Articles Posted in Celebrity DUI

Published on:

Would it be good news or bad news if the Los Angeles Times reported a large drop in arrests for Los Angeles DUI? The answer might depend on whom you ask.DUI-decrease-why

Washington State’s Kitsap Sun Business Journal recently ran a story about the decrease in Kitsap County’s DUI arrests–1,000 fewer in 2015 than in 2006. The article suggests that one reason for the drop might be more education about the dangers of DUI driving. Accident statistics seem to bear this out; in 2006, Washington State saw 8,202 DUI-related crashes; that number decreased to 5,586 in 2015.

But lack of police manpower, the complexity of the DUI laws, which require extensive police training, and the time-consuming need to obtain blood samples to detect the presence of marijuana also appear to be contributing to the drop in DUI arrest rates. At least one police official said he simply doesn’t have the manpower to keep troopers patrolling the roads like they did previously.
Continue reading

Published on:

Judges will often waive jail time and place drivers on probation when they’re charged with a first-offense DUI in Los Angeles. But some people don’t appreciate that kind of leniency; they take advantage of it. What’s worse, the ingrates often don’t receive any punishment.ethan-couch-dui-los-angeles

Ethan Couch of Tarrant County, Texas, made international headlines after his attorneys claimed that he was suffering from “affluenza” when he killed four people in a horrific DUI accident in 2013. (According to the lawyer, Couch wasn’t to blame because his family’s money had shielded him from the consequences of other bad behavior.)

Continue reading

Published on:

Residents of Southern California may have to worry about drought, but there’s one problem we’re not going to face. Even in these times of climate change, police won’t be charging any drivers for a DUI in Los Angeles while a blizzard is going on.blizzard-los-angeles-DUI

That’s not the case in the northeast and mid-Atlantic, however. The snow that those regions received during at the end of January apparently didn’t deter drivers from getting behind the wheel while they were under the influence. Considering the amount of snow that came down in a short time, they were lucky (or maybe unlucky) to be able to get out onto the streets.

In Delaware, police had parked an official vehicle in the roadway at the scene of a domestic dispute. (With more than a foot of snow on the ground already, they didn’t have a choice of parking areas.) That’s when Daryl Holcomb, age 33, allegedly plowed his sports utility vehicle right into their patrol car. Fortunately, the officers suffered no injuries. Holcomb, on the other hand, is looking at charges for driving under the influence, failure to have insurance identification and operating a motor vehicle during a declared emergency.

Continue reading

Published on:

While motorists arrested for DUI in Los Angeles frequently cause serious injuries to other drivers or pedestrians, they rarely do so with an intention to inflict harm. But a man driving under the influence in Las Vegas not only hit a close family member with his car—on purpose—but he also injured a man standing in his own home.mendoza-los-angeles-DUI-murder

No one knows what Jesus Mendoza Cabezas and his wife Gabriela Marin de Mendoza were arguing about on the evening of Monday, October 5th. But after the argument, Cabezas ended up behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Avalanche and de Mendoza headed across a crosswalk on the road. While driving away, Cabezas allegedly suddenly made a U-turn, gunned the engine, mowed down his spouse and then plowed into a fence of a nearby home. Her body flew into the yard of the home owned by Zach Hollis.

But that didn’t stop Cabezas, and his vehicle kept going, crashing into Hollis’ home. The Avalanche missed the homeowner by only a foot. Hollis did suffer back injuries and required hospitalization.

Cabezas, meanwhile, allegedly ran from the scene, but witnesses to the accident didn’t let him slip away. They brought him back to the scene and held him until police arrived. Emergency workers pronounced de Mendoza dead at the scene, but observers said Cabezas showed no sign of emotion at that pronouncement.

The couple’s six children, left without a mother, will likely have to do without their father for many years as well. Police charged Cabezas with DUI, driving without a license and failing to maintain his traffic lane; he will also have to answer an outstanding warrant for DUI and other traffic violations. Press reports said police also expect to charge him with murder with a deadly weapon.

Do you need help defending against a drug or DUI charge? Michael Kraut of Los Angeles’s Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is a trustworthy, highly qualified former prosecutor. Call a Los Angeles DUI attorney today to strategize for your defense seriously.

Continue reading

Published on:

While many DUI arrests get brief mention in the media, a police officer charged with a DUI in Los Angeles can make national headlines. But most law enforcement officers in this uncomfortable position try to keep a low profile. They certainly wouldn’t top off their arrest with a booking photo that shows them with a big grin.Christopher-Plumlee-dui

A DeSoto county constable should probably have displayed fewer teeth when police in Horn Lake, Mississippi, took his picture for their records. They stopped Christopher Plumlee, one of five elected constables in DeSoto County, for speeding and later charged him with DUI as well. Plumlee’s booking photo—which shows him with a wide, toothy grin and a slightly manic look in his eyes—has gone viral and drawn a great deal of criticism from county residents.

