Recent Blog Posts in December 2009

kionrightnow.com
CALIFORNIA-  You may not know it, but there are 34 ,000 people with more than three DUI in the state.

A lot are driving during holidays like today. That's why CHP and other agencies will be out in full force. Meanwhile, one Assembly Member is introducing new legislation making it harder for them to drive again.

As part of the Avoid 18 Campaign different law enforcement agencies like CHP will have extra officers looking for drunk drivers through the weekend. Meanwhile Assembly Member Jerry Hill told us, he's introducing tough laws for repeat DUI offenders.

If passed, it would let judges permanently take away the license of a driver with more than 3 DUI's. He also wants to close a loop hole that erases DUI convictions after 10 years..

" It enables the judge to look at persons entire history if he had 8 DUI's a number of years ago and is continuing to get them they should let them know, society should know so that we can help solve the problem, and know what type of treatment perhaps  this individual can get,"said Hill.

Currently a judge can only suspend the license of a repeat DUI offender. Assembly Member Hill will introduce the bill next Monday.

In Fresno, Calif., police say they know their DUI checkpoints are being avoided by young drivers sending tweets. Sgt. Dave Gibeault, head of the traffic unit, tells McClatchy Newspapers his own daughter has sent him text messages about where she's heard there is a DUI checkpoint.

Gibeault supports getting out the word about DUI checkpoints in general, but not specific location information that might help evaders and let people drive drunk.

ALSO ON DRIVE ON:New Year's Day is the favorite holiday of car thieves

Police in Phoenix agree, KPHO-TV reports on its website. It's not just Twitter, but Facebook and iPhone apps as well.

"We go out of our way to tell people when we're doing enforcement efforts," said Sgt. Tommy Thompson of the Phoenix Police Department. But Thompson said law enforcement officials worry the extra distractions are putting other motorists at risk. "Behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol and a young person doing it -- it's a recipe for diaster," Thompson said.

dnaindia.com
New Delhi: Faced with umpteen complaints of high and mighty and politically-powerful accused influencing prosecution, the Centre has finally amended the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), enabling victims of crimes or their dependents to engage their own criminal lawyers for a fair trial.

The provision was introduced in CrPC in 2006, but the government did not think it necessary to notify it soon.

It’s now officially learnt that the amended CrPC will be applicable from January 1, 2010.

The amended criminal law recognises a “victim”, who had been a silent sufferer at the hands of tainted law-enforcement agencies on one hand and tardy dispensation on the other.

A  criminal lawyer will now be permitted to engage a lawyer to assist the prosecution as well as to file an appeal against unjust decisions by trial or high courts.

Amidst reports highlighting sexual escapades of certain top-ranking police officers, the government has given special attention to the charge of rape (section 376 IPC) in general and when the barbaric act is committed by cops, in particular.

Special arrangements have been made to deal with section 376, sections 376A (rape by police officer), 376B (a public servant taking advantage of his official position and raping a woman is custody), 376C (when the management or the staff of a jail is involved in rape) and 376D (the management or the staff of a hospital takes advantage of his official position and commits rape on duty).

Criminal Law ministry sources confirmed such cases would be tried by a woman judge, as far as possible. Suspects will be medically examined immediately after arrest and victims’ statements will be recorded in the presence of their parents or dependents at their residences, possibly by a woman police officer.

Statements or confessions will be audio or video-recorded. Witnesses’ statements will be recorded in the case diary so to that cops don’t tinker with them.

independentmail.com
WILLIAMSTON — Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman says the criminal investigation into the death of A’sha Rucker remains a full-time job for several investigators.

Rucker, a 17-year-old who was called “Queen Bee” by her friends and teachers, was found dead in Greenville County on Nov. 20 after disappearing from a Williamston community center parking lot Nov. 18.

“This is not a cold criminal investigation,” Inman said Thursday. “This case remains our top priority. Between the Williamston police department and the Greenville County Sheriff’s office there are six investigators actively pursing this case.”

Inman said forensic evidence is still being processed.

