DUI Category Archives — Page 6 of 24 — Los Angeles DUI Attorney Blog Published by Los Angeles & Southern California Criminal & DUI Defense Attorney Michael Kraut

May 29, 2015

City’s DUI Saturation Patrols Yield Six Arrests in One Weekend

Angels Camp, California, may have a heavenly-sounding name but during the weekend of May 15-17th the behavior of drivers in the area was more on the devilish side. While six arrests for a Los Angeles DUI within a few days may not be surprising—LA does have more than 3.8 million residents—it is a pretty big number in a city like Angeles Camp, which has a population of less than 4,000.

A grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration paid for officers to conduct “saturation patrols” to look for DUI drivers. According to mymotherlode.com, those picked up under sweep included:

• Rodney OConnor, age 46. Police stopped him after he failed to stop at a stop sign. They found that he was driving under the influence.
• Officers arrested Robert Matt, age 46, for DUI after stopping him for crossing over a double yellow line.
• Coty Matulovich, age 28, didn’t have license plates on his vehicle and failed led to stop at a stop sign. When police pulled him over, they determined he was driving under the influence.
• Forty-four year old Carrie Lowe was driving on the left side of the double yellow line when police picked her up. After a brief investigation, they charged her with DUI.
• Burnt-out brake and taillights—and failure to stop at a stop sign—alerted police to a potential problem in the case of 32-year old Daniel Porovich. After the cops pulled him over, they determined he was DUI.
• Jessica Waite drove over the limit line on Live Oak Drive. Police tested the 29-year-old and charged her with DUI.

What should you do if you or someone you love faces a serious DUI count? Will you go to jail? Will you lose your license? Call Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer Michael Kraut immediately to understand your options and craft a strategic response.

May 4, 2015

More Arrests for Stoned Driving? Cannibuster Could Make It Happen

by Michael Kraut

Testing drivers for an alcohol-related DUI in Los Angeles is a relatively straightforward process that may involve a breathalyzer and blood tests. But when pot is a driver’s choice for getting high, it’s been a lot harder for police to identify just how much cannabis is in a driver’s bloodstream and what constitutes impairment.

Two biomedical engineering graduate students from the University of Akron in Ohio claim to have solved that problem. According to CBS News, Mariam Crow and Kathleen Stitzlein said they’ve invented a “Cannibuster” that can quickly gauge the amount of THC-the psychoactive ingredient in pot–in someone’s system.

The Cannibuster measures THC levels through a saliva sample taken from a suspected impaired driver and passed through a series of chambers before yielding a reading. Colorado and Washington, two states that have legalized the use of marijuana, have established five nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood as the threshold for impairment. Police now rely on blood tests to measure the THC levels, but there’s been no good way to take a reading when they pull over a driver suspected of DUI.

The Cannibuster researchers have received grant money to continue refining their device, and hope to conduct field tests later this year.

Even if the technology proves effective, however, there’s likely to be some controversy ahead. For one thing, it’s not clear how valid the current THC limits are in actually determining if a driver is impaired due to pot. According to an article in the New York Times last year, European studies suggest that the five nanogram threshold is too high, and that a better limit would be closer to one nanogram THC per milliliter of blood.

Designing and executing an effective defense against DUI charges (even simple ones) is not intuitive. Fortunately, you can trust the seasoned, highly successful Michael Kraut. Call a DUI lawyer in Los Angeles with nearly two decades of experience.

April 29, 2015

Daredevil Does Damage While DUI

by Michael Kraut

People who enjoy a few too many drinks before getting behind the wheel may attempt to show off their driving skills—speeding along busy highways, taking tight turns, and similar maneuvers that are likely to get them involved in an accident or picked up for a Los Angeles DUI.

So what happens when a real-life driving daredevil allegedly drinks too much before speeding in his SUV? A four-car pile up.
Like his father, stuntman Evel Knievel, Robbie Knievel has made a career of daredevil motorcycle jumps. But he was driving a 2005 GMC Yukon when he ran a red light in Butte, Montana, on the evening of April 21. According to the Montana Standard, he was traveling at high speed when he rammed into a Honda Accord, which hit a Ford Taurus, which hit a Hummer.

