above? Did he have brain damage or a mental illness? Without more information about his case, it’s impossible to judge.

And that, in essence, is the point.

If you or someone you care about has been arrested more than once for a Long Beach DUI, you need to drill down to the root of your problem. An experienced, compassionate Long Beach DUI criminal defense attorney at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) can help you come to terms with your charges and what to do about them. Attorney Michael Kraut is a well-known and well-respected former prosecutor.

December 28, 2011

2011 In Memoriam: Burbank DUI Blog Reflects on the Sad Passing of Amy Winehouse

by Michael Kraut

Amid all the sordid (and often funny) stories of celebrity Burbank DUI, let’s take time to reflect on some of the sobering, tragic events of the past year. After all, it’s one thing to get lost in the stories about Demi and Ashton’s breakup, the rise and fall of GOP hopefuls like Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann, the discovery of earth-like planets just a few light years away, etc. But if we ever hope to make progress fighting Burbank DUI and making our roads safer, it behooves us to examine the scary and often fatal consequences of inappropriate relationships with alcohol.

Pop singer Amy Winehouse died July 23, after a long and very public battle with alcoholism and substance abuse. Winehouse won fame and admiration, thanks to her raw, sultry voice; her songs contain brutally honest confessions about her battles with her demons and voice defiant posture towards her addiction treatment. In her most famous song, “Rehab,” she sings “they tried to make me go to rehab: I said no, no, no.”

The authenticity of her voice and lyrics – the rawness and realness of her personal struggles with addiction – captured international attention because they made Winehouse a real, sympathetic, and dynamic character. These battles ring true for so many of us – particularly for those of us who have ever been arrested for driving under the influence in Burbank or elsewhere in the Southland.

Many of us understand firsthand how difficult it can be to face up to the root causes of our Burbank DUIs, and many of us are also plenty skeptical about typical rehabilitation programs, some of which have pretty abysmal track records. Some studies suggest, for instance, that Alcoholics Anonymous’ success rate may be as little as 5% over the long term.

What Winehouse’s ordeal teaches us is that we need to get help before our Burbank DUI problems metastasize and cause even more damage. Your journey begins with getting the right help at the right time. 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 uncover not only the best strategy for your defense but also the best strategy for rebuilding your life and solving the deeper problems that got you into legal trouble in the first place. Mr. Kraut is an experienced Burbank DUI criminal defense attorney – a former prosecutor with a Harvard Law School education – and he can help you solve your problems.

December 5, 2011

Will Beverly Hills DUI Defendants Like or Loath TLC’s New Show “DUI”?

by Michael Kraut

Perhaps you already follow the latest Beverly Hills DUI news in the tabloids or on the blogosphere. Or maybe you stick to more “serious” sources of DUI news, such as news reports or even professional analyses of DUIs.

But even if you scour all these sources, you will come up with a rather superficial understanding of what’s like to be a Beverly Hills DUI defendant, and you may not learn much meaningful information to:

A) Help you avoid getting into DUI trouble in the first place;
B) Help you understand what to do (and more significantly, what not to do) after you’ve been pulled over for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills or elsewhere in the Southland.

Fortunately, you now have a novel way to “pull back the curtain” and see what Beverly Hills DUI defendants really experience.

The TLC Network launched a new show last week called “DUI” in the spirit of reality TV shows like Cops and Jail. Reviews for the show generally have been positive. The Washington Post’s blog called the show “irresistible” and discussed how the show is interested in going deeper – actually following motorists “after they failed sobriety test… days and weeks into court appearances and the punitive phase of their charges.”

The Washington Post review also said that “What’s emphasized here are the disastrous financial and personal losses that come for everyday working folks arrested for DUI. Granted, they should never have been behind the wheel, but “DUI” is surprisingly uninterested in MADD-style scolding and more focused on legal process. It’s also refreshingly empathetic to everyone involved.”

This last point is absolutely crucial, and it is also wonderful.

It’s so easy in today’s world – where we’re berated with twitter-esque headlines 24/7 – to demonize people, judge them, blame them, categorize them, etc. Instead, we can learn a lot more – and protect our roads a lot better – if we focus on empathy. What feelings did you feel when you were pulled over for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills? How could your needs have been met differently that evening? Unless we ask questions like this – probing to the heart of the problem – our punishments are going to be superficial, relatively useless, and certainly damaging to defendants.