“There is a certain amount of evidence that SLED is processing along with Greenville County forensics,” he said “And we still haven’t been given an official cause of death from the coroner because toxicology is pending.”

Inman said criminal investigators continue to reach out to Rucker’s family “at least three of four times a week,” but he has received few calls from community members wanting to be updated.

“I received one e-mail from the parent of a student who knew A’sha wanting an update, but other than that, nothing.”

vcstar.com

In this season of merriment and drink, state traffic safety officials are calling 2010 “The Year of the DUI Checkpoint,” saying they are increasing funding for DUI checkpoints to discourage drunken driving.

The California Office of Traffic Safety will fund more than 2,500 DUI checkpoints in 2010 — 47 percent more than in 2009, officials said.

About $8 million is going to 148 law enforcement agencies across the state just to conduct 250 checkpoints this holiday season through Jan. 3, up from $5 million a year ago.

Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety, said California has more checkpoints than any other state. “DUI checkpoints are time-tested and proven as the most effective DUI countermeasure,” Murphy said in a news release.

State officials said DUI-related deaths have declined since funding for checkpoints started increasing in 2006. They cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics showing a 21 percent decline in DUI-related deaths since 2005. State officials say 214,811 DUI arrests were made across California in 2008, the highest since 1993.

In fact,DUI-related deaths have fallen across the nation over the past decade, including a 7 percent drop from 2007 to 2008, according to the Traffic Safety Administration.

Brian Woolley, a senior Oxnard police officer in charge of the department’s traffic enforcement, agreed DUI checkpoints are effective at deterring drinking and driving.

Oxnard ranked first among 55 similar-sized cities across the state in the number of alcohol-involved collisions in 2008, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety. In all, 197 people were killed or injured in DUI-related crashes in Oxnard in 2008.

Because of those numbers, Oxnard is eligible for more DUI-related grants, Woolley said. This includes a $357,000 state grant to combat drunken driving through Sept. 30, 2010.

To qualify, the city agreed to conduct 16 checkpoints and a dozen “saturation patrols” during this period, among other things, Woolley said. The Police Department sends out a large number of patrol cars during saturation operations, looking for intoxicated drivers or anyone driving unsafely.

Oxnard police will conduct a saturation patrol from 6 p.m. today to 4 a.m. Friday. They urge anyone who drinks to have a designated driver or call a taxi.

Even if a DUI checkpoint does not produce a bunch of arrests, it does “act as a deterrent in preventing people from driving intoxicated in the first place,” said Capt. Ross Bonfiglio, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. He said saturation patrols likely “yield more actual arrests.”

canalstreetchronicles.com
Bobby McCray used Twitter - pretty much the first time he's every actually used it - to give his side of the story behind his DUI arrest last night at 4:30 in the morning. I didn't catch this when he first posted it and his account seems to have been shut down and deleted since then, but the Huffington Post has screenshots of his tweets. Here is what he wrote, in it's entirety. 

Trying to deal with this Bogus charge of DUI...driving with Pizza...I had cuffs on me with in 3minutes...This was a short guy with Napoleon complex...He got upset because I asked him why did I need to get out the car on a routine traffic stop...He starving ranting and raving saying I think I know it all and threw me in cuffs...my fiance was feeding me pizza driving home...And he pulled me for doing 80 in a 60...not to mention I was sober...DUI Lawyers mount up, we got some work to do!!!!!    

Regardless of what happened during the DUI incident, probably not the best way to go about handling the situation. Not surprised his account doesn't exist anymore.

signonsandiego.com
SAN DIEGO COUNTY— Over the long Christmas weekend, 67 people were arrested for DUI of drugs or alcohol in San Diego County, the California Highway Patrol said Monday.

The number of DUI arrests fell from the prior year, when the total was 95, even though the period when data was collected — from Thursday evening through midnight Sunday — was two days longer than last year.

Meanwhile, San Diego County highway DUI fatalities jumped this holiday season. Seven people died in the CHP’s jurisdiction, the agency said, compared to two in 2008.

