How Not to “Tee Up” Your Pasadena DUI Defense: Drive 85 Miles Per Hour the Wrong Way on a One Way Street…

We’ve said it before on our Pasadena DUI defense blog, and we will say it again: many DUI defendants dig themselves a very deep hole, legally speaking, even after they’ve been stopped and interrogated by police.

Driving under the influence in Pasadena, in and of itself, can indeed lead to tremendous penalties. Even a misdemeanor conviction pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) or 23152(b) can set you up for punishments ranging from big fines and fees to insurance rate spikes to jail time. However, when you make additional “bad decisions” after your stop, such as fleeing from the scene, committing hit and run, or driving the wrong way down a one way street to escape a checkpoint or detection by police, you may make your defense massively more complicated.

Consider, for instance, the case of an underage driver pulled over on October 10th for DUI in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania… after clocking nearly 110 miles per hour on a street with a 35 miles per hour speed limit!

The underage driver had been zooming along Penn Avenue in her Audi at 109 miles per hour (as clocked by local law enforcement) before pivoting on to Pennwood Avenue, Hay Street and Walls Avenue. She then gunned it the wrong way down on one way street before police finally caught up. The driver now faces a litany of seven charges, including DUI as a minor (first offense), driving without a license, exceeding the speed limit by 80 miles per hour (!!), reckless driving, providing false ID to law enforcement, and driving under the influence with general impairment.

The driver initially gave the police a false name, then she recanted and agreed to participate in field sobriety tests, which she allegedly failed. She also blew a breathalyzer test twice, which showed that she had a BAC of 0.13% and 0.14%, respectively. The legal limit for Pasadena DUI, as you probably know if you’re a long time reader, is just 0.08%. So this woman tested at nearly double that amount.

One bad decision spiraling into many bad decisions – a common story in Pasadena DUI cases

Many defendants wind up “kicking themselves” the days and weeks after their arrest because they obviously “should have known better.”

In reality, you may have only made one really bad decision – i.e. to get behind the wheel while not quite sober. But prosecutors may ultimately hit you with multiple charges, each of which can carry heavy punishments, like jail sentences and costly fines.

To respond effectively, you need both a practical and deep theoretical understanding of relevant case law. Attorney Michael Kraut of Pasadena’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers has helped many people in similar situations to yours come up with powerful, solid, and inventive legal defenses. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Kraut understands how prosecutors like to approach cases like yours, and he can craft and pivot your defense accordingly.

If you have been arrested for a DUI in Pasadena or you are under investigation for driving under the influence in Southern California, please contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut for 24/7 assistance by phone at (323) 464-6453 or toll free at (888) 334-6344 or online.