Photos also played a part in the arrest of Corey Britton, a corporal with the Howard County, Maryland, police department. On the evening of Wednesday, October 6, Britton collided with a car but allegedly took off instead of stopping at the accident scene. The other driver involved in the crash had a camera, however, and managed to snap photos of the damage to both cars and a picture of Britton’s license plate before he fled the scene. Maryland State Police used that information to help track Britton down.
When they finally caught up with Britton, they arrested him for failing to remain at the scene of an accident, driving under the influence, driving under the influence while transporting a minor, failure to control speed to avoid an accident and operating in a negligent manner.

Howard County police officers placed Britton, a 13-year veteran of the force, on administrative leave pending the results of the State Police investigation and their own internal investigation.

Locating a seasoned and qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer is a critical part of the process of reclaiming your life, your time and your peace of mind. Call ex-prosecutor Michael Kraut for a free consultation right now.

Continue reading

Published on:

Even if your life has been turned upside down by a Los Angeles DUI arrest, you probably have been paying at least some attention to the political news. In this post, we’ll explore 3 lessons about DUI defense courtesy of the bizarre, eyeball grabbing GOP nomination bid of real estate tycoon, Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 23:  Donald Trump listens at the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C Groundbreaking Ceremony at Old Post Office on July 23, 2014 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Donald Trump listens at the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C Groundbreaking Ceremony at Old Post Office on July 23, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)

The billionaire magnate’s controversial campaign has been fueled in part by Trump’s attention getting gambits, high profile virtual catfights with celebrities and candidates and general atmosphere of anger and distresses among voters. So what can this candidacy teach us about something so seemingly afield?

1. Don’t be afraid to fight back.

It’s easy to make the argument that Trump “fights back” way too hard and against targets who absolutely don’t deserve his opprobrium and that he does so in a highly offensive fashion. But as a general rule, many defendants in DUI cases act too passively in the face of charges. Just because a police officer says that you did such and such at a checkpoint, or just because a breathalyzer clocked you at over the California’s Vehicle Code Section 23152 limit of 0.08% BAC doesn’t mean defenses aren’t available and that you can’t challenge evidence or testimony.

2. Keep a flexible stance and change your strategy, if need be.

Say what you will about him – Trump has shown a remarkable ability to adapt to circumstances. He changed his policy platforms and persona to resonate with a certain specific slice of the GOP electorate. Likewise, your DUI defense does not have to be set in stone. It’s important for you and your attorney to evolve it based on the realities of new evidence, new testimony or new strategic options.

3. Listen to your audience.

Many pundits have accused Trump of bloviating and speaking his mind, irrespective of consequences. But astute observers have noticed that he pays close attention to his audience – the people he is trying to reach. Likewise, as a DUI defendant, you want to pay close attention to stakeholders in your case, including your attorney, the judge and your alcohol counselor.

To develop an effective, evidence-based defense to your Los Angeles DUI charges, call Harvard Law School educated attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today for a free consultation.

Continue reading

Published on:

Have you ever nervously watched a Los Angeles DUI driver weaving down the road at high speed? Then you also know the feeling of relief you get if you see that a police officer has pulled that driver over. You’re glad that they have yanked him or her off the road before someone ended up dead or in the hospital. If the vehicle carries passengers, you may wonder how the driver could risk endangering them—especially when those passengers are children.8-is-enough-los-angeles-DUI

Police in Madison County, Indiana, got a jolt when they encountered 26-year-old Jennifer Karkosky on the Saturday evening of Labor Day weekend. Karkosky was not only allegedly driving under the influence–she was also carrying eight children between the ages of three and 12 years old in her blue 2000 GMC Jimmy.

According to Fox 59 News, Karkosky said she and the children had been on their way home from a swimming pool, and she was attempting to turn her vehicle around on the road. Instead, she backed off the road, ending up with the vehicle at a 45 degree angle and its hood in the air. Police officers responding to the scene said Karkosky smelled like alcohol and said she admitted to having three beers earlier in the day. Her blood alcohol content measured at 0.16, double the legal limit.

The passengers in the car included Karkosky’s own two children, three children of friends and three she was trying to adopt. It’s not likely that she’ll get custody anytime soon, if the DUI charges stick. The charges against her include one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with previous convictions against her; eight counts of neglect of a dependent child; and one count of driving on a suspended driver’s license.

Authorities released Karkosky’s two kids and the friends’ children to family members. The Department of Child Services is caring for the remaining three.

Locating a seasoned and qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer is a critical part of the process of reclaiming your life, your time and your peace of mind. Call ex-prosecutor Michael Kraut for a free consultation right now.

