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DUI News Articles and Information
The "DUI News Article" is made up of DUI articles, DUI news stories and drunk driving laws, news, statistics, prevention, counseling, BAC, field sobriety tests and related information about drunk driving. The "DUI News Article" is brought to you in a social media environment which allows commenting on each of our articles.
This Week’s DWI Shorts
Really Odd DUI/DWI News – New York Edition.
Man gets NY DWI after tailgating cop car – Wasyl Federczyk, 34, was pulled over by Erie County sheriff's deputies around 3:30 in the morning for tailgating the patrol car. Federczyk failed a field sobriety test and a breath test and was taken to the Erie County Holding Center. He was booked for driving while intoxicated in New York DWI, reckless driving and unlicensed operation of a vehicle.
Horn blowing leads to New York DWI – Glens Falls police stopped Rodney Northey for excessively blowing his car horn while driving down a street lined with bars. A breath test revealed a blood alcohol content of .23%, nearly three times the limit for intoxication. Northey told police he was blowing his horn to let “people know he was in town.”
Arrest for DWI in New York after multi-object crash – Saugerties police charged Leslie A. Miller, 30, with drunk driving in NY after her van left the road and hit several objects. While driving north, Miller crossed the southbound shoulder and hit a telephone pole, a mailbox, a pickup truck, a fence, three parked cars and a house porch. Miller was booked after being treated for injuries at a local hospital.
If you have been arrested for driving while intoxicated, you need to hire a NY DWI Lawyer.
Khloe Kardashian Not Going to Court Mandated Alcohol Classes
Attending rehab was part of sentencing for drunk driving in LA.
TV reality star Khloe Kardashian has missed her deadline for completion of a drug and alcohol classes. In response, a Los Angeles judge ordered her to complete the program in the next six weeks.
Kardashian was sentenced to mandatory attendance in an alcohol awareness program after being convicted of driving under the influence in California last July. Kardashian told the court that she did not complete the course because of scheduling conflicts and the closure of the facility during the holidays. The judge has given her until November 17 to attend the missed lessons, and ordered her to spend one day working in the city morgue.
Kardashian, 24, was charged with DUI in LA in 2007. She spent 173 hours in a California jail as part of her sentencing.
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Support Grows for New Texas DWI Laws
Anti-drunk driving groups hope next legislative session will yield new laws.
Citing public reaction to drunk driving in Texas and a recent headline grabbing accident, advocates for stronger DWI penalties express hope for the coming state legislative session. The goal is to advance two bills that stalled in previous sessions; making ignition interlock devices mandatory for everyone convicted of driving while intoxicated in Texas and legalizing sobriety checkpoints.
A driving culture coupled with one of the largest state populations has left Texas with the highest number of alcohol related fatalities in the nation. Last month a repeat DWI offender killed a newlywed couple in Dallas, focusing attention on the rising number of incidents of drunk driving among Hispanics.
A representative from the American Beverage Institute, an association that represents restaurants and promotes responsible social drinking, said that the trend in legislation is to go after “smaller and smaller groups of responsible adults who are drinking moderately.” The focus has moved away from addressing chronic drinkers at the core of the drunk driving problem to casting a broad net. Reinforcing that view, Austin Texas DWI defense attorney Paul Dunham says there has been a rise in the number of his clients who had a blood alcohol level below the legal limit yet were charged with driving while intoxicated by Austin police.
Texas is one of eleven states that prohibits sobriety checkpoints. Legislation has been proposed over the past 13 years to change the law and bill sponsors are optimistic about their chances in the legislative session. Claiming a need for prevention rather than reaction, legislators are also pushing for a new law mandating ignition interlock devices for everyone found guilty of an alcohol related driving offense. Several states have a similar law, including New Mexico and Illinois, though no studies have been completed showing the benefit of such legislation. Statistically, the overwhelming majority of those charged with DWI never repeat the offense.