Knievel sped away in his SUV, parked it a few blocks away and was walking down the street when the cops caught up with him. Knievel refused a breathalyzer test, so the officers got a warrant for a blood alcohol test. They charged him with felony DUI because he has three previous drunken driving convictions. He also faces the misdemeanor offenses of leaving the scene of an accident, operating a vehicle without an interlock device and running a red light.

Photos of the daredevil’s arraignment show him sporting an orange jail jumpsuit, a big change from his trademark red, white and blue performance outfits. Knievel, who is 52, could be looking at some fairly serious consequences due to the DUI charge—up to five years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

What should you do if you or someone you love faces a serious DUI count? Will you go to jail? Will you lose your license? Call Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer Michael Kraut immediately to understand your options and craft a strategic response.

April 13, 2015

Driving High Could Get You a DUI

by Michael Kraut

California’s police officers don’t yet have to worry about issuing a DUI in Los Angeles for someone who is driving erratically after legally smoking marijuana in the state. (They’ve undoubtedly arrested many for that offense who have been smoking it illegally.)

But Colorado, which became in 2012 one of the first two states to legalize pot for recreational purposes (the other was Washington State), is apparently dealing with that problem. The Colorado Department of Transportation launched a public information campaign last year that reminds motorists that being impaired by any drugs–not just alcohol–could land you in jail on a charge of DUI. CDOT calls it drugged driving.

Although much of the campaign’s material focuses on marijuana impairment, CDOT officials also want to reinforce the message that driving with any kind of drugs that cause impairment–including prescription medicines–could lead to a DUI arrest. CDOT is using posters and radio and television public service announcements to get its message out to drivers.

In 2013, 627 drivers in Colorado were involved in 481 traffic accidents that resulted in a fatality. More than 21 percent of those drivers–103–were what CDOT calls drugged drivers. Thirty six of them tested positive for cannabis alone; another 10 tested positive for pot and some other drug.

Of course, California cops and the California Department of Transportation may want to be taking notes. If pro-legalization forces have their way, voters in the state will have another chance to vote on legalizing cannabis in 2016. The California electorate rejected legalization of pot in 2010, but many observers give it a much better chance of passage this time due to the more widespread acceptance of marijuana usage in the U.S. today.

How should you respond to your recent and disarming charges? Call a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer (and ex-prosecutor) with nearly two decades of relevant legal experience.

April 6, 2015

Mother Charged in DUI Death of Child in San Diego County

by Michael Kraut

Police working Los Angeles DUI cases have to deal with some pretty difficult accident scenes. But there are probably few worse things than having to handle the aftermath of a DUI incident that involves young children, especially when one of them dies.

When El Cajon police officers arrived at an accident scene in the city around 10 p.m. on April 4, they found a 2010 Hyundai Accent that had had crashed into a telephone pole. They discovered 31-year old Brandy Teague and her three injured children inside the vehicle. Emergency vehicles transported the three children, ages 10, 3 and 2, to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced the three-year-old girl dead. The other two children suffered serious injuries but should recover.

It must have been a terrifying experience for the children. The oldest in the car, a 10-year old boy, ran to a nearby home to seek help after the accident, according to Fox5 San Diego news. An area resident reported the child had blood on his face and glass stuck in his eye.

Police speculated that Teague may have fallen asleep at the wheel of her vehicle just before the crash. Because she complained of pain, emergency responders took her to the hospital, but she didn’t stay there long. She ended up in the jail charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, cruelty to a child and driving under the influence of drugs.

According to MADD, 1,145 children die each year as a result of a traffic accident. Of those cases, 17 percent involve a driver operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Locating a seasoned and qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer is a critical part of the process of reclaiming your life, your time and your peace of mind. Call ex-prosecutor Michael Kraut for a free consultation right now.

March 18, 2015

Better Call the Right Cab If You’re Worried about DUI in Los Angeles

by Michael Kraut

Motorists who know they’ve had too much to drink do the right thing when they call a cab to take them home. But if they get into the wrong cab, they could end up talking to a Los Angeles DUI lawyer, not as a client but as a witness.

