Los Angeles DUI Attorney Blog

July 9, 2012

Detroit Lions’ Aaron Berry Tagged for DUI – Lessons for Pasadena DUI Defendants

Last week, 24-year-old Aaron Berry, a cornerback for the Detroit Lions, was arrested for DUI near the University of Pittsburgh after smashing into multiple parked cars. If you’re a defendant in a Pasadena DUI case – or you’re a friend or a family member of a soon-to-be-defendant – what lessons can we unpack from this NFLer’s situation?

First, a summary of what happened.

According to local news sources, Berry plowed his vehicle into multiple parked cars and then tried to flee the scene. Police caught up with him just a short distance away and arrested him. No one was injured. Berry hit with a DUI and charges for failure to stop and render assistance.

In the wake of the crash, Berry issued an apology through his agent, saying “This is not the example I want to set for young people, and it’s certainly not what my team and coaches expect from me. I promise to do everything in my power to make sure this never happens again.”

What are some of the implications of Berry’s arrest – implications that might be practical for you, if you’ve been busted for DUI in Pasadena or elsewhere in the Southland?

1. Your situation is probably not that unusual.

As this blog and other news sources have covered, NFL players are getting arrested in droves for driving under the influence recently – practically weekly. This problem is widely acknowledged by sports experts. But the point is that Berry’s situation is not without precedent – and your arrest is likewise almost certainly not without precedent.

2. Managing a charge of DUI in Pasadena is a process; there is no “magic pill.”

Berry’s situation is probably complicated – in addition to the apology he has made, he likely will have to jump through hoops to rehabilitate his professional and personal image. Likewise, even the most effective Pasadena DUI criminal defense attorney in the world cannot wave a magic wand and make everything right again in your world instantly. That said…
3. A great attorney can make an enormous difference.

The team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers in Pasadena (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) can help you identify best practices, construct a tight and battle-ready defense strategy for you, and connect you with other resources to help you get things together.

July 8, 2012

Interesting Long Beach DUI News: White House’s Nominee for Ambassadorship Hit for DUI!

by Michael Kraut

What will be the negative repercussions of your Long Beach DUI arrest?

The answer depends. If you get the charges cleared up and quickly rehabilitate your personal and professional life, the consequences could be minimal.

Or not.

Witness what just happened to 58-year-old Timothy Broas, a white collar defense attorney in the D.C. area. Broas got pulled over June 19 and hit with a charge of “attempting to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol” – likely violating something similar to Long Beach’s California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a). What made Broas’ arrest newsworthy was the fact that he was on the verge of becoming the United States’ Ambassador to Netherland. Broas had raised $500,000 for the Obama campaign (2012), putting him on the list of the top 120 fundraisers for the President. (He also raised nearly $500,000 for the Obama 2008 campaign.) The White House announced last week that Broas “withdrew his nomination for personal reasons.”

But, reading between the lines, it’s pretty clear what happened.

Broas’ list of accomplishments is long: he won accolades for his work; serve on an esteemed think tank (Woodrow Wilson International Standard for Scholars); garnered praise from former presidential nominee John Kerry, who called me a “quintessential family man (who)…is a living example of the kind of compassion and strength that we expect from our nation’s diplomats.”

Yet his DUI got in his way.

Will your Long Beach DUI have a similarly devastating impact on your career – or your personal life?

Notice a key lesson here: Broas hasn’t even gone to trial yet for what happened to him – his court date is set for August 6th in Rockville, Maryland. In other words, he hasn’t even been convicted yet of anything, and yet he still lost the chance to be an Ambassador.

Being convicted for driving under the influence in Long Beach can lead to more serious consequences: jail time, points on your license, a big boost in your insurance rates, mandatory alcohol school, annoying and stringent probation terms, big fines and fees and legal costs, and so forth.

A way to wrangle your legal mess?

