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In Manteca this weekend, police officers and police cadets set up a DUI checkpoint on Yosemite Avenue from 7p.m. until midnight. Around 500 vehicles passed through the checkpoint and about 15 vehicles were impounded due to drivers having suspended licenses or driving while intoxicated. One man tried to avoid passing through the checkpoint which alerted officers that something was suspicious. After police followed the man, he sped off and led police on a chase. The chase eventually ended when the man crashed into a neighborhood. Officers later found out that the fleeing man, Jose Alberto Calouro, was wanted on three no-bail felony arrest warrants for his alleged involvement in fraud and forgery offenses. Calouro was arrested and taken to jail.

Recently, California has been the recipient of many grants aimed at improving DUI prevention and education programs. With this money, many counties have been setting up more DUI checkpoints as well as sending out more patrol cars to monitor heavily populated areas. Since there are more officers looking out for drunk drivers, if you are driving under the influence, you will likely be caught. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Brea or Yorba Linda, if you have been charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Elijah Leigh Ferguson had just returned from Iraq in February of 2008 and had attended a Liberty Briefing at Camp Pendleton where they discussed the effects of drinking and driving. Some of the Marines then played drinking games and Ferguson became intoxicated. Other Marines tried to take his keys away from him but he ordered them to give the keys back and then drove to Newport Beach. As he was waiting at a stop light, he accelerated before the light turned green, crashing into the Aston Martin vehicle in front of him. In the car were Dr. Michael Aung Sein and his wife. Dr. Sein was killed instantly and his wife was in critical condition. Police tested Ferguson’s blood alcohol content (BAC) about three hours after the crash and his BAC level was still at a .12%, well over the legal limit.

The District Attorney charged Ferguson with second degree murder. The defense attorney claims that this charge should be reduced to vehicular manslaughter because Ferguson had post-traumatic stress disorder from Iraq and therefore could not understand the risks of drinking and driving. The prosecutor claims that Ferguson did know about the dangers of drinking and driving and decided to drive anyway. If he is convicted of this crime, he faces around 18 years to life in prison.

After being charged with DUI manslaughter, Ferguson was immediately discharged from the Marines. Besides that punishment, he will have to go to prison, take alcohol education classes, pay court and attorney fees and have his license revoked. Ferguson should have listened to his fellow Marines that told him not to drive. If you have had too much to drink, make sure you call someone to drive you home. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Lake Forest or Anaheim, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Tommy Vincente Valenzuela was driving drunk in February 14, 2008. He failed to stop at a stop sign in Bakersfield and lost control of his vehicle. His vehicle crashed into another one, killing a passenger named Lila Aranda. He tried to run from the scene but was stopped, arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while driving drunk with prior drunken driving convictions. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison for this incident.

In 2004, Valenzuela was charged with another hit-and-run accident that killed Jorge Pruneda Benavides. Investigators could not find proof that he was intoxicated at the time of that accident. Besides that accident, he had three DUI convictions from 1999, 2001 and 2003. It is likely that Valenzuela has an alcohol problem and will need alcohol education classes along with his prison sentence. Hopefully, after serving time and taking classes, Valenzuela will never drive drunk again.

Whether you live in Newport Beach, Orange or Brea, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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The Orange County Sheriff’s Department just received a three year, $874,852 grant for DUI prevention and enforcement. The grant will pay for DUI checkpoints, extra patrols, warrant searches and court stings (where officers follow people from court who have suspended licenses to see if they drive). The money will also be used to increase enforcement around big events like the O.C. Fair or sporting events. Additionally, money will be spent on extra officers around holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco De Mayo, to ensure that the roads are free of intoxicated drivers.

More DUI enforcement means more driving under the influence charges for the people of the county at first. After that, people will be aware that there are more cops around and that they are specifically targeting drunk drivers and people will be too scared to drive drunk. If you are celebrating an event and want to drink,arrange for a driver so that you do not have to worry about getting arrested. A DUI arrest will stay on your record and cost you quite a bit in fees. Whether you live in Westminster, Aliso Viejo or Stanton, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Joseph Anthony Phillips and Timothy O’Brian of Winchester, California were off-roading in Menifee on Wednesday of this week. These men had been drinking beers throughout the day and while off-roading and were not wearing seat belts. As they were driving on a dirt road, they picked up speed and the car lifted up over Leon Road and landed on an embankment on the other side of the road. Both men hit the dashboard and the windshield and were killed instantly.

