DUI Category Archives — Page 7 of 24 — Los Angeles DUI Attorney Blog Published by Los Angeles & Southern California Criminal & DUI Defense Attorney Michael Kraut

December 24, 2014

Authority and Alcohol: People in High Positions Can Get Los Angeles DUIs, Too

Although stories about celebrities facing Los Angeles DUI charges are reported every day, average citizens often act surprised when people in authority face similar charges. The attorneys at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers have seen plenty of people in positions of authority deal with DUI charges and want to set the record straight on the prevalence of this problem.

Oklahoma Senator Charged

Republican senator Bryce Marlatt was recently charged with a subcategory of DUI known as actual physical control, or APC. APC indicates the vehicle was actually moving when the suspect was pulled over for the DUI. Woodward, OK, police found Marlatt asleep in his moving car. When asked how many beers he had, Marlatt replied, “None – I had what you call a bourbon and Coke.” He also said he had consumed “no more than anybody else” when asked further about his alcohol consumption.

Senator Marlatt’s attorney claims that Marlatt had been having sleep problems and that he took a prescription sleep aid before getting behind the wheel last Monday night. He had imbibed a mixed drink and had been concerned about the effects of the mixture, so allegedly pulled over to sleep off the aid and the alcohol. However, the charges of APC indicate Marlatt’s vehicle may have been moving without his knowledge.

Auto President Faces DUI

Another authority figure recently charged with a DUI is Robert Butler, president of the Butler Automotive Group in Indianapolis. Allegedly, Butler had been driving DUI on Interstate 465 and hit a vehicle parked on the emergency shoulder. The accident caused “serious leg injuries” to 25-year-old Latin McKinney, according to The Indy Channel. McKinney and his sister had apparently been trying to jump-start McKinney’s stalled car on the emergency shoulder.

Butler admitted he had four glasses of wine while watching a ball game in downtown Indianapolis before getting on the interstate. Police measured his blood alcohol level at twice the legal limit. However, Butler pleaded not guilty to DUI charges even after admitting he’d been drinking.

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.

December 17, 2014

DUI Charge Against Texas Judge Nora Longoria Dropped

by Michael Kraut

Los Angeles DUI attorneys and pundits have been following the story of Nora Longoria, a judge for the 13th Court of Appeals in Texas, who was charged with a DUI in July 2014. Recently, prosecutors dropped her charges. McAllen police say that Longoria “begged for special treatment” when faced with sobriety tests, but Justice Rolando Cantu threw out the case based on “lack of evidence,” marking “other” as his reasoning on formal paperwork.

Longoria was originally pulled over for driving 69 MPH in a 55 MPH zone, but the arresting officer claimed she “smelled of booze and had slurred speech.” Longoria allegedly admitted she’d had five beers that evening but that she consumed her last one three hours before driving. She allegedly told the officer, “I live a couple miles away… You are going to ruin my life.” Longoria also refused to take a breath test. Social media exploded after Longoria’s DUI charge. People made comments such as, “Resign, you drunk” and “You are a disgrace to the court system, to the legal profession, and the citizens of Texas.”

Despite the angry comments and the evidence presented in court, Longoria eventually beat her DUI charge. Several people, including regular Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers blog readers, may be wondering how and why. Our attorneys hypothesize a few possible reasons:

• Lack of a conclusive test. A breath test and other sobriety tests are not generally as conclusive as a blood or urine draw, neither of which Longoria underwent. In fact, some experts believe traditional sobriety tests are “designed to make [people] fail.”

• Unclear video evidence. The prosecution was able to obtain a video allegedly showing the circumstances of Longoria’s DUI arrest. However, the tape’s footage did not clearly show whether her speech had been slurred. Thus, the evidence that she “smelled of booze” essentially consisted of the arresting officer’s opinion.

• Lack of other evidence. Besides the unclear video, the prosecution brought no conclusive evidence against Longoria.

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.