Texas is one of 10 states that currently requires ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders though anti-drunk driving advocates feel the devices are not being mandated enough. The law allows judges to sentence offenders to increased jail terms and extended driver’s license suspension as alternatives to an interlock device, which opponents claim are loopholes.
Opponents of the proposed legislation are concerned about personal liberties, especially constitutional protection from search and seizure. Dallas DWI attorney and Texas Criminal Lawyers Association member Randall Isenberg says the “intended benefit (is) outweighed by the potential for abuse and unpredicted and unforeseen consequences.” Isenberg, a former judge, says Texas already has some of the strictest DWI laws in the nation.
Even the Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez is not convinced that sobriety checkpoints are the best use of resources. She advocates roving patrols that target areas with increased incidents of drunk driving.
The next Texas General Assembly convenes January 2009.
Filed in DUI Penalties & Fines | Texas DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Shia LeBeouf Not Charged with California DUI
Actor was involved in accident and suspected of drunk driving in Los Angeles.
Citing ‘insufficient evidence’, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said charges of driving under the influence in LA will not be filed against Shia LeBeouf.
LeBeouf was involved in an early morning accident in West Hollywood on July 27. His truck was flipped and he suffered severe injuries to his hand. Though initially arrested for suspicion of drunken driving in LA, Sheriff’s deputies later determined LeBoeuf was not at fault. Prosecutors are considering charges against the two in the other vehicle, who reportedly ran a red light.
Despite that decision not to file charges, the actor faces a 9-month suspension of his driver’s license because he refused to submit to a breath test. A License Administrative Hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles is pending.
LeBoeuf, 22, starred in ‘Transformers’ and was in production for that movie’s sequel at the time of the accident.
If you have been charged with LA DUI you need to find an experienced Los Angeles DUI Lawyer.
Filed in California DUI | Celebrity DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cedric Benson Not Indicted on Texas DWI Charges
Grand Jury declined to indict former Chicago Bears player for two offenses of DWI in Austin.
Citing no probable cause, a Travis County Grand Jury elected not to indict Cedric Benson on two alcohol related charges in Austin. Benson’s DWI defense attorney said the former football player is ‘elated’.
Benson was charged with boating while intoxicated on May 3 while on Lake Travis, west of Austin. During that incident he was also charged with resisting arrest. Then on June 7 Benson was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Austin.Benson played for the University of Texas Longhorns and then the NFL Chicago Bears. After the second Texas DWI offense he was cut from the Bears. Benson, through his attorney, said he has learned from the ordeal and wishes to be a worthy role model for young people in the community. He also hopes to play professional football again.
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Extra Penalties Considered for Louisiana DWI During Hurricanes
Lawmaker worried about drunk driving in Louisiana during hurricane evacuations.
A Louisiana state legislator is considering filing a bill that would increase the penalties for drunk driving during a hurricane evacuation. Representative John Edwards has requested statistics from the state police to see if alcohol related accidents and DWI arrests hindered the evacuation of 1.9 million people before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav.
Edwards said he had heard of five arrests on Interstate 55 for driving while intoxicated in Louisiana in the first hours after evacuations were ordered. While that figure has not been confirmed by state police, Edwards used at meeting of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security to raise the issue of DWI penalties in order to improve the state’s response to hurricanes.
Edwards is proposing the creation of a new charge titled ‘Evacuation Driving While Intoxicated’ that would require jail time. In the lawmaker’s words, to have the driver ‘dry out’ for a few days at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. He is also considering mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device before an offender can resume driving.
The chairman of the House Select Committee has said that it is soliciting ideas from a number of sources to address problems associated with hurricane evacuations.
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Filed in DUI Penalties & Fines | Louisiana DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Heather Locklear Charged with California DUI
Heather Locklear DUI Information: Actress arrested for driving under the influence in Santa Barbara area.
