Police arrested thousands of people for DUI in Los Angeles and other cities throughout the country this month. Here are a few that made national headlines. • Authorities in Orlando, Florida, reported that they picked up a minivan with five underage teens—including a 17-year-old driver—obviously under the influence. This traffic…
Some drivers never seem to get the message about the dangers of DUI in Los Angeles, no matter how many times they face arrest, pay fines or waste days or weeks (or longer) in jail. A judge in Nashville, Tennessee, gave a local DUI defendant plenty of time to…
A Texas judge has finally sent Ethan Couch, the “affluenza” teen, to jail. Most drivers convicted of a deadly Los Angeles DUI would have been grateful to receive Couch’s original sentence—10 years’ probation for causing four deaths while DUI. But Couch didn’t appreciate the break he received. Judge Wayne Salvant…
Blood alcohol content serves as a determining factor when police decide whether or not to charge someone with DUI in Los Angeles. If a breathalyzer and/or blood test shows a reading of .08 or higher, the driver will likely face a charge of driving under the influence. But a May…
Should people of Irish ancestry complain about planned checkpoints for DUIs in Los Angeles on St. Patrick’s Day? In Oakland, California, at least, their protests could have an impact if the local department’s actions regarding Cinco de Mayo DUI checkpoints are any indication. A press release, “Fiesta Time of Jail…
Defendants who go to court charged with a Los Angeles DUI may anticipate a lecture from the judge who hears their cases. They likely would never anticipate, however, is that the judge would sentence them to jail… and then spend the time behind bars with them! Stories in North Carolina’s…
Police in California may soon have a new weapon in their efforts to get DUI drivers off the road. The state legislature is considering authorizing the use of a device that measures levels of marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines and pain medications (including opiates). The push to get the new device approved…
When police officers charge drivers with Los Angeles DUI, they must take great care when booking people to avoid violating their Fourth Amendment rights. Even simple, seemingly trivial mistakes in protocol can mean that an otherwise justified arrest won’t stand up in court. To that end, the Arizona Supreme Court…
Synthetic drugs are causing a real dilemma for states striving to enforce laws against driving under the influence. Depending on the type of drug a driver uses to get high, prosecutors can find it next to impossible to obtain a DUI conviction. Is that fair? How can states standardize how…
There’s often some sense of relief when a driver convicted of multiple deaths due to DUI in Los Angeles goes to jail; at least that person will be off the road for a few years. But in Anderson County, South Carolina, a recent DUI sentencing has left little more than…