Sobriety checkpoints are temporary roadblocks that are used by Riverside law enforcement to catch drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
There are times when the officers stop every vehicle going through the roadblock or stop just certain vehicles to determine if the driver is impaired. The checkpoints are usually set up late at night or in the early morning hours when most drunk drivers are on the road.
If an officer asks to search your car, you can refuse because technically they do not have legal grounds to do so. You may be asked to leave your car and perform a field sobriety test or take a breath alcohol test. This, too, can be refused, but the consequences are almost as severe as a DUI charge.
If you are arrested for drunk driving, contact an experienced Riverside Criminal Law attorney who will review the evidence against you and fight for your legal options.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, arrest, attorney, Criminal Law, law enforcement, motorists, roadblocks, Sobriety checkpoints
Rodney King is facing misdemeanor drunken driving charges in Riverside.
A few months ago King was pulled over by Moreno Valley Sheriff’s deputies for allegedly committing several traffic violations. After taking a field sobriety test, King was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He admitted to using marijuana under a doctor’s care.
King is not in jail and waits for his arraignment in November. This is not his first time with a DUI arrest; he has been arrested several times for illegal drug use. He also has a conviction for reckless and impaired driving on his record.
Criminal DUI charges are extremely serious and come with severe consequences. If you have been arrested for DUI, contact an experienced Riverside Criminal Law attorney who has been successful in alcohol-related cases and will fight for your rights.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, arrest, attorney, Criminal Law, DUI, jail time, misdemeanor, Riverside, Rodney King, traffic violations
An 87-year old pedestrian was killed in Temecula, by what police say, is a repeat DUI offender.
According to the police, the woman was walking her dog on the sidewalk when a car, driven by a 55-year old man, veered onto the sidewalk and fatally struck them. The woman was taken to a local hospital where she died.
The driver was driving with a revoked license; he has four previous DUI convictions and was not supposed to be driving. His vehicle is equipped with an ignition interlock device that detects alcohol but not prescription drugs, which is what he was using. He was arrested for gross vehicular manslaughter.
Police are investigating to determine what kind of drugs were in his system at the time of the fatal accident. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a), “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.”
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the woman who died. I urge the family to contact an experienced Riverside County Criminal Law attorney who is successful in DUI cases to file a wrongful death lawsuit so they can be compensated for funeral and medical expenses and the loss of their beloved family member.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, attorney, Criminal Law, driver, DUI offender, elderly woman, fatal accident, negligence, Pedestrian accident, revoked license, Temecula, victim
A 25-year old West Covina man was ordered to stand trial on second-degree murder charges after killing two women, ages 75 and 43, on Interstate 10 near Coachella while he was driving drunk. Three other passengers in the victim’s car were taken to a nearby hospital for minor to moderate injuries.
He was arrested when he tried to run across freeway lanes and came across a dirt embankment which was too steep to cross. He is facing two felony counts of second-degree murder and one count each of assault with a deadly weapon (his vehicle) on a police officer, driving under the influence causing injury and evading arrest and a misdemeanor count of resisting a police officer.
Several minutes before the fatal crash occurred, he had been pulled over by CHP officers on suspicion of speeding. A CHP officer, at the preliminary hearing, stated that the driver had admitted that he drank alcohol and smoked marijuana all day.
The 25-year old man is in custody in lieu of $2 million bail. If you are arrested for driving under the influence, especially if you injured or killed someone, contact an experienced Riverside County Criminal Law attorney who will provide you with extensive experience that results in a well-thought out plan of action.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, assault, attorney, Criminal Law, driver, DUI, fatal accident, Interstate 10, negligent, second-degree murder, trial, vehicle accident, victims
A 27-year old Perris man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs crashed into the back of a vehicle driven by a 63-year old man on Interstate 215 in Riverside in the early morning hours. If that was not enough, he proceeded to drive the wrong way on the same freeway until he crashed head-on into another vehicle driven by a 23-year old woman. He was driving between 90 and 100mph.
California Highway Patrol officers said he was trapped in the wreckage and suffered major injuries. An emergency team transported him to a nearby hospital. The other two drivers suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital.
CHP said they will seek drunken driving charges against him.
If you are involved in an accident caused by a drunken driver, contact an experienced Riverside County Personal Injury attorney who will investigate for you and determine if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries and medical expenses.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, attorney, California Highway Patrol, Driver negligence, DUI, head-on crash, Interstate 215, Personal Injury, Riverside, Speeding
Here is another reason for motorists not to drink and drive. The Riverside County Sheriff’s department has decided to continue towing and impounding vehicles belonging to first-time unlicensed drivers that are stopped at DUI checkpoints.