Television station KSBY, which serves California’s central coast, reported in early March that taxi driver Christel Mona Wikstrom is facing DUI charges after smashing into parked vehicles at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez Valley. Wikstrom’s taxi, a white Toyota van, damaged three cars. According to police, the cab driver’s blood alcohol content at the time of the incident measured more than twice the legal limit.

Of course, cab drivers are human, and they make mistakes just like everyone else. A Google search reveals multiple incidents of cab drivers in various states arrested for DUI over the past year. Last July, a Bluegrass Taxi driver in Lexington, Kentucky, William Maddox, started talking to police at a convenience store where he had just bought beer. It didn’t take officers long to realize that the cab driver was too impaired to drive.

Ironically, the police had been searching for an hour for this driver after receiving reports of his erratic driving, but they had not been successful in locating him. They might not have even stopped Maddox if he hadn’t approached them and started a conversation. Maddox’s slurred speech and the smell of alcohol that emanated from him alerted the officers to his condition.

Despite these arrests, calling a cab is always a better alternative than attempting to drive when you’ve had too much to drink. California law treats drivers convicted of DUI harshly, with fines, penalties, suspension of driver’s license and sometimes jail time as well.

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

March 2, 2015

Outrageous DUI Mugshots: Part 1

by Michael Kraut

The practice of taking a mugshot after a person’s arrest began in the mid-1840s. Law enforcement used the pictures for record keeping and to aid investigations. The Los Angeles DUI community has seen some pretty outrageous mugshots come through over the years.

Getting arrested for a DUI fades out of most people’s minds after a while. Mugshots, however, stay on file forever. From tattoos to strange attire, consider these unusual mugshots:

• Commemorating a repeat offense. Robert Burt, a 19 year old repeat offender, arrived for an 8 hour jail sentence wearing an orange shirt with a previous mugshot depicted on the front. The caption read, “Burt Family Reunion 8.8-8.10.2014, sponsored by Bud Light and Somerset County Sheriff.”

• Batman didn’t stop this Joker in time. Offers arrested Dennis Lalime after he crashed his car in Maine. Lalime was wearing a Joker costume from a Halloween party at the time of his arrest. His mug shot featured bright green hair, side burns, and mustache. On top of the white face paint, he did remember to wear his glasses.

• What do you call someone who isn’t fully committed to No-Shave-November? A DUI mugshot of a 28-year-old from Pennsylvania divides his face into shaved and not shaved halves. Luckily, his head hair seems untouched.

• I mustache you a question, sir. Is the tattoo of your handlebar mustache and soul patch permanent? Christopher Gerhart’s mugshot features what appears to be Sharpie-drawn facial hair. He claimed it was only temporary. Regardless, the mugshot and his record will remain.

• Surprise! Andrei Bibbs’ DUI mugshot makes him look very surprised. Bulging eyes and an open mouth highlight his shocked expression. We may never know what really surprised him, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t the DUI charges brought against him.

Funny, unexpected, and outrageous mugshots add levity to otherwise serious cases in the news. Remember that the public has access to your mug shots and arrest information.

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

February 28, 2015

Top 10 Dumb Mistakes Made by People Under the Influence of Alcohol

by Michael Kraut

A recent post on our Los Angeles DUI blog, we spoke about how alcohol affects the brain’s ability to care about mistakes. There’s never a shortage of news to justify that finding. Here are ten of the dumbest mistakes people have made while intoxicated:

1. A drunk man in Florida caused a scene and repeatedly called 911 after being told he was not allowed to bring his kitten into a strip club. He was arrested for misuse of 911 and public intoxication.

2. An intoxicated Louisiana man rode his horse into a bar and lassoed a patron, attempting to drag him into the parking lot.

3. Police arrested an inebriated man in Pennsylvania after catching him trying to resuscitate a dead opossum on the side of the highway.

4. Police arrested a man in Cincinnati after he drank too much alcohol, streaked nude though his yard, and somehow ended up in his neighbor’s dryer.

5. Police confronted a visibly intoxicated Floridian man for firing off guns on a public beach dock. During the conversation with the deputy, the man pooped his pants. He was arrested for use of a firearm while intoxicated.