The powerful and widely respected Long Beach DUI criminal defense team at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (444 West Ocean, Suite 800 Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 531-7454) can help you formulate a practical, strategy centered response. There is no need to panic, but time may be of the essence, depending on what you have been charged with and what you have done so far. Connect with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today for a free case evaluation.

July 4, 2012

Glendale DUI News Update: Could Porn Icon Jenna Jameson Face Year Behind Bars?

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence in Glendale or elsewhere, understand that you are not the only one to go through this experience. Porn icon Jenna Jameson was stopped and arrested in Orange County for DUI on May 25th – she was officially charged last week; if convicted, Jameson could face up to a YEAR behind bars.

According to reports, Jameson hit a light pole with her car. No one was injured in the crash. She subsequently failed a field sobriety test (FST) and got arrested on suspicion of DUI. Later, Jameson tested to have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.13%. The legal limit for Glendale DUI, as stipulated by California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b), is 0.08%. Police also identified two drugs in her system: suboxone and ambien. She faces one count of driving without a valid California license and two DUI charges.

What might Jameson’s arrest imply for your Glendale DUI defense?

1. First and foremost, the story highlights that how anyone – irrespective of class, status, income, etc – can find themselves instantly in hot water.

In the blink of an eye, you can find yourself facing penalties like jail time, license suspension, mandatory alcohol school, forced installation of an IID device in your car, harsh probation terms, points on your license, spiked insurance rates, and beyond. Whether you are Jenna Jameson or the President of the United States, California law does not discriminate.

2. The second point – and this is more subtle, but it’s also crucial – is that your past history can inform your defensive strategy.

Jameson is a celebrity who won acclaim in the pornography industry – as such, her persona and her past actions will almost certainly influence how her Glendale DUI defense attorney deals with her case.

Likewise, your past history, actions, and behaviors will shape the way that you should structure your defense. If you’ve committed multiple priors – or if you have a history of “causing trouble” – you’ll want to develop a different strategy than you will if you are facing your first defense.

3. There are a dizzyingly diverse numbers of elements that will influence your battle plan.

That’s why it’s almost always a good idea to work with a respectable Glendale DUI defense lawyer, like Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (121 W Lexington Dr, Glendale, CA 91203 Phone: (818) 507-9123).

Attorney Kraut is a great resource; connect with his team for a free and confidential consultation regarding your best next steps.

July 2, 2012

General Anxiety and Depression After Pasadena DUI: What’s Going On?

by Michael Kraut

After recently being arrested for driving under the influence in Pasadena – or perhaps getting tagged for DUI near USC or UCLA – you’re having difficulty sleeping and stressing about your future. You may even be having feelings of depression that are seemingly unrelated to your recent DUI arrest.

Why? What’s going on?

For instance, maybe you’ve been wistfully recalling a break up with an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Or maybe you’ve been just feeling homesick or whatever. Where does this generalized anxiety and depression come from? Is it related to your Pasadena DUI? What can you do to gain control of your legal situation and protect your driving privileges? And how can you feel back in control after the events of the past few days or weeks?

Feeling “out of control” is often a symptom of deeper needs not being met
In this article, you will be introduced to a very cool tool to “help you drill down” to get to the root source of your post Pasadena DUI dissatisfaction. You will also get to meet a premier Pasadena DUI criminal defense attorney – more on that later.

First, crystallize in words one problem related to your “post DUI” malaise. Just take out a piece of paper right now – or a word document – and write down what’s on your mind that’s causing you anxiety. For instance:

1. “If I lose my license, I have no idea how I’ll get to school.”
2. “I’m terrified about going to jail – even for a few days.”
3. “I don’t know how I’m going to tell my parents about my DUI.”

On your own, go through the following exercise with all the statements you come up with. We’re only going to do one “drill down” in this blog post for brevity’s sake.

So pick one statement – we’ll go with the third statement here – and start to drill down by asking yourself questions about it. Specifically, ask yourself WHY the issue concerns you. This is an iterative process. So once you get to a reason, you want to get to the root of that reason and so forth and so on.

