Bay Area Criminal Defense Blog

Spring break for thousands of East Bay students is almost here. It is not only a time to take a break from classes and studying. For many students spring break is a time to let loose, hitting popular party locations like Lake Tahoe, Lake Havasu, or San Diego. While celebrating with other young pe...

In most drunk driving cases, the police rely on a combination of chemical tests, observations of the driver, field sobriety tests, and in some cases, on self-incriminating statements. However, few things could provide the police and prosecutors such strong evidence as a driver recording their own...

For people who enjoy festive holidays with raucous parties, St. Patrick's Day is a great time to wear your green and enjoy drinks with friends. St. Patrick's is also notorious for early and all-day drinking that can lead to problems, especially when revellers do not plan ahead to make sure they h...

If a car dealership hands over the keys to a driver who later gets into an alcohol-related accident, can the dealership be held responsible? Warren Smale was a 43-year-old car salesman for CarMax dealership in Ontario, California. Alex Mark Demetro, a 28-year-old man came into the dealership to ...

Since the early 1990s, news outlets have been reporting on the spike in domestic violence that accompanies the Super Bowl each year. The increased profile of domestic violence among professional football players in recent years may have helped to fuel this story. However, it appears that the rumo...

When breaking and entering into a building to commit a theft, most burglars are looking for valuable goods that they can easily exchange for cash, including laptop computers, jewelry, and prescription medications. However, some burglars end up taking other items that they may use in other ways in...

While the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has reported a continued decline in Northern California bank robberies, a number of recent incidents shows that banks are still a tempting target for people looking to get rich quick. Over the last few months, dozens of bank robberies have taken pl...

With almost half of all states legalizing medical marijuana, and more states joining the list permitting recreational marijuana, it seems like the outdated stigma of the drug is wearing off. However, just because you have a medical marijuana card does not mean that the police can't arrest your fo...

There have been a number of headlines recently about the decline in drunk driving rates. However, it is troubling to see the rising number of drunk driving incidents and serious injuries on golf carts and other motorized vehicles. According to Golf Digest, an internet search of “golf+cart+alcohol...

Here in California, we have all scene breaking news helicopter footage following a suspected stolen car chase. Eventually, the fleeing vehicle may crash, and the driver will take off on foot, as the camera follows from above, until the suspect is taken into custody. However, running from the poli...

The Golden State Warriors sit atop the National Basketball Association (NBA) leaderboard, thanks not only to star players Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but due to contributions from all the players on the team. When a player gets in trouble with the law, they may find themselves facing a susp...

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is providing some optimistic news about young drivers and drunk driving. The CDC study is showing a marked decline in drunk driving instances for young adults, ages 16-25. The self-reporting study concluded that from 2002 to 2014, the numbe...

Many parents worry about the safety of their children when they are passengers in the car. However, parents may not be thinking about the dangers presented by an impaired school bus driver. There have been a number of impaired bus driver incidents over the past few months, that raises the concern...

The 16-year-old boy who was the center of the infamous “affluenza” drunk driving incident, has had a warrant issued for his arrest in Texas. The police are also looking for the mother, who is believed to be an accomplice to his recent disappearance. The arrest warrant was issued shortly after a ...

The 1980s spawned some of the most memorable movies and television shows in American history. Some of the actors involved in 80s-era entertainment also brought to light that celebrities do not always lead charmed lives. Actors can be subjected to the same run-ins with the law that anyone else is....

Proposition 47 was a controversial initiative when it was placed on the November 2014 ballot, and it continues to be a source of controversy more than nine months after it went into effect. Prop 47 reduces the classification for non-violent minor drug and theft crimes from felonies to misdemeanor...

If you are arrested by the police for a suspected DUI, you may be hoping that a chemical breath test at the police station will clear everything up. You may have had a couple of drinks, but are sure that you aren't over the limit. However, when a chemical test at the police station shows you are ...

When a person drinks alcohol, the level of alcohol in their blood generally coincides with their level of impairment. A driver with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.02% (within the legal limit), is less impaired than a driver with a BAC of 0.10% (above the limit). The more alcohol in the body, ...

A dog driving a car makes for hilarious video footage. Man's best friend are also an easy target for claiming why something went wrong, like the classic claim of “my dog ate my homework.” One man in Florida has managed to combine these two ideas after he was stopped by police for a DUI, claiming ...

Many people who get arrested, especially for a DUI, think that the police aren't giving them a fair deal. Police officers don't always listen to what you have to say, and in some cases they treat you as guilty before you've done anything wrong. The police can arrest you, but they can't convict yo...

The selfie phenomenon has been around for a few years now, and shows no signs of slowing. A “selfie,” or taking a picture of yourself from your own phone was named as the word of the year in 2013 by the Oxford English Dictionary, was the inspiration for a dance song, and has spawned the much desp...

If you are driving through Oakland or Freemont, and see a line of car stopping ahead, you may have run into a police sobriety checkpoint. For most drivers, it can be an inconvenience and a hassle. However, for someone who has just had one or two drinks, it may cause real anxiety because of the th...

We are all familiar with Miranda warnings from watching countless police and detective shows. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, etc.” This warning is intended to protect individuals from making self-incriminating statements ...

Many of us have heard that driving a red car will make you more likely to get pulled over by the police. The reasons given include the idea that red is a more eye-catching color than grey or white, which will make the police take a second look to see if you are speeding, have a broken tail light,...

You may have seen motorcyclists on the freeway showing off while doing wheelies, driving at high speeds or standing on their seats. This type of activity may be dangerous, but it can also be a violation of the California vehicle code. It is one thing to be caught by the police for reckless drivin...