Bay Area Criminal Defense Blog

For decades drivers have been warned about how dangerous it can be to get behind the wheel of a car after having too much to drink. Over the years, drunk driving rates have steadily dropped across the country, including here in the East Bay. However, as DUI rates continue to drop there has been a...

When no one is around to witness a crime in progress, police have little to go on to track down the potential suspects. However, as more cities, businesses, and private citizens use video cameras for various reasons, this camera footage is being used by law enforcement as evidence of criminal act...

When an impaired driver gets into an accident, they can cause serious injury to other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. In some cases, drunk drivers can end up crashing into a house, causing serious injury or death. Now, even helicopters are not immune to accidents involving intoxicated drive...

Teen drivers are more likely to get into an accident than more experienced drivers. Many people have the perception that teenage drivers may be texting on their phones and distracted by their friends while driving, increasing the chance of an accident. However, the public may underestimate the da...

Halloween is a holiday enjoyed by both children and adults. Children get to dress up as their favorite characters and trick-or-treat for candy. Adults also like to dress up and attend a friend's costume party or go out to a local bar celebrating the holiday. Halloween is also a busy night for law...

While many people are understandably cautious around police officers, firefighters are almost universally respected. The public views firefighters as those to come to our aid, respond to 9-1-1 calls, and put themselves in danger to keep the public safe. However, firefighters are also kept to a hi...

There have been a series of armed robberies across Contra Costa County over the past couple of weeks, and investigators think they may be related. The robberies have been reported in Antioch, Pittsburg, and Orinda. Now police officers from the affected areas are working together to track down the...

A few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came out with caffeinated alcoholic drinks like Four Loko and Sparks. Those drinks were quickly taken off the shelf and either reformulated or never to return. Now, a new study reports that even consuming nonalcoholic energy drinks may make ...

Police officers use preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) devices in the field to test a drivers blood alcohol level. At the police station, officers may have the driver submit to a chemical breath test that can be used as evidence in court. However, the police are not the only ones who have breat...

Football fans enjoy getting together to watch a game over beers and food. Whether tailgating at a football game or gathering together at a friends house, it is part of the game watching experience. Unfortunately for the players, quite a few have been known to enjoy a few drinks as well, right be...

Over the past few years, drivers in four counties required an ignition interlock device (IID) when convicted of drunk driving. This includes Alameda, Tulare, Sacramento, and Los Angeles counties. Drivers in the rest of the state could avoid the intrusive and expensive alcohol testing devices in t...

Police departments have been looking for a tool that allows them to test a driver for the influence of marijuana on the side of the road. California police officers now use the preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) test to check a driver's approximate blood alcohol level. Now some police department...

Police officers are supposed to have training and experience identifying impaired drivers. There are specific signs they look for, including slurred speech, watery eyes, and the smell of alcohol. However, everyday police officers wrongly arrest people for driving under the influence even when the...

Six years ago, California voters narrowly decided not to legalize marijuana under Proposition 19. At that time, 46% of voters said yes to the idea and proponents of legalization think that number will break the 50% mark this time around. Legalizing marijuana would reduce criminal drug violations,...

When local police announce a planned sobriety checkpoint, most residents expect to hear about a number of arrests the following day. Sobriety checkpoints often identify drivers who may be under the influence, as well as drivers without a valid license or insurance. However, in some cases, DUI che...

In the past, people would expect packages to arrive around the holidays, as family members sent gifts from across the country. These days, some people do a majority of their shopping online. This can mean multiple deliveries per week of everything ranging from computers, smartphones, and even dia...

People from all walks of life can be arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Law enforcement officers and their family members should be well aware of what police look for when pulling over a suspected drunk driver. However, police officers and their family members are still...

Anyone who has been arrested for drinking and driving in California will tell you what a nightmare it can be. It may include a night in jail, the loss of your driver's license, and having to tell your friends and family that you were arrested for drunk driving. However, a nationwide review of DUI...

Anyone familiar with California's harsh DUI laws may expect some pretty stiff penalties. This includes thousands of dollars in fines and fees, a suspended license, DUI school, and in some cases, an ignition interlock device. However, a woman recently arrested on suspicion of drunk driving has als...

For many Californians, the Labor Day holiday marks the end of the summer. It is also a peak period for drunk driving arrests. This year was no different, as more than 2,000 people were arrested on suspicion for driving under the influence in California over the Labor Day weekend. According to th...

A drunk driving arrest can result in a number of potential consequences. For most drivers, the immediate penalties of a conviction include losing their license, expensive fines and fees, and a criminal sentence. However, for some individuals, the penalties include losing their job. A number of be...

Traffic in the East Bay is bad enough. When police set up a sobriety checkpoint, it can make traffic even more frustrating. However, for driver's who might have had a couple of drinks before driving home, a DUI checkpoint is not only inconvenient, it might land them in jail. DUI checkpoints allow...

People come to rely on their smartphones more and more in their daily lives. Phones help people keeping in contact with friends, look up restaurant reviews, and take selfies. For some people, losing their phone can seem like a disaster. However, when someone drops their phone at the scene of a cr...

UC Berkeley is a prestigious university, known for a lot of number-one-rankings. For a couple of years, US News ranked Berkeley as the top public university in the country. Unfortunately, Berkeley has some less prestigious rankings as well. Cal has recently been named as the top UC school when it...

Shoplifting often involves people taking small items of moderate value without paying for them. Most people consider shoplifting to be a relatively minor crime. When individuals are caught for shoplifting small items, the store owner may even let them go with a warning. If the police are called, ...