#1: I’m terrified to tell my parents about my Pasadena DUI.

Why?

#2: Because my parents won’t understand; they’re going to yell at me and cut off my tuition.

Why are your parents not going to understand and cut off your tuition?

#3: Because my dad already thinks that I’m slacking off at school.

Why does your dad think that?

#4: Because he’s always told me that I’ve been squandering myself out here in Los Angeles, and that I should have taken a job as an engineer back home.

And why is that a problem for you?

#5: Because I want to be able to be left alone and do my own thing and not be constantly judged!

Do you see how this exercise drills down to deeper emotional truths?

In our fictional example, the DUI defendant reaches an epiphany about his relationship with his dad – and even gets to a deeper need about wanting to be independent.

Having this kind of self realization is critical. Once you surface that need and meet it somehow, perhaps you’ll be less likely to become a recidivist Pasadena DUI offender.

If you’re just looking for brass tacks – help to get out of your legal jam – consider connecting immediately with the professionals at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Attorney Kraut is a former city prosecutor for Los Angeles – a senior Deputy District Attorney, in fact – and he has helped many people in very similar situation to yours get clarity and get results.

June 27, 2012

Beverly Hills DUI Lessons: How (Not) to Party!

by Michael Kraut

Partying too hard is a great way to earn yourself a citation for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills. But what if you try to party “the safe way” – i.e. by renting a party to tool around Rodeo Drive or zip up to the Hollywood Hills for a night of safe debauchery and ridiculousness?

Apparently, even then, you can run into problems.

Witness last week’s disaster on Illinois’ Eisenhower Expressway: an SUV driver whammed a “party bus” and flipped it over, injuring 19 people. Fortunately, everyone involved in the accident survived. The most serious injury appears to be “just” a broken leg. But it’s easy to see how the situation could have turned a lot more ugly.

Here are details, accordingly to local news sources.

Per NBC Chicago: 20-year-old Andy Taylor apparently hit the “party bus” from behind, causing it to wipe out on the expressway and rollover near the Ashland Avenue exit. 15 people onboard the bus suffered injuries, and four people in Taylor’s SUV also got hurt. Interestingly, the driver of the party bus, Ammar Wachaa, was not playing by the rules. He had overloaded the bus, and he was driving without valid insurance on a suspended registration.

Sadly, the people on the bus were not just out for a good time – they were celebrating the birthday of a loved one/friend who recently had passed away.

Lessons for Beverly Hills DUI Defendants from the Illinois Party Bus Debacle
1. Even if you take maximum precautions, you can never be sure what’s “out there” on the roads.

The people who rented that party bus obviously thought that they would enjoy a safe and easy ride around town. They almost surely did not know that the bus driver had “overloaded” the vehicle; and they could never have anticipated that the SUV would have hit them. The reality is that, no matter how well we protect ourselves against disaster, the world is chaotic, and random “stuff” can happen to us. What we can do is to understand our risks in a sober and somewhat scientific fashion and do our best to “outthink” our risks.

2. Tiny mistakes or lapses of reason can redound to huge and potentially horrific effect.

In this case, fortunately, no one died. But people obviously could have died – or could have been severely, permanently injured. If you made a mistake behind the wheel – drank too many sips of wine before driving home, for instance – your life could change forever, and you could be forced to serve a long time in jail.

3. Your legal situation is almost certainly “very much in play.”

Jail time and a ruined life/reputation is not a fait accompli. You might be surprised by the versatility, diversity, and power of the defense options available to you, whether you were arrested for driving under the influence in Beverly Hills with a BAC of 0.20% or you hurt someone while DUI in Pasadena. You need to understand what to do next. The steps you take in the days and weeks to follow could be instrumental in helping you build a stiff defense – or in sealing your fate in a less than ideal way. Connect with the team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers in Beverly Hills (8484 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 660B Beverly Hills, CA 90211-3220 Phone: (310) 550-6935) to explore options for your best defense. Attorney Kraut is a highly regarded and very well known criminal defense attorney who specializes in Beverly Hills DUI defenses.