December 3, 2014

Yes, You Can Get a DUI in Los Angeles, Even If You’re Driving a Bizarre Vehicle

by Michael Kraut

The diverse circumstances in which people get arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles (and other places) never cease to surprise.

A few years ago, we blogged about a spate of lawnmower DUIs that defied common sense – and earned more than a few snickers from the peanut gallery in places like Reddit.

Snide comments about lawnmower DUIs aside, it’s useful to understand that California DUI law can be applied to broad and unusual circumstances. Consider, for instance, the legal situation facing 41-year-old Criss E. Gruber, who stands accused of multiple charges, including violating light regulations and bicycle DUI, after he crashed a few weeks ago in the town of Enola.

Fortunately, no one got seriously hurt in the crash, although Gruber himself got banged up when he hit a road construction sign on Route 11/15 on November 16th. Investigators believe that he hit the sign because he lacked safety lighting on his bicycle. Blood alcohol tests revealed that he had a 0.16% blood alcohol concentration. For those of you who are keeping score, that’s twice the legal limit for DUI, per California’s Vehicle Code Section 23152.

Bicycling with DUI can be tragically dangerous for many reasons – some obvious, some not so obvious:

• When you’re under the influence of alcohol (or fatigued or angry or distracted by a cellphone), your timing gets worse. In other words, you are less likely to brake in time to avoid accidents or swerve to avoid hazards, etc.

• When people with certain personalities drink, they tend to be more likely to take risks, such as driving without a helmet or driving on a busy surface street or freeway;

• Bicycles are already at a mechanical disadvantage on the road. While everyone who uses the roads should be vigilant, bicyclists and motorcyclists need to be particularly vigilant because of the extra risks caused by the mechanical disadvantage.

If you caused an accident while DUI on your bike, you can face a slew of very serious criminal penalties, including felony charges.

No matter what happened to you or what charges you face, a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers can assist you with constructing an appropriate, sensible and meticulous defense. Contact attorney Kraut today to schedule a free consultation.

November 20, 2014

Parallels Between Your Los Angeles DUI Arrest and the Comet Landing of the European Space Agency’s Philae Lander

by Michael Kraut

You’ve heard our Los Angeles DUI blog pound on the theme of “get help as soon as you can after a DUI” numerous times. Any credible attorney or authority who knows anything about California DUI law will tell you that you need to act rapidly to preserve your freedom and protect your options.

Nevertheless: many, many people recently arrested for the crime exhibit a lackadaisical attitude about the timeframe.

For instance, you only have 10 days after the arrest to contest the license suspension, after which time you may be forced to live without your driver’s license for months or longer. It’s understandable that you might be stunned by the rapid turn of events and overwhelmed by the potential legal ramifications. But when time is of the essence, you absolutely need to act.

It’s hard to get people to understand this theme, however, no matter how many different ways we (and others) bring it up and highlight the need for urgency.

Fortunately, recent news events have given us a golden metaphor to re-explain the problem.

Last week, the European State Agency (ESA) landed a small ship on a comet – the first time humanity has ever landed a probe on a comet. The 2.5 mile wide Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet is about 317 million miles from Earth, and it’s traveling at breakneck speeds of 84,000 miles per hour. Unfortunately, the probe encountered a few technical problems on its way down from its mother ship, Rosetta, and it was not able to clamp down to the surface of the comet.

Unsurprisingly, the gravity on the comet is much, much, much weaker than it is here on Earth. So when the probe landed, it bounced and then landed again in a shadow of a cliff on the comet. While the search for the final landing site is still ongoing, the lander is racing against the clock to meet as many of its core science goals as possible before the primary battery is exhausted.

Scientists had hoped that the probe would land in a sunlit place and be able to access solar power to continue its mission for longer. But now they have to act quickly or lose out on science that researchers have spent billions of dollars trying to procure. The point is that these researchers understand the dangers of failing to act in a timely fashion. When there is billions of dollars at stake and millions of eyes on you, you tend to take your job pretty seriously.

