dui los angeles

March 2, 2015

Outrageous DUI Mugshots: Part 1

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.

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.

April 14, 2014

So You Lost Your California Driver’s License After a Los Angeles DUI – What Now?

by Michael Kraut

It hasn’t exactly been the best of times, since your Los Angeles DUI stop. But at the very least, you survived the stop and/or accident. Now you’re trying to figure out what you need to do to protect your rights and minimize the collateral damage to your life and freedom.

One of the biggest inconveniences you face is the loss of your California driver’s license. Whether you lose it for a few days, a few months, or a few years, inconveniences abound:

•   How are you going to drive to and from work or school?
•   How are you going to shop at places like IKEA, Vons, etcetera?
•   How will you drive to social events, like dates and parties?
•   How will you get to LAX?

If you lived in D.C. or New York, your situation would be substantially easier. You could take buses, taxis and trains to go basically anywhere you wanted to go. But in LA, going from “car” to “no car” is not a simple, nor intuitive transition.

Is there a solution? Are there workarounds you can use to get results?

Los Angeles does boast a few train stations and a thriving bus system, so you can “get around.” But you might find yourself stranded, isolated, and generally far more dependent on friends and family members. If you are a student, maybe this means that you’ll need to drop out for a semester until you get your license back. Or maybe you’ll need to move closer to school, so you can walk to classes. If you are a single parent, who is already stretched, you may need to take your kids out of day care or hire yet more help to drive your kids to and from their schools.

The duration of the suspension can also be hugely impactful. If you’re only going to be without a drivers license for a few weeks, that might be manageable. For instance, you could ask your boss to let you take your vacation early this year.

The moral is that the outcome of your upcoming California Department of Motor Vehicles hearing could prove pivotal — not just for your short term interests but also for your long term future. If you must move to another part of the city – or quit a job or break off a relationship – due to the Los Angeles DUI inspired license suspension – the ramifications could literally change your life… and not in ways that you’d be particularly excited about!

There is a very short window of time that you have to act to fight your Los Angeles DUI arrest and protect your California drivers’ license. Get in touch with experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, Michael Kraut, of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers right now to set up your free consultation about how to proceed, strategically.
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