June 25, 2012

Pasadena DUI News: Extreme BAC Level Shocks Arizona Cops

by Michael Kraut

Were you recently stopped and arrested for driving under the influence in Pasadena? Did you have to submit to a breath or blood alcohol test? If so, odds are that your BAC was substantially lower than 0.328% – the reported BAC level of a 52-year-old Arizona man caught speeding on County Route 1 in Mohave County, AZ.

According to reports, police pulled Scott Jarc over at around 4 AM and noticed an extreme smell of alcohol coming from his vehicle. “Odor of alcohol” is one of the classic symptoms of Pasadena DUI, by the way.

Jarc admitted to having consumed alcohol earlier in the evening, and field sobriety tests confirmed the suspicions. Jarc’s BAC reading of 0.328% was four times the legal limit for DUI in Pasadena, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b), of 0.08% BAC. As a result of this extreme BAC, he got hit with four different charges, including standard DUI of 0.08%, DUI over 0.15%, and DUI over 0.20%. Authorities said that Jarc was lucky to have survived that amount of alcohol in his system – guidebooks suggest that 0.35% BAC is the equivalent of a surgical anesthetic, and that level can lead to coma or death. At 0.40% BAC, you can suffer respiratory arrest and other serious medical problems, including death.

Jarc’s extreme BAC is actually not the most extreme BAC ever recorded on a DUI driver or other person. In fact, in one of our blog posts about a year ago, we reviewed even more extreme BAC cases – people who allegedly had BAC levels of over 0.80% or even above 1%! Seems impossible, but apparently people have sustained that level of intoxication and survived.

Bouncing back after a Pasadena DUI charge is not easy to do, particularly if your charge is complex or confusing. The positive news, if that’s even an appropriate word to use, is that the professionals at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers in Pasadena (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) can help you manage your next steps effectively. Michael Kraut is an ex-prosecutor for Los Angeles – he actually served as a Senior Deputy District DA. Connect with Attorney Kraut today for an immediate, complete, and stress-reducing complimentary consultation about what to do next.

June 20, 2012

DUI in Los Angeles? No, But Commerce Secretary John Bryson Could Face a Felony Hit and Run Charges

by Michael Kraut

The Saturday before last, US Commerce Secretary John Bryson got involved in two minor traffic accidents which may net him felony hit and run charges — and land him in jail for over a year!

Bryson’s situation technically does not involve DUI in Los Angeles — although alcohol tests are pending, according to the police. The case is fascinating in many ways; if you’ve been hit with a charge of driving under the influence in Los Angeles or Burbank or elsewhere, you can learn a lot from studying its nuances.

The Commerce Secretary, who oversees a $75 billion budget and nearly 50,000 employees, slammed into the rear of a Buick, which had been waiting for a train. Bryson apparently left the scene of that first accident and drove nearly two miles into Rosemead, where he hit a Honda Accord and minorly injured a passenger. The driver of the Buick (the first car that got hit) tailed Bryson and called 911.

Medical Condition? Was a Seizure to Blame?

Police found Bryson alone and unconscious at the scene of the second accident. Initial reports suggested that he suffered a seizure or some other medical problem. This issue possibly provoked both accidents. Reports indicated that he “appeared disoriented” after he hit the Buick. In the wake of the roadside drama, Bryson has taken medical leave. After the dust settled, the Obama administration weighed in with statements of (terse) support.

What Bryson’s situation might mean if you are facing DUI in Los Angeles charges.

First of all, no one’s immune to laws like California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) and 23152 (b). In other words, celebrities, high profile politicians, business tycoons and “everyday folk” are all required by law to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and to avoid driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater.