If you’ve been struggling with a DUI charge – fretting about what might happen to your license, your job, your pocket book, or even your freedom – you likely need the assistance of a qualified and highly experienced Beverly Hills DUI defense attorney. The Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) is dedicated to providing empathetic, substantial, and powerfully strategic services for defendants. Connect with the former Deputy DA and Harvard Law School educated Attorney Kraut today to explore the most effective solution for your DUI problems.

November 15, 2011

Preposterous Pasadena DUI Stories: “Attention DUI Suspect in Kentucky — Your Car Is on Fire!”

by Michael Kraut

Getting arrested for driving under the influence in Pasadena (or anywhere else) is no laughing matter. However, the things that certain suspects do under pressure can, in retrospect, seem amusing.

Case in point, consider what happened to 20-year old Becca Voss, who was arrested last Thursday morning near Louisville on a relatively standard DUI. According to a local station, WLKY Louisville, Ms. Voss had been driving 16 miles over the speed limit, weaving between lanes – symptoms that would clue officers here in the Southland onto the fact that someone might be driving under the influence in Pasadena.

Indeed, Voss, exhibited classic symptoms associated with Pasadena DUI (or DUI anywhere) including “red, glossy eyes… disorientation” and lack of coordination.

But the way in which her lack of coordination displayed itself is why her story has gotten so much attention. Apparently, Voss “dropped a cigarette in the car’s door, igniting papers in the door” and thus setting her car on fire.

Not exactly the kind of impression you want to make if you want to convince authorities that you are stone sober and not driving under the influence in Pasadena!

Ms. Voss also faced further setbacks when she “failed several field sobriety tests” and failed a blood alcohol test by blowing a BAC of over 0.20% (2.5 times the legal limit for Pasadena DUI).

Can we learn anything from Voss’s cigarette related flub, other than obvious lessons (you probably already knew) such as “try to avoid lighting your car on fire in front of the police, when you are being tested for DUI”?

Perhaps. The biggest lesson here is that DUI events often lead to hard to calculate, cascading situations. Obviously, very few people anticipate getting pulled over and arrested, prior to getting behind the wheel. But even after you do get stopped, “twist and turns” in your story can be fast and furious, and they can throw you off your game.

They can also induce needless stress and potentially significantly complicate your case. For instance, say you get into an accident and cause an injury Pasadena DUI. You might be tempted to immediately flee the scene or do something else stupid. Once you make that bad decision, you may make another bad decision, such as speeding away from the police or driving through a red light. Each one of these bad decisions further complicates your legal situation and makes the job of your Pasadena DUI criminal defense attorney that much harder.

Fortunately, no matter what happened, there is always room for clarity, strategy, and clear thinking. The Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers can help (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899). Attorney Michael Kraut is an extremely experienced compassionate and successful Pasadena DUI lawyer. Not only is he Harvard law school educated, but he also worked for nearly a decade and half as a prosecutor, so he knows exactly how prosecution will likely come after you.

November 3, 2011

Lindsay Lohan’s Never Ending Los Angeles DUI Complications – Part 2

by Michael Kraut

Out of all the celebrities who’ve ever been arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles, few if any have generated more riveting legal headlines than Lindsay Lohan.

Ms. Lohan’s 2007 arrest for Los Angeles DUI was a relatively staid affair: she did not hurt anyone while driving DUI; she didn’t resist arrest in some crazy fashion; and didn’t have a BAC in an “out of this world” range (e.g. 0.48% or something). But in the years since her arrest, Lohan has returned again and again to the national spotlight for legal problems, including charges of probation violation, stealing jewelry, and even trying to duck out of her community service obligations at the County Morgue.

25-year-old Lohan’s parents have also earned a reputation for flouting the law. Last week, for instance, the actress’s father was arrested on two separate occasions for domestic violence and resisting arrest, after he allegedly beat-up and then subsequently harassed his ex-girlfriend, Kate Major.

Lindsay was long ago the picture of wholesomeness. She starred in movies like “Freaky Friday” and Disney TV specials. She has now upped the ante, in some sense, by offering to strip nude for Playboy Magazine for approximately $1 million.

TMZ.com reports that Playboy originally offered her $750,000, but she turned down that offer to ask for a cool million. Obviously, Lohan’s experience with Los Angeles DUI – and her other legal troubles – is not typical. In other words, if you or someone you care about has recently been arrested for a similar crime, you probably should look for other defendants to model. But the extravagant coda to her Los Angeles DUI arrest does give us some universal lessons about what to do (and what not to do) as a defendant.