CHP spokesman, Officer Larry Landeros, said he had no information about the nature of the fatalities.

Statewide, 1,104 people were arrested for DUI during the holiday period, down from 1,397 the prior year. California saw 22 highway fatalities, compared to 37 in 2008.

appeal-democrat.com
Christmas weekend was less than jolly for at least 11 drivers snagged in Yuba-Sutter for suspected DUI— a figure in line with recent holiday totals.

California Highway Patrol officers from the Yuba City office made eight arrests for DUI between 6 p.m. Christmas Eve and 6 a.m. Sunday, up from five in the same period in 2008. Yuba City police arrested three motorists on suspicion of DUI during that time, after making no such arrests a year earlier.

CHP's Williams bureau has not made any DUI arrests since Dec. 20, despite Interstate 5 running through its jurisdiction. Figures from Marysville police were not available Monday.

The increase in local arrests mirrored a jump in DUI incidents statewide, as the CHP reported 970 arrests for alcohol impairment, up from 824 in 2008.

For New Year's weekend, the Yuba City Police Department will join other local agencies in adding saturation patrols on major streets, according to Sgt. Brian Baker. Extra officers will patrol streets from early evening to about 2:30 a.m. on Thursday and Friday nights.

The California Highway Patrol will encourage officers in Yuba-Sutter to delay paperwork and routine duties until next week in order to spend more time on roads and highways, said Sgt. Scott Klocker. Locations for DUI checkpoints will not be released until 24 hours in advance.

In other Central Valley cites, both the Sacramento and Tracy police departments held DUI checkpoints over Christmas weekend, trying to heighten awareness of the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol. Sgt. Mark Dux bury of the Tracy Police Department said the checkpoints are not designed so much to catch DUI offenders as they are to instill awareness — and perhaps a little fear — in drivers.

"Sometimes it's a little bit of a shock," said Duxbury, talking about the reaction from people as they go through a checkpoint.

"They're not sure what's happening. Sometimes you get a little nervous for no reason. I would imagine that if you've had just one or two drinks, (going through a DUI checkpoint) would affect me greatly — knowing that I had something to drink and I drove into one of these."

Sixteen people died in California road accidents between Thursday and Sunday, which the CHP said was the same number of Christmas weekend fatalities as in 2008.

No alcohol-related road injuries were reported for Yuba, Sutter or Colusa counties.

latimesblogs.latimes.com
More than 1,400 people were arrested for DUI in Los Angeles County during a weeklong DUI crackdown that ran through the holiday weekend, authorities said.

“With all the Christmas parties and holiday office parties going on, a lot of people are out drinking and driving” said Wendy Soos, the local coordinator for Avoid. “It’s amazing how the stats go up around Christmas."

The DUI crackdown will continue through the New Year’s holiday weekend, Soos said. In 2008, more than 400 arrests were made on New Year’s Eve and New Year's Day.

The California Highway Patrol, one of the coalition's partners, made more than 200 arrests for driving under the influence on Los Angeles County freeways this holiday weekend. Overall, the CHP made 236 DUI arrests in L.A. County this year.

kionrightnow.com
Monterey County agencies are reporting drunk driving arrests were down by one person During this year's holiday DUI enforcement crackdown.

A total of 57 drivers were arrested for a DUI in Monterey County. Eleven of those were arrested on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Statewide, the California Highway Patrol is reporting 16 highway deaths over the holiday weekend, the same number of fatalities as last year. However, the 970 DUI arrests made by the highway patrol over this holiday weekend is "a notable increase" over the 824 made in 2008.

Another holiday DUI crackdown will take place during New Year's Eve.  

miamiherald.com
DADE CITY, Fla. -- A Zephyrhills woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a DUI manslaughter conviction.

A Pasco County judge sentenced 35-year-old Heather Dison on Tuesday. She pleaded guilty last month to DUI manslaughter and other DUI-related charges.