The second lesson is that Los Angeles DUI cases are often far more complicated than news summaries suggest. Indeed, Bryson’s case already seems fraught with nuances. What was his serious medical condition? If he had known that he had such condition, should he been driving in the first place? Did the condition cause or contribute to the first crash or just the second… or neither or both? And on and on. Likewise, speculation about your particular Los Angeles DUI case may be intense.

Lastly, your choice of Los Angeles DUI defense attorney – and the speed with which you make that choice – can have a significant impact on your capacity to handle legal speed bumps, protect your license, and shield your other rights. Former L.A. Deputy District Attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is providing a free and confidential consultation for drivers who are struggling with DUI charges. Attorney Kraut is an ex-prosecutor who has excellent relationships with his former colleagues and other legal peers; he is often quoted as a DUI authority on KTLA news, Fox News, New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

June 15, 2012

The Fallout of Justin Blackmon’s DUI: Urgent Lessons, If You’ve Been Booked for Burbank DUI

by Michael Kraut

Getting arrested for DUI in Burbank (or anywhere else in California) can feel terrible.

But the legal and logistical “hangover” from the arrest can often feel worse. The sense of uncertainty — the diverse and severe threats hanging over your head — can make you wish that Marty McFly’s “flux capacitor” existed in real life, so you could go back in time and prevent your DUI from ever happening.

It’s possible that ex-Oklahoma State football player, Justin Blackmon, feels this way, too.

Last weekend, Blackmon — who had just been drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars — got busted for driving under the influence in Stillwater, Oklahoma, after police saw him driving nearly twice the speed limit and swerving into oncoming cars. The officer who pulled Blackmon over reported noticing an odor of alcohol. He said that Blackmon had watery, red eyes, and that he admitted to consuming alcohol prior to driving. If you were recently put through the paces of a Burbank DUI field sobriety test, you probably could relate to the helplessness he likely felt.

After getting arrested, Blackmon blew a staggering 0.24% BAC on a breathalyzer test – that’s thrice the limit for Southern California DUI, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b). What’s worse, Blackmon reportedly argued with the police. Aside from his legal trouble, he now faces potential career trouble. Sports reports suggested that the Jaguars may now present with him with a lowball offer during his contract negotiations. An official with the Jaguars told a sports network that “[Blackmon is] going to have to fess up, take ownership of the situation, and lay out a course for dealing with this thing “head on” or potentially risk serious trouble with the Jags.”

In the wake of his misdemeanor DUI arrest, he was also asked to meet with the GM and head coach of the team.

The potential punishments for your Burbank DUI conviction – even if you did not aggravate the DUI by harassing an officer, hitting someone, hurting someone, or doing something else flagrant and, in retrospect, dumb – can be terrifying and scary. It’s not just that you can face jail time, even if this is your first DUI, and you did nothing else wrong.

It’s that the long-term consequences for your license, your freedom, your insurance rates, your reputation, and your career prospects can dog you for years.

While a Burbank criminal defense DUI attorney at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (2600 West Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, Burbank, California 91505 Phone: (818) 563-9810) obviously cannot promise solutions, Attorney Kraut has a reputation for being able to deliver fantastic, aggressive, and empathetic service. As a former Deputy District Attorney (city prosecutor) and regular contributor to well-known media, like the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, KTLA News – Attorney Kraut has the knowledge and understanding to help you put up the stiffest possible defense.

June 13, 2012

Got Multiple Pasadena DUI Charges? Lessons from NFL Debacles!

by Michael Kraut

If you or someone you love was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Pasadena recently – and it was not your first arrest on such charges! – you are not alone. The National Football League had a “multiple DUI” week last week: the Detroit Lions’ Nick Fairley, the Jaguars’ Justin Blackmon, and the Vikings’ Jerome Felton all got tagged for driving under the influence within 48 hours of one another.

