Recent Posts in DUI Category

Another former professional football player has gotten himself into legal trouble. This time it is Ryan Leaf of the San Diego Chargers on suspicion of drug possession in Montana.  Although the police have yet to release details about the incident, it is known that Leaf was taken into custody in his home town of Great Falls last Friday. He was arrested on multiple charges including theft, burglary of a residence and possession of dangerous drugs. Leaf was released several hours later on $76,000 bond.

This is not the first time that Leaf has gotten into trouble with the law. Two years ago he entered a guilty plea for drug charges filed against him in Texas. At that time, he was given 10 years' probation and was fined $20,000.  Have you recently been arrested for drug crime? If so, now is the right time to get a criminal defense attorney involved in your case.

Different agencies across the state of California are conducting sobriety and driver's license checkpoints this weekend. Gardena, Carson, Inglewood and Los Angeles officers will be out patrolling and hunting down drunk drivers.

Funding for these checkpoints comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; the programs are implemented by the California Office of Traffic Safety. During a checkpoint held on April 1 on El Segundo Boulevard, 1,300 cars were screened, while 134 of them were subjected to a secondary screening. 

As a result, ten drivers were arrested for DUI, while one was arrested for driving with a suspended license. In addition, 48 cars were taken into storage, two cars were recovered as stolen and 40 drivers were cited for driving with suspended licenses or being unlicensed. 

If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, you need to call a criminal defense attorney now to discuss your legal options. 

Another athlete found himself behind bars last week for drunken driving. Jarrett Jack, a New Orleans' backup point guard, was arrested on Sunday for driving while intoxicated in Georgia.

According to an email sent out by Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead, the former Georgia Tech star was pulled over by an officer who clocked him as going 66 mph in a 45 mph zone. They also observed his Mercedes weaving across the road, prompting them to give him a series of field sobriety tests.

Jack failed these tests and was then taken to the Gwinnett County Jail where he was given a blood-alcohol test. While he did register under the legal limit of .08 the test was administered more than an hour after he was pulled over.

In addition to driving while intoxicated Jack was also charged with failure to maintain a lane.

He was released later that evening and was not returning phone calls at his number in Atlanta.

If you have recently been arrested on DUI charges, take the time to protect yourself by hiring a criminal defense lawyer.

A woman in Wyoming should have been more careful on Christmas Eve as she now has to spend time in jail until her next court hearing on January 10, 2011. Melissa A. Natywa, 29, caused a single-car accident when she was driving along Southmor Road.

She is now awaiting her court date at the Grundy County Jail on charges of improper lane usage, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and driving under the influence. At the time of her arrest Natywa was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .134; .08 is the legal limit in Illinois.

If you have been arrested for a DUI there is no time to waste in hiring a criminal defense lawyer. You can fight your case, argue for reduced charges or have it dropped completely when you have received help and representation from a lawyer that practices in criminal law.

In Ohio, police say that a man who was wanted for murder was finally apprehended in Tampa, Florida on a driving under the influence charge.

Allegedly, officers saw a person in weaving in and out of traffic and nearly crashing into other vehicles on Sunday morning.  The driver, Michael Anthony Mitchell, was pulled over by police and it is said that he smelled like alcohol.  He also failed a field sobriety test. 

As an officer tried to handcuff Michael Anthony Mitchell, he struck the police man in the chest and ran away.  However, he was eventually shocked with a stun gun by another police officer on the scene.

When police took Mitchell's fingerprints at the jail, they found out he was wanted for aggravated murder in Cincinnati.  He was charged with DUI and opposing officer with violence and then authorities in Ohio were notified.

Charged with murder?  Now is the right time to get a criminal defense lawyer involved!

The Associated Press recently reported that the Oregon State police got help from the Marines when a man who caused a hit-and-run accident and injury tried to flee on foot.

Troopers told news sources that 26-year-old Christopher Lee Cox of La Grande crashed his station wagon into the back of another station wagon while driving onto the on-ramp for Interstate 205.  Cox reportedly caused injuries to the driver of the other car.

Instead of stopping, Cox exited his vehicle and started to run off before two men, later identified as Marines in civilians cothing, chased him down and detained him until police arrived at the scene.