Authorities say Dison was driving a truck in June 2007 when she collided with Jason Hamilton's car. Another vehicle swerved to avoid the wreck, hit a pole and overturned. Hamilton died at the scene, and passengers from the other two vehicles were injured.

The judge considered leniency but told Dison she should have learned her lesson after a 1995 DUI conviction.

Dison had faced up to 20 years in prison.

Authorities in the Eastern District, which covers inland areas from Bakersfield to the Oregon border, announced Wednesday that 414 illegal immigrants were prosecuted this past fiscal year. Nearly all of the cases involved illegal re-entry to the United States.

They say that's a 45-percent increase over the previous fiscal year, and a 130-percent increase over 2007.

Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials say this effort is part of a push to target suspected illegal immigrants with criminal records. Most of the criminal defendants had previously served prison time for aggravated felonies in this country.

suntimes.com
A 30-year-old Chicago man was charged with murder today for allegedly causing a DUI collision  that killed a 48-year-old Rogers Park woman and severely injured her 6-year-old son.

Ralph Eubanks, of the 1400 block of North Sedgwick, was also charged with aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident in the hit-and-run that killed Maria Worthon.

Worthon, of the 1400 block of West Touhy, was walking with her son when they were struck at 9 p.m. Monday in the 1400 block of West Greenleaf by the Pontiac Grand Prix Eubanks had been driving, according to Cook County prosecutors.

The Pontiac went south on North Greenview after the DUI crash, but police stopped it at 6400 N. Newgard, about a mile away.

The boy initially was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, but was later transferred to Children’s Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police said.

visaliatimesdelta.com
Visalia police operating two DUI checkpoints during the weekend arrested seven suspected intoxicated drivers and one person suspected of riding a bicycle DUI.

Officers also arrested two minors suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, issued 13 citations to unlicensed drivers, had 16 vehicles towed and cited 28 people for unspecified offenses.

The first DUI checkpoint began at 9 p.m. Friday and ended at 3 a.m. Saturday in the area of Court Street and Paradise Avenue. The second ran from 9 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday at Demaree Street and Campus Drive.

Members of the Police Department's DUI Team, traffic unit and other patrol officers — as well as civilian volunteers — were involved in the operations, in which 803 vehicles were checked.

Funding for the DUI checkpoints was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety using funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

chicagobreakingnews.com
A Lockport police officer had a blood alcohol level almost three times the legal limit when he caused a three-car DUI accident on the Stevenson Expressway, killing a man who was returning home from his second job.

Edward Stapinski, 34, had a blood alcohol level of .223, Assistant State's Attorney John Carroll said at a bond hearing in the Bridgeview DUI courthouse today.

Stapinski declined to take a Breathalyzer test at the scene of the Sunday night crash but was given a blood test at the hospital, Carroll said. Police officers at the scene described Stapinski as having "bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a strong smell of alcohol."

mercurynews.com
Santa Clara County topped the Bay Area list for DUI arrests over the weekend during the annual winter holiday crackdown on DUI.

Sheriff's Sgt. Rick Sung said today that 189 people were arrested on charges of DUI throughout the county from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday. There were six DUI-related injuries and no deaths countywide, Sung said.

This year's DUI arrest numbers are slightly higher than last year's total of 181 during the same time period, Sung said.

In other Bay Area counties, police arrested 468 drivers on DUI charges, down from 641 arrests in 2008, said Jan Ford, spokeswoman for the campaigns in San Francisco and Alameda County. She noted there was one alcohol-related death in Napa County.

A saturation of DUI checkpoints are being conducted throughout the Bay Area through Jan. 3.

The eight-hour operation also resulted in the arrest of eight other people, including three who were found in a stolen vehicle, police said.

Officers issued citations to 34 people on violations such as DUI or on suspended or revoked licenses.

Police impounded five vehicles.

Funding for the DUI operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The DUI checkpoint started at 8:30 p.m. and was located at the intersection of Montgomery and Pine streets, where 480 vehicles were checked by police.