The combination of alcohol, speeding and no seat belts often leads to death whether someone is driving on a paved road or not. It is very unfortunate that these men were killed while doing something that they likely thought was harmless and fun. Even while off-roading, a person may be charged with a DUI if they are driving while intoxicated. Whether you live in Laguna Hills, Santa Ana or Tustin, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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Youn Bum Lee pleaded guilty this week to the vehicular manslaughter charges that he faced for an accident that occurred in 2005. Lee and other employees of Hyundai went out to a company dinner in October of 2005. All of them drank plenty of alcoholic beverages at dinner and then Lee got into his car and left. He did not turn his headlights on as he drove and he veered into the carpool lane, crashing into the median in Santa Ana. Ryan Dallas Cook was riding his motorcycle and did not see the unlit car, crashing right into the vehicle. Cook died immediately and Lee drove away. He returned home and went to work the next day before deciding to flee the county and live in Korea. Investigators figured out that he committed the crime and extradited him to Orange County. He was charged and pleaded guilty to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act with gross negligence while intoxicated, with a sentencing enhancement of fleeing the scene. He is expected to be sentenced to around 9 years in prison.

Drunk driving lead to the death of Cook, the end of the career of Lee, and prison time for Lee. Lee should have asked one of his friends to drive him home or should have called a cab. Instead, he risked his life and the lives of others around him by driving. Fleeing the scene of a crime is a crime in itself and comes with additional punishments. If you have caused an accident, stay at the scene of the crime. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Villa Park or Ladera Ranch, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Senator Leland Yee of San Mateo wants to pass a law that would revoke the license of a person who is convicted of more than a few driving under the influence charges. He says he is shocked that there is no upper limit to the amount of DUI’s a person can get and still get back their driver’s license. Right now, first time offenders lose their license for four months and a third time offender loses their license for three years. The more DUI’s a person gets, the longer they have to wait to get their license again. Besides losing your license, you also have to pay court fees, higher car insurance rates, attend alcohol education classes and go to jail. Even with all these penalties, the Senator still believes that we are letting DUI offenders off too easily.

The article mentions a DMV report that claims that the more DUI’s a person has, the more likely that person will be arrested again. After getting more than a few DUI’s, it is likely that you may have an alcohol problem and it is best to take alcohol education classes or go to rehab before you get into an accident that injures or kills someone. Whether you live in Laguna Hills, Westminster or Newport Beach, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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Richard L. Rodriguez was arrested on Sunday morning in Santa Barbara on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. Allegedly, Rodriguez was heavily intoxicated and driving the wrong way on Highway 101. A vehicle was heading straight for him and the cars colliding, trapping all four passengers of the other vehicle. Two passengers of the car died immediately upon impact. The other two passengers were taken to the hospital with severe injuries. Rodriguez was also injured and after being released from the hospital, was arrested. Highway 101 in the Santa Barbara area was closed down for 5 hours due to the accident.

Rodriguez was only 20 years old and was drunk at the time of the accident. People under 21 should not be drinking because they are not mature enough to handle alcohol and its effects. Because of his decision to drink and drive, he will likely spend a large portion of his adulthood in prison regretting his decision to drive drunk. A defense attorney may argue that he should be granted some leniency due to his age. Other possible defenses include medical conditions or road conditions. Whether you live in Aliso Viejo, La Palma or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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Last Friday, Lake Elsinore City Councilman Thomas Buckley was pulled over by an officer who noticed that his front license plate was missing. After questioning Buckley about his license plate, the officer became suspicious that Buckley had been drinking. After issuing a Breathalyzer test, Buckley was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence. Prior to this incident, Buckley had been suspected of profiting from a land deal and was told he had to be up for a recall election in February. Most people think that this DUI will hurt his chances of being re-elected in the recall election. Buckley was apologetic and took full responsibility for the incident.

Often times, a DUI can ruin a person’s career. People who hold titles or high positions are often under strict scrutiny by the public because of the influence they have on the community. Hopefully, Buckley learned a valuable lesson and will not make this mistake again. If convicted, Buckley likely faces fees, alcohol classes and a restricted license. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Fullerton or Laguna Niguel, if you are charged with a DUI, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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In San Diego this weekend, a 17-year-old boy was riding in a car driven by a 20-year-old drunk driver on East Vista Way. As Reyes Miranda was driving, his car veered off the road, smashed through a bus stop and rolled over. Gerardo Chacon, the passenger of the vehicle, was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car due to the impact. He died immediately. Miranda was badly injured and had to be taken to the hospital. After being released, he was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving.

Unfortunately for Miranda, it is possible that he will have to spend a long period of time in prison. Both of these boys were under 21, therefore were not legally allowed to be drinking. In cases where someone is under 21, a blood alcohol level of even a .01% qualifies as being over the legal limit and can result in a DUI. If you are not 21 yet, do not drink or you will face charges and steep punishments. Additionally, do not drive while intoxicated. Besides prison time, Miranda faces required alcohol education classes and a revoked license.

Whether you live in Orange, San Clemente or Brea, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you in fighting your charges.

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