Cox was later charged with hit and run, assault, recklessly endangering anddriving under the influence (DUI).

Charged with a serious misdemeanor or felony?  Get help from a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible who can help you fight your charges and avoid penalties, like fines and jail time. 

In Los Angeles, it has been reported that Grammy award-winning singer, Faith Evans, was officially charged with two counts of misdemeanor driving under the influence last Friday.  The singer was charged by the Los Angeles City Attorney's office.  She is due to be arraigned on September 16^th.

Evans, who is well-known for being the widow of New York rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, was stopped on August 21^st by officers at a sobriety checkpoint north of Marina del Rey.  Police say that when she was stopped, Evans appeared to be intoxicated.

Sgt. Ron Pickering of the LAPD Pacific Division told the Daily News, "It was during a regular checkpoint, nothing other than that.  No collision."

If she is convicted, the 37-year-old singer faces six months of jail time.

Have you been charged with driving under the influence?  Do not take your charges lately!  Instead, get help from a criminal defense lawyer immediately.

In Pajaro, the Monterey County Sheriff's Department reported that two men who were suspected of driving under the influence and driving without licenses were arrested during separate instances.

32 year old Pantalone Rocete was driving more than 60 MPH in a Plymouth Voyager minivan near San Juan Road, where the speed limit is 30 MPH.   Deputies stopped him for speeding and found that Rocete was not far from his come.  He was placed under arrest for DWI and not having a driver's license.

Following Rocete's arrest, police stopped 24 year old Fabian Solano at Railroad Ave and Allison Road.  Solana was DUI and also did not have a driver's license.  He was placed under arrest by police at 2 AM.

If you have been charged with DUI, it is important that you hire a criminal defense lawyer that can help you fight your charges and move forward with your life.

On Sunday, police in Austin say that a routine DWI stop resulted in forgery charges against 22 year old Francisco Gonzalez Garcia.  The defendant stands accused of two counts of aggravated forgery and one count of using false writing for identification.  All three of the charges that were filed are considered felonies in Texas.

In the criminal complaint, it is stated that police arrested Garcia after he failed field sobriety tests.  That is when police discovered that he has an Austin Packaging Co. identification card with a false name in it.  He told police that he worked under a false name and also used a forged birth certificate and Social Security card to obtain a state ID.

On Wednesday morning, Garcia appeared in Mower District Court and his bail was set at $50,000 without conditions or $10,000 with conditions.

Charged with felony white collar crimes?  If so, you need to hire a criminal defense attorney who can protect your best interests.

In Reseda, a 51 year old woman has been killed and her 5 year old grandson is reported as being in critical condition.  Both were harmed when a 23 year old Marine crashed his SUV into the 51 year old grandmother's car while driving under the influence.

Chandrika De Silva, her grandson and her husband were inside of a black Toyota Prius that had pulled up to a residence just west of Wilbur Avenue.  Police say that De Silva's husband went to unlock the driveway gate of their residence while De Silva went to check on her grandson.

At that time, a Jeep Cherokee struck the Prius, which was partially on the street.  The Jeep also hit De Silva and caused her grandson to be ejected from the vehicle.

De Silva was pronounced dead at the scene of the DUI accident and firefighters had to airlift the young boy to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.  Officers say that he suffered from body lacerations and blunt force trauma. 

The driver was placed under arrest and taken to Van Nuys jail.  He reportedly suffered minor injuries during the crash.

If you caused a DUI accident and are facing criminal charges, now is the time to hire a criminal defense lawyer.

In Vista, California, it is reported that a bus driver in the county of San Diego has been charged with endangering passengers by driving under the influence.

David Joseph Costello, a contract driver, was arrested on June 1^st after a bus passenger called 911 to report that Costello appeared intoxicated.  Police responded to the report and asked the 41 year old driver to perform field sobriety tests, which he failed according to Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Yancey.

On Tuesday, a prosecutor charged Costello with two counts of misdemeanor drunken driving, a misdemeanor charge of commercial driver DUI and two misdemeanor counts of public intoxication.  His charges stemmed from unrelated incidents that took place on April 2^nd and April 4^th.

For three months, Costello was employed by First Transit, a private company that took over operations for the North County Transit District.