One person was arrested for DUI and three others were arrested for not having proper driver's licenses. Five vehicles in all were towed, according to police.

Other DUI checkpoints are scheduled in the city on Dec. 27 and Jan. 3.

visaliatimesdelta.com
Visalia police operating two DUI checkpoints over the weekend arrested seven suspected DUI drivers along with one person suspected of riding a bicycle under the influence.

Officers also arrested two minors suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, issued 13 citations to unlicensed drivers, had 16 vehicles towed and cited 28 people for unspecified offenses.

The first DUI checkpoint began at 9 p.m. Friday and ended at 3 a.m. Saturday, in the area of Court Street and Paradise Avenue. The second ran from 9 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday at Demaree Street and Campus Drive.

Members of the police department’s DUI Team, traffic unit and other patrol officers — as well as civilian volunteers — were involved in the operations in which 803 vehicles were checked.

Funding for the DUI checkpoints was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety using funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Times-Standard.com
The Fortuna Police Department conducted a DUI checkpoint Friday, leading to a total of eight arrests.

The DUI checkpoint, which was funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, screened about 500 drivers with the goal of removing DUI  drivers from the road, according to a Fortuna Police Department Press Release.

Two drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, three were arrested for driving without a license or with a suspended or revoked license, one driver under the age of 21 was arrested for violating “zero tolerance laws,” one was arrested on suspicion of possessing more than two pounds of marijuana packaged for sales, and one passenger was arrested for public intoxication, according to the release.

”Countless drivers were found being responsible and expressed their appreciation for such enforcement efforts,” the release states.

The DUI checkpoint was conducted with the assistance of the Ferndale Police Department, which provided officers to help operate the checkpoint.

The Fortuna Police Department urges people to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911

A DUI sobriety checkpoint conducted in Sparks Saturday night resulted in three DUI arrests and numerous citations, according to the Sparks Police Department.

The DUI checkpoint began about 5 p.m. on northbound Sparks Boulevard north of Baring Boulevard. The DUI checkpoint was part of the Joining Forces Task Force and 2,100 vehicles were screened with the assistance of Reno police, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Highway Patrol, Story County Sheriff’s Office, Carson City Sheriff’s Office and Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to the DUI arrests, 26 field sobriety tests were conducted and citations were issued for violations regarding seatbelts, car seats, insurance, registration, careless driving, driver’s license and miscellaneous. One minor in possession of alcohol citation was also issued.

Law enforcement agencies involved remind drivers to obey DUI traffic laws and be safe this holiday season.

santamariatimes.com
A police DUI checkpoint Friday night resulted in four people arrested for DUI and 13 citations for driving while unlicensed, Santa Maria police said.

The DUI and driver’s license checkpoint occurred in the 1400 block of South Broadway from 6 p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. today.

Police impounded 17 vehicles, 15 of which were driven by undocumented immigrants, officers said.

Of the 2,060 vehicles that passed through the DUI checkpoint, 412 were screened by the officers.

The DUI checkpiont was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

seattletimes.nwsource.com
A 34-year-old Marysville man was arrested early this morning on suspicion of vehicular homicide after he struck a man walking along Smokey Point Boulevard, according to a Marysville police news release.

The victim, a 26-year-old Arlington man, was struck just after 2 a.m. while he was walking in the 10400 block of Smokey Point Boulevard. When police arrived at the scene they found citizens administering CPR to the DUI victim. Marysville Fire District medics later pronounced him dead at the scene.

At the same time, a State Patrol trooper had stopped a car that had been speeding in the area. When the trooper approached the driver, the driver asked, "What did I hit?" The trooper contacted Marysville police officers, who took the man into custody.

The driver had a blood-alcohol level of .177, more than twice the legal limit of .08.

rocklintoday.com
The holiday season is upon us.  Plans are in place for parties, shopping and traveling to friends and family.  However, each year motorists will be in harm’s way thanks to the careless ones who will drink and drive this season.