The most crucial lesson is this: what you do after an arrest can magnify future punishments.

For instance, let’s say you got arrested for driving under the influence in Glendale after you got stopped at a checkpoint. Then you failed some Glendale field sobriety tests. If you go to a Glendale criminal defense attorney, like Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (121 W Lexington Dr, Glendale, CA 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123), and you avoid doing or saying anything that might comprise your case or give police and prosecutors ammunition, you might be able to fight the charges successfully.

However, if you make mistakes or omissions after the fact – fight with the arresting officers, for instance, or ignore what your attorney tells you, or get into additional legal trouble – then your situation becomes more complicated. The courts will consider not only the facts of the arrest itself but also your character and how you’ve displayed contrition (or lack thereof) since the arrest.

Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the whole post-Glendale DUI arrest situation by yourself. Michael Kraut, an experienced former prosecutor with great connections and a fantastic track record for success, can help you.

October 26, 2011

Long Beach DUI Consequences Can Be Brutal, Politically and Otherwise – Just Ask Republican State Senator Randy Hopper…

by Michael Kraut

Getting pulled over for driving under the influence in Long Beach or anywhere else throughout the Southland (or the U.S.) can be a humiliating experience. The level of humiliation gets ratcheted up substantially, however, if you happen to be a public, elected official.

When lawmakers, police officers and others entrusted with the public good do bad things – such as drive DUI in Long Beach or elsewhere – the media pores it on.

Consider last week’s arrest of ex Wisconsin state senator Randy Hopper, who, per a story in the Green Bay Gazette, got pulled over in a Wisconsin parking lot, after witnesses saw him nearly collide head first with another car. Officers administered field sobriety tests to Hopper. He apparently failed, big time – he could not balance, could not say the alphabet, etcetera.

After his arrest, Hopper pleaded with the arresting officer, Deputy Nicholas Venne: “Will you put down there that you didn’t think I was that I (was) driving; you never saw me driving; you don’t know I was driving. I didn’t do anything illegal.” Hopper refused an evidentiary breath test, but jail staff did get a preliminary breath test which suggested that his BAC was around 0.13% — significantly higher than the cut off for Long Beach DUI of 0.08%, pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 23152.

To put it mildly – Hopper has not had a shining last few years. In a recent election, Hopper lost his senate seat to democrat Jessica King by a margin of 51% to 49% — analysts believe that the razor thin defeat was fueled in part by Hopper’s messy divorce. He apparently left his wife for a lobbyist, Valerie Cass, who witnessed the arrest. According to one report, Cass “reportedly became upset… and yelled at the family who had called the police.”

So what are some lessons this story can teach Long Beach DUI defendants?

1. What you say or do after your DUI arrest can matter – and come back to haunt you.

The fact that Hopper blew a 0.13% BAC preliminary breath test and uttered recorded comments to Deputy Venne may complicate his legal defense.

2. Anyone can get tagged with a DUI.

Just because you are an elected official or a police officer or some other “special person” does not immunize you from the consequences of driving DUI in Long Beach.

3. Your choice of Long Beach DUI defense attorney is pivotal.

The quality of your legal defense can fundamentally influence your potential sentencing – as well as your ability to rebound, long-term, from what happened to you. Michael Kraut of Long Beach’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) is an experienced former prosecutor with a phenomenal success rate at jury trials and a great reputation within his industry. Judges, former prosecutors, and others in the system all greatly respect him.

October 21, 2011

Beverly Hills Field Sobriety Test Cautionary Tale: Former CEO of Chicago Tribune Busted for DUI in Cincinnati

by Michael Kraut

Last week, Randy Michaels, the former Chief Executive of the Tribune Company (owner of the Chicago Tribune, among other media holdings) was arrested near Cincinnati. If you or someone you care about is facing similar charges after failing a field sobriety test in Beverly Hills (or elsewhere in the Southland), Michaels’ ordeal may be quite instructive.

Although blogs and media outlets around the country reported on the arrest, it was most interesting to read the Tribune’s own report about the paper’s former boss. According to an October 14th article in the Tribune, “the media scion was arrested on 2 A.M on Friday the 14th near Ohio Highway 122 and Interstate 75.” The Tribune reported that “police found his car stuck in mud with water up to the vehicle’s frame in a construction zone… an officer who approached the car said he smelled alcohol on Michaels’ breath, noticed his eyes were bloodshot and described him as being “unsteady” on his feet.”