Continue reading

Published on:

Incidents of DUI in Los Angeles can result in drivers exhibiting some very unusual behaviors. But when someone who saw the event tries to describe what happened, other people may find their story hard to believe. Fortunately for police officers in Rowland Heights, California, they can produce video evidence to confirm that what they said happened to cause a crash actually did occur.Screen Shot 2015-09-10 at 4.42.01 PM

The dash cam on the car following Jasmine Lacey’s 2010 Hyundai Sonata on Harbor Boulevard captured the whole incident. (The car’s owner posted it on YouTube, where almost two million people have viewed it.) In the video, you first can see Lacey’s car traveling in the left lane but swerving over the center line several times. All of a sudden the car comes to an abrupt halt and the 22-year-old Lacey hops out and runs to the median strip. (Fortunately the driver behind had maintained a safe driving distance and could stop his own vehicle in time.)

But Lacey had neglected to do one important thing—turn the car off. So with the front door still swinging wide open, the car kept moving downhill on the right side of the highway for a short time before crossing the median strip. The Sonata then headed into traffic going in the opposite direction, colliding with an SUV. (Another vehicle, unable to stop in time, then rear-ended the SUV.) Lacey’s car, meanwhile, traveled across the traffic lanes to the side of the road, where an encounter with two small trees finally ended its journey.

By some miracle, neither driver involved in the crash with Lacey’s car suffered serious injuries. Police officers arriving at the scene took Lacey to the hospital and eventually charged her with DUI. But officials dismissed charges against her the next day citing lack of evidence.

Do you need assistance constructing an appropriate response to a DUI charge? Look to the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers’ Michael Kraut for insight and peace of mind. Mr. Kraut is an experience Los Angeles DUI attorney with many relevant connections in the local legal community.

Continue reading

Published on:

Could ride-sharing apps like Uber make a significant dent in the number of fatal accidents related to DUI in Los Angeles? Two students at Temple University are saying they already are.uberx-dui-accident-prevention

Brad Greenwood and Sunil Wattal wrote a paper investigating how the entry of Uber influences the rate of alcohol-related motor vehicle homicides. Their findings—shared in a paper called “Show Me the Way to Go Home: An Empirical Investigation of Ride Sharing and Alcohol Related Motor Vehicle Homicide”–show a significant drop in the rate of DUI homicides between 2011 (when Uber entered the California market in San Francisco) and 2013.

According to The Daily Signal website, the study states that “the entrance of UberX results in a 3.6 percent–5.6 percent decrease in the rate of motor vehicle homicides per quarter in the state of California.” The authors extrapolated this data to a national level: “With more than 13 thousand deaths occurring nationally each year due to alcohol-related car crashes at a cost of 37 billion dollars, results indicate that a complete implementation of UberX would create a public welfare net of over 1.3 billion dollars to American taxpayers and save roughly 500 lives annually.”

Uber X is the least expensive level of the Uber service. Greenwood and Wattal say that the affordability of the service (as opposed to more expensive taxis or higher levels of Uber service) is keeping the DUI homicide rate down.

The Daily Signal story noted that police made only two DUI arrests in San Francisco over the 2015 New Year’s Eve holiday period, the lowest number since 2009. But those numbers didn’t hold up all over the state. According to an article last January in the Los Angeles Times, the California Highway Patrol made 219 DUI arrests in Los Angeles County during the New Year’s Eve holiday, up from 104 in 2014. Across the state CHP made 1,072 DUI arrests during the holiday in 2015 compared with 457 in 2014.

Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer, Michael Kraut, of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to offer critical insight into your case and potential defense options. Call him and his team today to begin regaining control over your case and your life.

Continue reading

Published on:

Quarterbacks in the NFL typically have a lot of room to run. But one former NFL player, Donovan McNabb, will be looking at much closer quarters for three months if a recent second arrest for a DUI holds up in court and he ends up in jail. It’s too bad for him that the mandatory DUI penalties in Arizona are much tougher than California’s DUI penalties. If McNabb received the typical second-offense sentence for a DUI in Los Angeles, he might serve as few as 96 hours in jail.mcnabb-dui-los-angeles

McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles’ former Super Bowl quarterback, was heading home from a sports bar on June 28 when he rear-ended a vehicle driven by the wife of a Gila River tribal police officer, according to AP reports. (Fortunately the accident didn’t cause any injuries.) When officers arrived on the scene they noticed McNabb’s watery eyes and fruity breath and asked if he had been drinking. McNabb responded that the cough syrup and cough drops he was taking for his cold were causing his symptoms.

The cops didn’t buy it. During the field sobriety test, McNabb couldn’t keep his balance and kept swaying from side to side. Police took him into the station and charged him with suspicion of DUI.

Because it’s McNabb’s second DUI offense, he could be spending 90 days in jail under Arizona’s mandatory DUI sentencing laws. The former NFL player previously served 24 days in jail for his first DUI conviction in 2014.
McNabb, who retired from football in 2011, has taken a leave of absence from his job hosting a sports radio show on ESPN.

Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer, Michael Kraut, of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to offer critical insight into your case and potential defense options. Call him and his team today to begin regaining control over your case and your life.

Continue reading

Contact Information