6. A North Carolina man was arrested for drunkenly riding a bicycle while wielding a chainsaw.

7. A drunk Toronto man had to be rescued from his neighbor’s chimney. He climbed in, trying to enter the home, but got stuck and spent 5 hours in the freezing cold.

8. A man was arrested for public intoxication in Minnesota when he tried to make a phone call with a $20 bill, convinced it was his phone.

9. An intoxicated Canadian man was arrested at a Christmas parade for screaming to little kids that Santa isn’t real.

10. An intoxicated man in Minneapolis was arrested for breaking into a home and destroying a toilet, causing almost $2,000 in damage. He was charged with burglary.

Respond strategically to your arrest and charges by calling a former Senior Deputy D.A. and highly successful Los Angeles DUI defense attorney with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today for a complimentary consultation.

February 20, 2015

What Happens After a Los Angeles DUI: The Long-term Picture

by Michael Kraut

Los Angeles DUI attorneys completely understand the long-term impact of a DUI conviction. Every case and every individual faces different repercussions. One person may bounce back from a conviction with help from a supportive community. Others face being ostracized and having difficulty finding work and building meaningful relationships.

Long-term consequences include:

• Employment difficulties. Any convictions appear in background checks, and they may preclude you from obtaining gainful employment. DUI convictions, in particular, can immediately disqualify an individual from the hiring process. Fighting a conviction with a full-time job means missing work for court dates and addressing other legal hurdles.

• Increased financial burden. DUI sentencing normally includes some form of pecuniary obligation. Lawyer fees, court fees, sentencing fines, and increased auto insurance costs affect individuals who are convicted in the short- and long-term. Insurance companies place those convicted of DUIs in high risk categories with high rates for years into the future.

• Inability to drive. Driver’s license revocations make completing daily tasks more difficult for anyone who does not live near public transportation. You may have to rely on others for social and work transportation. This consequence often carries over into other areas of life, causing frustration and other emotional challenges.

• Difficulty maintaining relationships. A DUI conviction can forever change both personal and professional relationships. Your professional reputation may suffer, and relationships with colleagues and superiors may change. You may experience incessant worry from friends and relatives. Relationship challenges may arise even without a conviction. The emotional burden of a conviction can potentially cause you to feel judgment and insecurity, even in supportive relationships.

You may lose trust with friends, employers, and family members. Some people face the full extent of social and economic consequences after a conviction, making it easier to become a repeat offender and perpetuate the cycle.

To respond effectively to your charges, call a qualified Los Angeles DUI lawyer with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.

January 21, 2015

San Francisco, Los Angeles DUI Rates Drop Thanks to…Taxis?

by Michael Kraut

In September 2014, Los Angeles DUI rates dropped, as did similar rates in several cities across the nation. Many observers credit a new trend in cab services based on apps!

Uber and other mobile friendly taxi services have revolutionized American perceptions of taxis. People no longer have to wait or hope to catch a cab at a certain corner. They can call up a town car at the touch of a button, and they don’t have to carry cash. With GPS location tracking, a taxi can be dispatched to a waiting passenger without that passenger ever placing a call.

Taxi companies are increasingly marketing their services toward younger, affluent adults. They are also focusing on the high-risk demographic that is more likely to go out to bars and clubs more often.

And it’s working.

Two companies in particular have seen a growing demand for their business, Lyft and Uber. They present themselves as trendy companies, marketing themselves on bathroom walls and underneath bar stools. Their goal is to make a taxicab seem cool enough to call.

The arrival of these services and the advent of other so-called “rideshare” programs have had a measurable impact. San Francisco DUI rates have consistently fallen since Uber and other modern taxi companies started service there. DUI arrests have fallen by nearly 10% in Seattle, since the expansion of Uber’s taxicabs. In 2013, Los Angeles saw a 14% drop after a 10% increase in 2012. The difference? The availability of ride-share services.

There’s a positive, direct correlation between decreasing DUI arrests and these services becoming available to young adults. If this trend continues, we’ll likely see these services expand and receive additional media coverage in the near future. If revenue is any indication, rideshare services are here to stay; hopefully, they’ll continue to drive down DUI rates in cities across the country.

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