But the consequences of not acting in situations where action is required may not be so clear if you are the only person affected by delay. To that end, please contact the team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers to schedule a free and confidential consultation regarding your rights. An experienced Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer can help you understand your next steps and act rapidly and with clarity.

November 12, 2014

3 Surprising Lessons about Los Angeles DUI Defense from the Recent Ebola Scare

by Michael Kraut

Unless you’ve been living under a rock – or you’ve been so totally overwhelmed by your Los Angeles DUI that you haven’t checked CNN or your Facebook feed in months – you probably are keenly aware of the explosive Ebola outbreak in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.

In mid-October, officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other prestigious bodies panicked and worried that the epidemic could explode outside of West Africa and create a worldwide pandemic that could lead to the infection of hundreds of thousands if not millions of individuals. Thanks to alert action on part of the U.S. Military, health authorities, and philanthropists, it at least appears that we are finally staunching the Ebola tide. However, the Ebola outbreak – in particular, how it played out in the media – holds powerful lessons for DUI defendants. Here are three.

1. We tend to fear the disturbing and exotic as opposed to the mundane and realistic.

For instance, if you have been arrested for DUI, you might be terrified about going to jail for 2+ days. While staying in jail is not a picnic, you might be overlooking far more profound consequences… such as losing your California driver’s license for a year or longer. Imagine not being able to drive to work, take your kids to school, and even go on simple errand runs.

2. When things go wrong in life, it’s easy to spiral out of control into a panic, but overreacting can make problems worse.

For instance, despite statistical and epidemiological evidence that closing off the U.S. borders to West African countries would not stop the spread of Ebola in the U.S. — and potentially even impede efforts to contain disease, because rescue workers and doctors could not as easily travel back and forth — many people choose not to hear these rational arguments. Likewise, many DUI defendants react in nonstrategic fashion by, for instance, waiting way too long to hire attorneys to represent them and guide them through the process.

3. The right kind of help at the right time can make a huge difference.

If you look at the projections for Ebola before and after the massive international reaction, the data are stark. Our intervention really seems to have made a big difference. Likewise, if you find the right people, such as a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers, you may be able to powerfully affect your future, win back your freedom, and avert personal catastrophe.

Call the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today for a free and confidential consultation.

October 31, 2014

How to Avoid Getting a Los Angeles DUI over Halloween

by Michael Kraut

Intuitively, you might suspect that the numbers of Los Angeles DUI arrests spike during Halloween, simply because so many people take time off of work, drink spiked cider, and engage in goofy costume parties and parades. But while Los Angeles is home to some wild Halloween traditions, including the West Hollywood parade and spooky movies at Hollywood Cemetery, fortunately, the denizens of our city often drive rather soberly on this holiday… at least when you compare Halloween DUI statistics with stats from much more dangerous holidays, like Super Bowl Sunday, Labor Day, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving and The Day Before Thanksgiving.

Maybe it’s the fact that everybody knows that kids will be wandering in the streets wearing dark, unwieldy costumes that makes drivers act with more caution. Whatever the case, you want to avoid winding up arrested and in dire need of the services of a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney, like Michael Kraut of Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Here are some tips:

1. Plan your evening.

Be spontaneous, but don’t be so spontaneous that you put your life and the lives of other people at risk.

2. Don’t hang around (or heaven forbid get in the car with) people doing dumb things.

Halloween is a time of surprises, but you want those surprises to be ideally to be non-lethal ones. If you meet strange people at a party or at the Santa Monica parade, and you want to hang out and grab a burger with them afterwards, fine. Just avoid getting unduly influenced by potentially dangerous or unstable folks you meet trick or treating.

3. Learn from your mistakes.

How did Halloween go for you last year? Have you ever almost gotten in trouble while driving or almost gotten arrested for DUI? Consider your habits and your track record, and continuously develop plans to avoid getting into trouble again in the same ways. Know thyself.