• Felton was stopped on June 1 and arrested under suspicion of DWI in Minnesota, after he refused to submit to a BAC test.
• Blackmon was hit on the morning of June 3rd – his second DUI in two years (we covered his arrest in detail in a separate blog post).
• Fairley, a defensive tackle for the Lions, was also hit for DUI on June 3rd – in Alabama.

According to reports, Fairley was arrested for DUI one month ago, too. His second arrest was fairly dramatic (no pun intended). Apparently, he had been piloting his Cadillac Escalade SUV at over 100 miles per hour while DUI and under the influence of marijuana. When a state trooper tried to pull him over, he refused to capitulate… and thus ultimately earned himself a charge of eluding the police. Finally, he also lacked insurance for his SUV, so he got stuck with “no proof of insurance charges” as a kind of proverbial cherry on top!

You can look at these three arrests and conclude that “something must be wrong” with the NFL. There very well might be. But understand that just looking at single weekend’s worth of arrests (or non arrests) can easily mislead. This is a myopic perspective – a narrow-minded one. We would need to look at the DUIs in context to understand their deeper meaning for the NFL.

Similarly, it would be narrow-minded to say anything definitive about your life or your personality or your potential for recovery just by looking at how you behaved during and immediately after your Pasadena DUI arrest.

That being said, if you don’t handle your DUI effectively and resourcefully, you could face profound punishments. These could go well beyond jail time and license suspension. (Those two punishments are the most prominent in many defendants’ minds.)

Think about what might happen to your insurance rates over the next several years as a result of a DUI conviction, for instance. And have you contemplated what will happen to your professional reputation and credentials if your Pasadena DUI charge sticks?

To resolve the stress, uncertainty, and fear, you need good allies and powerful resources. An experienced, savvy attorney with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9th floor, Pasadena, California 91101 Phone: (626) 345-1899) can help you understand exactly what to do next to maximize your chances of a positive result – perhaps even a dismissal of the charges entirely.

June 11, 2012

Another Beauty Queen Charged with DUI in Hollywood: Former Ms. Arizona Teen USA Faces Half Year Behind Bars

by Michael Kraut

18-year old Tori Vance, who was arrested for driving under the influence in Hollywood last month, was officially charged with two crimes last week.

The Miss California hopeful, who moved to LA to pursue a modeling career after winning her state’s beauty contest two years ago, apparently made an illegal U-turn, which caught the attention of the Hollywood PD. She failed her Hollywood field sobriety test (allegedly) and tested at just above 0.08% BAC. As regular readers of this blog know, that’s the cutoff point for DUI, according to California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b). A conviction can result in significant time behind bars (Vance faces up to six months in jail) as well as fees and fines, compulsory interlock ignition device installation, mandatory alcohol school, tough probation terms, and a slew of other inconvenient charges that could really put a damper on her modeling career.

Not ideal, in other words.

You may not have driven DUI with a baby on top of your car, but judging from the responses you’ve been getting from friends and family, you might feel like you did something along those lines.

Being a DUI defendant in Hollywood, Long Beach, Burbank or wherever is by no means is an easy proposition. Forget about the challenges that you potentially face: Suspended license, jail time, mandatory IID installation, compulsory probation, and on and on. You also need to deal with the potentially damaged relationships in your life!

Some people might be supportive of your DUI defense; others won’t be — perhaps sadly and surprisingly so.

The environment that you are in can be chaotic, uncomfortable, and confusing. Not only do you need creditable legal advice, but you also need more general support as you try to figure out what to do about your charges and how to deal with the many and diverse problems that have been either caused or worsened by the arrest or the accident.

An experienced Los Angeles criminal DUI attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers (Local: (323) 464-6453 Toll Free: (888) 334-6344) can help you get to the heart of your issues. As a former prosecutor who understands what motivates prosecutors and how to negotiate with them, Mr. Kraut can provide a stellar defense. But he can also go further and give you resources, tools, and a general sense of equilibrium, so that you can regain your balance and get back to life and work.