February 2016’s Three Most Unusual DUIs?

Although it’s the shortest month in the year, February usually seems to drag on forever. Maybe that’s why some DUI drivers–no doubt including a few charged with DUI in Los Angeles–have exhibited some rather unusual behavior this month.

•    When a Sumter County, Florida, deputy pulled over Christopher Beauchemin in the early morning hours of February 1, the 45-year-old was standing outside of his car and holding a palm branch. The vehicle was running but was still in gear. When the deputy questioned Beauchemin, the driver said he thought the branch was part of his car that had fallen off. After failing a field sobriety test, Beauchemin got a ride to the Sumter County Detention Center, where authorities charged him with DUI.

•    A 29-year old woman from Kittanning, Pennsylvania, must have had it in for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) when she got behind the wheel on February 21. After sideswiping another vehicle, the woman, suspected of DUI, managed to hit no fewer than four separate PennDOT signs before her car flipped and rolled. She escaped with only minor injuries; there’s no word on how much damage the signs suffered.

•    In Jefferson County, Alabama, 51-year-old Joel Allan Solan was dressed in full clown costume when police pulled him over on suspicion of DUI on February 6th after other motorists reported his erratic driving. Apparently Solan gave no explanation for the unusual outfit. (It probably wasn’t wise of him to wear that attention-getting outfit, however, considering the fact that he had a felony warrant out against him for theft.) The police deputy who arrested Solan said he that he thought he had seen it all, but obviously he hadn’t.

Of course, arrests for DUI in any state aren’t really a laughing matter. In California, for instance, Vehicle Code 23152 dictates that with a first-time conviction for DUI, a driver will automatically lose his/her license for six months and could spend up to six months in county jail.

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.