If you have been charged with drunk in public or DUI, now is the right time to discuss possible defenses with a criminal defense attorney.

The Orange County sheriff's office reports that a man who refused to identify himself was arrested last Tuesday. Before the arresting officers could take the man to jail to be booked, the man told the officers that he had swallowed narcotics. The officers then took the man to an Orlando hospital where a doctor asked that the man's cuffs be removed in order to perform an examination. Unfortunately, once the man's cuffs were removed, he allegedly attacked the officer and escaped from the hospital.

The man was found three hours later wearing only boxer shorts and shoes in a nearby industrial area. He faces multiple charges including driving under the influence and multiple counts of battery on a law enforcement officer.

If you have been charged with a serious criminal offense, it's important to find a lawyer who will help you understand your rights and all of your legal options. A criminal defense attorney is your most viable resource when dealing with criminal charges.

According to police in Contra Costa, California, a man was arrested after he caused two DUI accidents in the period of ten minutes.  Police say that Jason Ljepava's first crash occurred on Monday night at approximately 9:10 PM.  During the accident, Ljepava hit a parked vehicle and a nearby fence.

The second DUI accident occurred at 9:20 PM, merely ten minutes later, while Ljepava ran over the fence.  He then crashed into several small trees before hitting the corner of a house, moving it one foot.

Sgt. Stephen Price told reporters that Ljepava was, "involved in both collisions."  The owner of the house that Ljepava crashed into said that he was startled when he heard the vehicle coming toward his house.  Bernie Schindler said, "It sounded like an airplane hit our roof."

Following the two accidents, Ljepava was arrested for driving under the influence and will most likely face criminal charges.

If you have been charged with DUI, you need to protect yourself and hire a criminal defense lawyer.

In Riverside, California, police report that their DUI checkpoint was successful.  Officers say that during late evening hours on Friday, one person was placed under arrest for driving under the influence (DUI).

Police also report that their holiday checkpoint led to 93 citations being written and 74 vehicles being impounded.  58 drivers were discovered with revoked or suspended licenses. Officers were stationed on Van Buren Boulevard and Morris Street throughout the three day weekend.

 They say that 2,830 vehicles drove through the DUI checkpoint, which was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.  Police managed to screen 1,110 drivers. 

If you were charged with DUI in California during Memorial Day weekend, now is the time to discuss your case with a criminal defense lawyer!  Do not wait to secure the legal representation you will need to fight your criminal charges and remain in possession of your driver's license.

A ground-breaking trial is set to begin in which a woman who hosted a house party at which alcohol and drugs were available to teenagers is being charged with manslaughter in connection to two teens who died in a car crash after leaving the party.

The defense attorneys argue that their client, Diane Santarelli should not be held responsible for the actions of teenagers.

Jessy Pitts, 18, and Taylor Brennar, 17, died in a fiery car wreck on State Road 13 after leaving the January 2009 party. Santarelli is the first person in Florida to be charged with manslaughter after hosting a party at which drugs and alcohol were made available to teens. The prosecution says that they feel they have a strong case despite the fact that the case is breaking new legal ground.

If you have been charged with a serious crime such as manslaughter, a criminal defense lawyer can explain your legal options and make sure you are represented fairly.

Honolulu, Hawaii - a woman from Maui is now facing driving under the influence (DUI) charges.  Ironically, the woman was charged with DUI twice in one day.

This past Sunday morning, police arrested 62 year old Sandra Schwartz.  They say that they pulled Schwartz over for speeding on Honapiilani Highway.  Once they stopped her, they realized that she was under the influence of alcohol. 

Schwartz was charged with DUI and also issued a traffic citation for speeding.  Four hours after her arrest, she posted $1,000 bail and was released from police custody.

A few hours after leaving the police station, she was involved in a car accident and was charged with DUI for the second time.  Again, she posted $1,000 bail and was released.

If you were charged with DUI or multiple DUI, now is the time to review your legal options with a criminal defense lawyer.  Without help from an attorney, you will be facing tough legal consequences, like jail time and driver's license suspension.  Instead of allowing your charges to impinge on your freedom, it is in your best interests to work with a criminal lawyer.