If you or someone you love does ultimately need help with a Halloween-related Los Angeles DUI charge, contact attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers for an immediate, judgment free, through and confidential consultation. Mr. Kraut is a former Deputy District Attorney – a high-level prosecutor – who understands what it takes to build winning defense cases.

October 24, 2014

Is It Okay That a Bus Driver with Two DUIs Was Allowed to Drive a School Bus Full of Kids?

by Michael Kraut

Obviously, we are of the opinion that the crime of driving under the influence in Los Angeles is a complex issue and that many people who stand accused of this charge need compassion and insight as opposed to punishment and neglect.

However, we also deeply believe in protecting our community and making sure that the roads are safe for everyone. The whole point of what we aim to do (and also what police officers and prosecutors aim to do) is to make our city safe and livable.

To wit, the arrest of 59-year-old Robert E. Murphy of Ashland, Massachusetts raises profound questions about how and when convicted DUI drivers should be allowed to engage in certain types of commercial driving activity.

Mr. Murphy was a school bus driver who had been convicted twice of DUI. Police just arrested him yet again for allegedly driving DUI with a bus full of high school age cross-country athletes. According to local reports from the Boston Herald, police arrested him Saturday evening in the parking lot of a local high school after a coach alerted authorities. Police put Murphy through a series of field sobriety tests and arrested him on charges of operating a motor vehicle to endanger and a third DUI offense.

Obviously, Murphy’s story is less dramatic than the tale we covered a few weeks ago about the Utah bus driver who allegedly drove DUI for nearly 40 miles on the freeway, weaving around the road, while carrying elementary school kids.

In both Murphy’s case and the case of the Utah bus driver, no kids suffered injuries, fortunately.

Murphy’s arrest raises questions about how and when convicted DUI drivers should be allowed to engage in commercial driving again. Imagine you’re a truck driver or a bus driver who has no job skills other than your commercial driving ability. What if you lose your driving privileges because of the DUI? How would you earn a living? If you got your driving privileges back, how could you ensure that you won’t make similarly dangerous decisions again?

These and other questions can keep you up at night. Fortunately, you don’t have to ponder them all alone. The team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers can help you establish an effective plan to deal with your charges and rebuild your life. Call a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers right now to schedule a consultation with an ex-prosecutor about your strategy.

October 6, 2014

Not a Good Idea After a Los Angeles DUI Arrest: Having Sex in the Cop Car While Being Driven to Jail

by Michael Kraut

Imagine in your mind the worst things you could do after being arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.

You could, for instance, assault the police officer, make self incriminating comments after hearing your Miranda’s Rights, or commit sundry other crimes, offenses and misjudgments. But it is pretty hard to top what a 33-year old man and 29-year old woman from Oconto County, Wisconsin allegedly did last week.

Heather Basten and Travis Husnik allegedly started having sexual intercourse in the back of a police car while being driven to jail after a DUI stop and arrest. County Circuit Court Judge Riley later wryly noted: “what do I sentence a guy who had sex in a squad car to?” The judge later charged Husnik and Basten with lewd and lascivious behavior and disorderly conduct. The arresting officer apparently forced Husnik to get out of the backseat and sit in the front seat next to him, so he and Basten wouldn’t paw at each other during the ride.

Unfortunately, as we’ve discussed again and again and again on this blog, people arrested for driving under the influence often do silly or dumb things after the fact that create extra hassles and legal complications for themselves. In more serious cases, for instance, a DUI driver might leave the scene of an injury accident and wind up with a felony hit and run charges to go hand in hand with a felony DUI injury charge.

So what can you do to manage your crisis?

First: call an experienced and qualified Los Angeles DUI criminal defense attorney, like Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Mr. Kraut is a widely respected former prosecutor who maintains excellent relationships with his former prosecutorial colleagues as well as with police officers and judges in Los Angeles. Please contact him today for a free consultation.