As regular readers of this Beverly Hills DUI blog know, those are classic Beverly Hills DUI symptoms.

Michaels was also put through the paces of field sobriety tests – three times – including stand on one leg, and walk the line. Police reports said that Michaels could only balance on his leg for about 3 seconds – a classic indicator that something was either amiss with his vestibular system or that he was under the influence of alcohol or other substances.

After the arrest, Michaels was bought to a city jail in the nearby town of Middletown. After consulting with a lawyer, Michaels refused to take a breathalyzer test at the jail. He was released after posting a bail of around $600.

Michaels took over the Chicago-based Tribune Company in 2007 but departed last year amid allegations that he had brought a “frat house culture” to the corporate offices of the Tribune.

Are there lessons here? Sure.

First of all, it is interesting to note the difference between Michaels’ reaction to his arrest (he called his attorney instead of submitting mindlessly to a breathalyzer test) and to contrast his actions with the actions of other DUI suspects we’ve recently blogged about. If you recall from a few blog posts ago, we talked about how drivers often make impulsive, irrational, destructive decisions AFTER getting arrested that redound to massively complicate their cases.

So here is a takeaway – and it is a takeaway that cannot be stressed enough: even if you’ve made terrible mistakes, such as driving DUI in Beverly Hills with injury, it’s never too late to start making rational, accurate and strategic decisions.

A competent Beverly Hills DUI attorney can help you know what you need to do. Connect with Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills’ Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935) today to discuss your needs and concerns. Attorney Kraut is a very reputable former prosecutor (also Harvard Law School educated) with the knowledge, knowhow and connections to give you best service.

October 3, 2011

An Absolutely Guaranteed Way to Permanently End Beverly Hills DUI

by Michael Kraut

We can all agree: Southern California would be a much safer place if drivers no longer drove under the influence in Beverly Hills or anywhere else throughout the Southland.

If no one ever got behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.08% or greater – no one violated CVC 23152 (a) or 23152 (b) – there would be fewer road deaths, fewer injuries, and significantly less property damage to boot.

And here is a foolproof way to ensure a future with a near zero rate of Beverly Hills DUI:

Reinstate Prohibition.

Our nation experimented with Prohibition back in the 1920s. Protests and entrepreneurial bootleggers’ games notwithstanding, alcohol consumption declined after national Prohibition laws passed. It stands to reason that, if there is enough willpower in Southern California to get similar legislation passed, we will likely see a similarly dramatic decline in alcohol consumption in our community. Obviously, we can never get to zero alcohol consumption because there would always be some people breaking the rules. But we can get pretty close.

Most people out there might write off this little thought experiment as silly. And it might be. But let’s think about the possible consequences, as far as Beverly Hills DUIs are concerned. How many lives would be saved every year throughout California if alcohol was legally forbidden (and the law was enforced)? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? How many accidents would be prevented?

Say there was a new pharmaceutical drug that killed dozens of people every year due to its side effects: there would be no end to the clamor and uproar about how the government would need to outlaw the drug ASAP and punish anyone who continued to try to sell it or market it. And there would be a decent moral case for doing so. If you are going to be morally equitable, then you need to admit there is also a decent case for enforcing this kind of draconian Prohibition.

This hypothetical is meant to illustrate a point about Beverly Hills DUI policy: Draconian, “sweep all the pieces off the chess board” gestures might sound good in theory, depending on how you frame the statistics, but they come at a cost that is too great for (most) people to swallow. Like it or not, alcohol consumption is in some ways an intrinsic component of the American social landscape.

The solution to Beverly Hills DUI is not necessarily to throw the baby out with the bath water – to ban all alcohol consumption – but instead to come up with creative, strategic, scientifically grounded, and morally and ethically acceptable solutions to deter DUIs, make road safer, educate drivers, and generally work with every player in the system to protect people’s rights.

A Beverly Hills criminal defense attorney, such as Attorney Michael Kraut of Beverly Hills’ Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (9107 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Beverly Hills, California 90210 Phone: (310) 550-6935), can help you make progress. Mr. Kraut is a regular TV and news media analyst who specializes in Los Angeles DUI and criminal defense matters, and he is also a Harvard Law School educated former prosecutor. He brings a diverse wealth of experience (and connections) to bear to help his clients make the progress they want.