The Roseville Police Department will join law enforcement across the state as part of California’s 18 Day Holiday DUI Crackdown Campaign with law enforcement agencies deploying 300 DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints statewide.  Funding for the special DUI enforcement campaign, December 16, 2009 through January 3, 2010 comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On the evening of December 18, the Roseville Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint at an undisclosed location with a history of DUI-related collisions and arrests. 

"The holidays should be a joyous time," Roseville Police Chief Mike Blair said.  "Please don't risk an embarassing and expensive arrest--or worse, a DUI tragedy. If you're planning to drink, designate a driver or call a sober friend for a safe ride home."

 In 2008, 11,773 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a DUI (BAC) of .08 or higher.  In California 1,029 were killed on state and local roads driving with a .08 BAC or higher with another 28,457 injured in Alcohol Involved Collisions.

 "DUI is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety.  “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you are under arrest.”

 Law enforcement encourages everyone planning a family gathering over the holidays to first think about how your friends and family will get home after drinking during holiday celebrations.  Everyone is encouraged to “Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911” and be ready to describe the vehicle, its location and direction of travel to make your community safer into the New Year.  With everyone’s help, families won’t remember the holidays of 2009 as a time of loss at the hands of another drunk driver.

mydesert.com
Beginning tomorrow, law enforcement agencies across Riverside County will be ramping up DUI patrols to snare drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs as part of a two-week holiday DUI crackdown.

The campaign will start Friday evening and will continue until Jan. 3.

The crackdown will coincide with the California Highway Patrol's ``maximum enforcement'' operations during Christmas and New Year's weekends, when 80 percent of the CHP's officers will hit the streets.

``We continue to see far too many people suffer debilitating injuries and loss of their loved-ones as a result of DUI,'' said Riverside police Chief Russ Leach. ``This careless disregard for human life must stop."
'
During the 2008 holiday period, three people died in DUI-related crashes in Riverside County, according to Karen Haverkamp, Riverside police traffic bureau supervisor.

She said 491 people were arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The campaign, paid for with federal tax dollars, will combine saturation patrols and DUI/drivers's license checkpoints to catch impaired drivers.

Random checkpoints are planned in Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Riverside and Temecula.

``Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk,'' said Christopher Murphy, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety. ``No only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant.''

Deputies say 27-year-old Abbey Gardner was booked into jail Sunday night on suspicion of felony third-offense DUI, misdemeanor hit and run and obstructing a police officer.

Bail was set at $10,000.

Gardner teaches theater at Silver State High School.

Officers say witnesses saw Gardner hit a parked car, then left the became stuck in a snow bank.

Officers say she tried to run when a deputy pulled up, but didn't get very far and was arrested.

Authorities say she was convicted of DUI in Reno in March and in Carson City in June 2004.

theitem.com 
I got drunk last week. The state paid for it, too. Yep, you heard me right. I downed three Cape Cods and one mind-numbing shot of vodka, courtesy of the South Carolina taxpayers. Thanks y'all.

If it's any consolation, the vodka was cheap.

Oh, before you get your britches in a twist, it was for a good cause. I was at the state Justice Academy, participating in a DUI  lab designed to train law enforcement officers to better recognize and arrest drunken drivers. The drinkers consisted of reporters, a fellow police officer and a few of their friends. The students were experienced law enforcement officers from around the state — Rock Hill, Darlington, Myrtle Beach.

They came to learn how to administer those dreaded DUI field sobriety tests that determine whether someone is drunk. And, for the most part, they worked.

All my drinks were loaded with 60 milliliters of vodka. The first one, which I felt immediately, despite breakfast, took me to a blood alcohol content of .039. After the second, I was at .053. The third, just .063 — but I'd eaten a Danish, a bag of chips and some crackers in the meantime.

It makes a huge difference when you eat, they explained. Any booze inside your stomach before you eat, and the food won't make one whit of difference. This includes “sobering up” by eating at Waffle House. It's a myth, people. Along with drinking coffee, water, cold showers and everything else you can think of. The only thing that can sober you up, as I was about to discover, is time.