For a time, there was a contract city policy authorizing Coachella police to allow first-time unlicensed drivers at DUI checkpoints to have someone pick up the vehicle before it was towed. This policy has been reversed.
California law since 1995 has allowed police to tow and impound vehicles for 30 days when driven by unlicensed, revoked or suspended drivers. For every day the vehicle is impounded, it accumulates fines and storage fees.
The policy change came after reports of law enforcement agencies all over the State of California implementing similar changes.
If you are stopped at a DUI checkpoint and your vehicle is impounded, contact an experienced Riverside County Criminal Law attorney who will investigate to see if the charges against you can be dropped – especially for a first time offense. This is a serious crime; you need someone who will fight for your rights.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, attorney, Criminal Law, Drivers, DUI checkpoint, impound, Riverside County Sherrif's Dept., tow, vehicles
An 8-year old boy told police recently that his mom had been drinking beer and cursing while waiting outside a high school for his 17-year old brother.
Moments later, while driving at a high speed, the woman lost control, hitting a concrete light pole, and killing his 9-year old sister and injuring his brother. The little girl and 17-year old were not wearing seat belts – they were thrown from the vehicle. The older boy suffered a broken back. Another child, a 16-year old brother, came upon the scene while walking home.
The 41-year old mother is being charged with second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of marijuana and alcohol, and driving with a blood-alcohol level more than .08% - it was almost three times the legal limit. She has pleaded not guilty.
Court records show in the 1990s, the woman had three misdemeanor DUI convictions and one felony DUI conviction. Her license had been suspended from 1994 to 2009.
Police found an empty beer can in the vehicle and 11 more empty cans at home. The accident is under investigation. She is being held at a Detention Center in Riverside with bail set at $1 million. The father of three of the children said she was depressed because she recently lost her job and she would not do anything intentionally to harm her children.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, arrested, attorney, children, Criminal Law, DUI, fatal accident, gross vehicular manslaughter, mother, second-degree murder, vehicle accident
As a reminder, the Rancho Mirage Police Department wants their city to remain safe. Another sobriety/safety checkpoint operation was held over the weekend where police arrested two drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
More than 500 vehicles passed through the checkpoint and a little over 300 cars were stopped and screened. Police gave 12 field sobriety tests. Police also arrested 7 drivers for driving while unlicensed or suspended; 8 vehicles were impounded.
The Rancho Mirage Police Department will continue to set up checkpoints throughout the year. Remember, if you must drink, designate a driver to take you home. Do not drink and drive because the life you save, might be your own.
A DUI arrest is a serious one. If you are stopped for DUI, contact an experienced Riverside County Criminal Law attorney who will develop an aggressive strategy to fight for you.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, arrests, attorney, Criminal Law, DUI, motorists, Rancho Mirage police officers, sobriety/safety checkpoint
If you have been arrested in California for a DUI, you are facing a serious crime with severe penalties attached. You are given only 10 days from the date of your arrest to request a DUI/DMV Administrative Per Se hearing.
If you have been arrested for a DUI, you are in violation of California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) which states that “driving while a person’s physical or mental faculties are impaired by alcohol or drugs to the extent that they are unable to drive their car with the same caution characteristic of a sober person, of ordinary prudence, under the same or similar circumstances” is illegal.
In addition you will be charged in violation of Vehicle Code Section 23152(b). This is when your blood alcohol level is 0.08% or higher.
If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, contact an experienced California Criminal Law attorney who will protect your legal rights and help you keep your driver’s license.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, arrested, attorney, California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a), Criminal Law, DUI, motorists, traffic violations, Vehicle Code Section 23152(b)
As a reminder, the Labor Day weekend is upon us and California freeways are usually full with vehicles going out of town. I hope no one plans on drinking and driving. However, for those in the Coachella Valley, police will be holding a sobriety checkpoint on Friday and Saturday night at undisclosed locations.
Vehicles will be stopped between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. to check the driver’s sobriety and their license. The City of Coachella wants to reduce the number of injuries and death resulting from driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Drinking and driving is against the law. Not only can you hurt yourself, but you can hurt or kill someone else.
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\\ tags: alcohol & drugs, attorney, Coachella Valley, Criminal Law, Drivers, DUI checkpoint, Police, traffic violations
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