Useful updates and observations by Attorney Lynn Gorelick from the trenches of the criminal courts in Alameda and Contra Costa County, California.
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...
When a driver is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, they quickly learn that their adversary in the courtroom is the county prosecutor. It is the job of the prosecutor in Contra Costa or Alameda to present the state's evidence against the driver charged with a DUI. Ho...
For most people who are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in the East Bay, the penalties are enough to keep them from ever drinking and driving again. The penalties have a serious deterrent effect, with all the fines, fees, DUI school, ignition interlock device requirement, and suspe...
A DUI can happen at any time, day or night, 365 days a year. However, there are certain times of the year when DUIs are more common. This usually involves holiday celebrations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Each year, law enforcement and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) compare...
Anyone who sees the lights and hears the siren of a police car behind them automatically feels nervous. If they have been drinking, they may worry that the police will arrest them for a DUI, even if they are not technically over the limit. A DUI traffic stop could result in jail time, fines, fees...
Many of us don't give a second thought to the pictures and message we post on social media. Before posting something online, it may be a good idea to consider whether your message could lead to trouble down the road. A 14-word post on a social media account led to the arrest and felony charges fo...
Parents may discipline their children to teach them a lesson about what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes, that discipline can go the other way as well. A 9-year-old Canadian boy recently used his cell phone to call the police to report that his mother was driving their vehicle while intoxica...
Americans are doing more and more of their Christmas shopping online. Shopping online used to be for ordering specialty items, or things that were tougher to get in a local store. Now, even daily necessities are coming from website-based marketplaces like Amazon. However, with the increased deliv...
We may hate it when other drivers do it, but we may also fall prey to the morbid curiosity that is rubbernecking. Gawking or looking to see what happened in a roadside traffic accident can make traffic worse as drivers slow down to get a good look at the crash. It can also lead to other accidents...
For anyone charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a DUI conviction can be a life-changing event. Not only will they have to deal with the high cost of a DUI, adding up all the fines, fees, higher insurance rates and paying for an IID or DUI school, they may also face jail t...
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Thanksgiving is traditionally a peak time for DUIs in California, as we wrote about last month. In past years, more than 500 people were killed in alcohol related accidents over the four-day period. With the latest numbers i...
California transportation workers face serious injury, or even death on a daily basis. Construction crews working to pave or repair our roadways, may have cars and trucks speeding by at 70 miles per hour or more, only inches away from where they are working. While the state tries to maintain a hi...
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