Bay Area Criminal Defense Blog

Most states, including California, have enhanced drunk driving penalties for higher blood alcohol content (BAC) levels. For most drivers, a BAC of 0.08% is a per se DUI violation. In California, a BAC of 0.15% or higher can lead to increased penalties. However, a court in Wyoming has voided a loc...

We all know that driving under the influence in California is a crime, with extensive penalties for a DUI conviction. A driver found guilty of drunk driving will face a suspended license, thousands in fines, DUI school, and may even have an ignition interlock device in their car. Similarly, it is...

A DUI can affect anyone. From teachers to lawyers, actors to pop stars, and even police officers and politicians can be arrested for drunk driving. In some cases, people are arrested after trying to use their political clout to avoid a DUI arrest. Unfortunately, we may only hear about the times t...

Over the past year, police departments have noticed an uptick in automobile burglaries. From Brentwood, to Oakley, to Pittsburg, local police logs have shown burglaries involving automobiles on the rise across the East Bay. This appears to match the trend in San Francisco, which has the highest r...

Candice Ooley, 23-years-old of Clovis, California, was driving her White Chevy Cruze on a Friday night down Highway 41 in Madera County. Ooley was 6 months pregnant at the time, and also under the influence of alcohol. Ooley was traveling at a high rate of speed, according to the California Highw...

A conviction for driving under the influence can lead to a suspended license and thousands of dollars in fines and fees. However, even if no one was injured, driving under the influence with a child passenger can lead to child endangerment charges. A DUI conviction with a passenger in the car und...

Mail theft in the East Bay and throughout California has been on the rise in recent years. This could involve people taking packages to sell whatever products were inside. It also often involves identity theft, using the information found in the mail to purchase goods, apply for services, or cash...

Memorial Day welcomes a three-day weekend and signals the beginning of summer. Many people get the day off of work, and the post office and county courthouses will be closed in honor of those who died in military service. However, not all government employees will be taking the day off. Across th...

When police suspect a driver may have been drinking, they can ask them to take a preliminary alcohol screening test (PAS), sometimes called a breathalyzer. If arrested for drunk driving, drivers are required to submit to a chemical test or lose their license for a year. California is also working...

Many of us know someone who has had a bad run-in with the police. Even if they weren't doing anything wrong, the police may have gone too far, making them feel like criminals. You have the constitutional right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The police also have rules they are su...

Drunk driving arrests can affect anyone. Every day, lawyers, teachers, and even Hollywood actors get arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. In some cases, those actors have played roles that make it especially ironic when they are pulled over and taken to jail on suspicion of drunk d...

After someone has a few too many drinks, it can be difficult to convince them that they've had enough. It may take until the next day when a hangover takes hold they admit that they had too much to drink. Having too much to drink may not be a big deal if the individual has a safe place to sleep o...

As more and more people become continuously connected to the internet through social media and live streaming sites, they may find themselves exposed doing things they don't want the world to see. Unfortunately for them, it can be almost impossible to take something back once it has been released...

Scared straight programs are intended to show individuals the dramatic consequences of drunk driving. This could include staging a fake accident scene, having family members talk about losing a loved one, or even a visit to the local morgue, to see the most extreme examples of what can happen aft...

Package delivery service drivers are under a time crunch to get their packages delivered to waiting customers. Some drivers may be going over the speed limit, rolling through stop signs, or taking chances on the road to empty their delivery truck on time. However, in some cases, the drivers are b...

As more and more states pass legislation to allow the use of recreational marijuana, lawmakers are looking to make it easier for law enforcement to do roadside tests for the presence of marijuana in a driver's body. While many groups have been working on technology to make the test both portable ...

The penalties for a drunk driving conviction depend on where you were arrested. Each state has their own DUI laws and penalties. However, even in California the penalty you receive could depend on the county where you were pulled over. Under a California pilot program, some drivers required an ig...

Most people see the possibility of jail time as a real deterrent. Spending time behind bars forces you into cramped quarters with other people you may not get along with. It also separates you from friends and family. However, for some individuals, immediately after being released from prison, th...

Even though a DUI can occur any time of day or night, they often occur from early evening on into the early morning hours. There are increased DUI arrests during the weekend, and on certain holidays. While most DUIs here in the East Bay involve drivers behind the wheel of a car or truck, occasion...

Residential burglaries are on the rise in parts of the East Bay. In Dublin, police believe the increase in area burglaries is the work of out-of-town thieves and gang members. Dublin's reported home burglaries in the month of March increased 400% over last year. Police are now looking to other ar...

Drinking and driving can lead to a criminal record for anyone arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. However, under California law, it is a violation to be driving while impaired by any substance, including marijuana, prescription medication, and even toxic fumes. For drivers arrest...

Troy Smith had a 4-year career with the National Football League, playing his final NFL games with the San Francisco 49ers. On October 27, 2010, he became the first black quarterback to start for San Francisco, in a victory over the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, the football star most recently m...

Across the country, states are changing their position on marijuana as a drug. Nearly half of all states have decriminalized marijuana for medical use, with California becoming the first. More states are joining Colorado and Washington to decriminalize recreational pot use. California may decide ...

It is not uncommon to feel drowsy during work hours. After the effects of a morning cup of coffee have worn off, some people even find themselves dozing off at work. Whether it was due to late night partying, cold medication, or simple boredom at work, it can be embarrassing to be caught asleep o...

Every year, police make more than 150,000 DUI arrests in California. The vast majority of those are misdemeanor drunk driving arrests, and result in fines, fees, DUI school, probation, and sometimes an ignition interlock device. However, sometimes driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs c...