September 29, 2014

Complex DUI Crash in Santa Ana Injures Motorist, Kills Motorcyclist

by Michael Kraut

When it comes to Los Angeles DUI crashes, authorities often implicate drivers who test to have illegal blood alcohol levels after a collision. However, authorities sometimes struggle to determine fault in cases involving multiple variables.

A September 21 accident in Santa Ana provides an example of how DUI crashes can occur due to other factors besides a driver’s alcohol-related impairment. The incident – a combination of two crashes – left a motorcyclist dead and another driver injured.

The series of crashes began when a motorcyclist collided with the back of a car on southbound 55. After veering off the freeway and striking a chain-link fence, the motorcyclist flew from his vehicle, landing on adjacent Ritchey Street.

As a good Samaritan approached the motorcyclist, Jesus Mendoza Hernandez struck both individuals, severely injuring the Samaritan and killing the motorcyclist. Hernandez now faces DUI driving charges; whether authorities will charge him with DUI manslaughter or DUI murder remains unclear.

Factors that Can Complicate DUI Accidents

The tragic accidents in Santa Ana highlight how aggravating circumstances can complicate a DUI accident. Considerations making it more difficult to assign responsibility include:

• Multiple drivers. The more vehicles collide in an accident, the more complicated questions of liability become.

• Two DUI drivers. Although uncommon, when both drivers involved in a collision are over the legal limit, the case can lead to surprising complexities.

• Unusual intersections. Intersections with confusing traffic patterns – or those lacking adequate lighting or signage – often increase the likelihood of accidents, DUI or not.

Even when your Los Angeles DUI case involves one or more of the above complexities, simply having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit places extra responsibility on your shoulders. An experienced defense attorney with an understanding of California DUI laws can analyze the circumstances of your case to determine how to help you form a defense. Contact the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.

September 10, 2014

California Baseball Star, Everth Cabrera, Arrested for Marijuana DUI

by Michael Kraut

Only a few days ago, San Diego Padres’ shortstop, Everth Cabrera, was arrested in eastern San Diego County. The charge: driving under the influence of marijuana. If you or a love one faces similar charges, Cabrera’s story might be able to provide you pivotal insight into what to do and not to do to manage a marijuana-related Los Angeles DUI case.

Cabrera’s Arrest

Border patrol stopped Cabrera and sent him back to the California Highway Patrol office. When he arrived, the star did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and authorities released him to the custody of his mother-in-law.

Cabrera apparently claimed in his defense that he had been using a medical substance and that he didn’t know what was in it. But even if someone’s on a legal drug, such as an over the counter medication, he or she can face serious drug DUI charges for getting behind the wheel while under the influence.

According to the Padres, the investigation is still underway. The team is currently communicating with Major League Baseball about how to handle the situation.

This is not the first time Cabrera has gotten in trouble with the law. In 2012, Cabrera was arrested on a charge of domestic violence misdemeanor assault. That charge was ultimately dropped.

DUI Marijuana Charges in LA

In California, almost all cultivation and possession of marijuana is illegal. Federal and state laws differ with respect to how and when marijuana use or sale constitutes an illegal act. It is unlawful to drive under the influence of marijuana, regardless of whether the driver has a medical justification. Additionally, prosecutors don’t have to show how much marijuana was in the driver’s system; they only need to show that the driver was generally under the influence.

Marijuana stays in the body far longer than alcohol and other drugs. Blood samples can show evidence of metabolites of THC, a psychoactive compound in marijuana.

If you were not under the influence, but you had been in possession of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia, you may be charged with a misdemeanor. Possession of marijuana for sale is a felony. Whether or not an officer witnesses a sale taking place, he or she can penalize you for having a scale, pager, or large amount of cash along with possession.

If you’ve been arrested for a marijuana-related DUI in Los Angeles, the first thing to do is contact a criminal defense attorney with extensive knowledge and experience about such cases. Michael Kraut is a Los Angeles DUI attorney with years of experience dealing with drug crimes in the region.