Heather Locklear was charged with California DUI in Santa Barbara County Saturday afternoon. Locklear was reportedly arrested by the California Highway Patrol in Montecito after someone witnessed the actress driving erratically.
A Highway Patrol officer found Locklear's car stopped on a state highway, blocking one lane. In talking with her, the officer determined that she was operating a vehicle while impaired. Locklear was taken to a nearby police station where she was tested for alcohol and drugs. It is believed that Locklear was alone in the car at the time of the arrest. Locklear was booked around 7:00 pm on charges of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Locklear, 47, checked into a medical clinic last June for treatment of anxiety and depression. She divorced rock guitarist Richie Sambora last year, after eleven years of marriage. They have an eleven year old daughter. Locklear is currently dating former 'Melsrose Place' co-star Jack Wagner.
Locklear has had roles in a number television series, including 'Dynasty', 'Melrose Place', 'T.J. Hooker' and 'Spin City', She has also appeared in movies, including 'Uptown Girls'.
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Man's Fart During West Virginia DUI Arrest Earns Assault Charge.
Police add extra charge after WV drunk driving suspect passes gas during fingerprinting.
Jose Cruz was being booked for driving under the influence in West Virginia when he farted on an officer. Police responded by adding assault to the charges.
The arrest report shows that Cruz, 34, was stopped Monday night in West Charleston for driving without his headlights. He failed a field sobriety test and was taken to a police station for booking. He was given a breath test to determine blood alcohol content and was being fingerprinted when he “lifted his leg and passed gas loudly” in the officer’s face. Cruz then fanned the air with his hands and said, “Here, put that in your Breathalyzer”.
The police report complains that the gas was “very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature.” This lead to the charge of battery on a police officer being added to two counts of obstruction and West Virginia DUI.
Cruz, who has more than a dozen prior arrests, posted bond for the new misdemeanor charges and was released.
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Filed in DUI Related | West Virginia DUI | Permalink | Comments (0)
Crackdown Nets 1,414 Arrests for Colorado DUI
18-day effort that ended Labor Day weekend was part of national drunk driving campaign.
Law enforcement agencies across the state made a total of 1,414 arrests for driving under the influence in Colorado during an 18-day crackdown. Dubbed ‘The Heat is On’, the anti-drunk driving campaign was part of the national effort titled ‘Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.’
Between August 15th and September 2nd, 48 local police and county sheriff’s departments, along with the Colorado State Patrol, conducted increased patrols focusing on motorists suspected of drunk driving. Nine people were reportedly killed in alcohol related accidents, which is down from 16 during the same period last year. The Colorado State Patrol made 294 arrests for CO DUI. Denver recorded 186 arrests and Colorado Springs 163.
More than 30,000 motorists are arrested for Colorado DUI each year. A conviction for a first offense drunk driving in Colorado can lead to loss of driver’s license, increased auto insurance premiums and costs in excess of $10,000. A spokesperson with the Colorado Department of Transportation said drunk driving is not worth risking life, freedom and money, and advocated use of designated drivers or public transportation.
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Austin Police Could Become Phlebotomists for DWI Blood Draw
Blood draw plan is part of department’s fight against Texas DWI in Austin.
Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo recently announced a plan to train officers to draw blood from motorists suspected of driving while intoxicated in Texas. A new development in the controversial plan can be found buried in an agreement between the police department and Travis County. An amendment to the agreement stipulates that the county jail must provide space for a phlebotomist, which is a person trained to draw blood.
While the laws of Texas clearly limit who can legally draw blood in any situation, Acevedo wants APD officers to be trained to do just that in cases of suspected Texas DWI. Austin Texas DWI defense attorneys and civil rights organizations say the blood draw plan is a violation of a citizen’s Fourth Amendment constitutional rights.
The Austin police department is currently waiting for a grant to fund the program. It is also subject to approval by the Austin city council and the Travis county commissioner’s court.
Have you been arrested for DWI in Austin, Texas?
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