Lots and lots of time.

With 15 minutes to go before my DUI tests began, I asked for a shot to get above the required .070. That shot my BAC up to .096.

My fellow drinkers, by comparison, had vastly different experiences with their BAC. One was 5 feet 9 inches and weighed 217 pounds. He reached only .074 after five drinks and 15 milliliters more vodka than me. Another, who was 5 feet 7 inches and 175 pounds, reached .110 after five drinks. He had consumed 60 millimeters more vodka than me. But he had blown 0.00 after his first drink of 60 milliliters — because of the biscuit he had eaten before arrival.

Another female reporter, however, registered .089 after just two 200-millimeter glasses of wine (the equivalent of 120 milliliters of vodka). You just never can tell.

A person dies in a car crash every 12 minutes in this country. That's 40,000 deaths a year. Of those, about 40 percent happen because someone got behind the wheel drunk.

Do you see dead people? That's 17,000 of 'em — one every 45 minutes.

But that's just the national average. We beat that by a mile in South Carolina. A full 51 percent of our car wrecks are alcohol-related, compared to 40 percent nationwide.

The Palmetto State is second in the nation when it comes to DUI-related fatalities. Last year, we had about 300 murders in this state. But three times as many people — 920 — were killed by drunk drivers.

Even scarier still is the fact that for every DUI arrested, between 500 and 2,000 go undetected. The average DUI violator operates under the impairment of alcohol 80 times a year. That's once every four or five nights.

Even when they're caught, they can still go free. Only 17 percent of drunk drivers who are injured in car accidents are charged and convicted. Eleven percent are charged and not convicted. And a full 72 percent are not charged at all.

But even when they're convicted, the sentences aren't that bad. According to Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, the House passed much stiffer penalties against drunk driving a few years ago.

I shudder to think what they were before.

Nowadays, for a first offense DUI, the judge can order 48 hours of public service instead of jail time, along with a $400 fine. Even if he makes you go to jail, though, it will be only be for 48 hours to 30 days. You'd lose your license for six months, of course. But hey, what's 400 bucks and a few hours at the local community center, right? Especially if you've been driving drunk 80 times a year, for however many years you've had your license.

That could even go back to your teenage years. Last year, drunk drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 killed more than 1,700 people.

Yet who's getting indignant about these numbers? Who's pressuring cops to hunt down drunk drivers and arrest them? Who's writing letters to their representatives, insisting they pass stiffer penalties? Who is picketing when drunk drivers get off — which they do, frequently?

I'm not.

At least I wasn't.

The cops nailed me and my drinking buddies. Even in cowboy boots, I thought I had done pretty good on my “standing on one foot” and “walk and turn” tests. Apparently not. The real truth, however, was in my eyes. The cops now perform a little test that makes your eyes twitch ever so slightly when you've been drinking. It's completely involuntary and impossible to control. And it shows who is drunk beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Which I most definitely was. Only thankfully, I wasn't behind the wheel.

Are you?

CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - An 8-year-old is recovering after a DUI crash that killed another young boy.

It happened Saturday night on U Drive South in Calhoun County.

Police say a 30-year-old driver from Litchfield was DUI when he lost control of the car and flipped it.

Seven-year-old Robert Ruh III died at the scene. Eight-year-old Austin Ruh was airlifted and doctors say he's now in good condition.

Both boys are from Litchfield as well.

The driver was arrested for DUI causing death.

SGVTribune.com A DUI checkpoint will be held by the Azusa Police Department on Saturday at an undisclosed location.

The DUI checkpoint seeks to find and arrest drivers operating vehicles under the influence, as well as other license violations, according to a statement.

DUI checkpoints are increased during the holiday season, police said.

The checkpoint will be during evening hours in the city.

The DUI checkpoint was paid for by a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety.

Azusa recently received a $115,320 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to help increase enforcement and education regarding impaired driving.

seattlepi.com An off-duty police detective was injured early Thursday morning when the car he was in collided with an SUV driven by a suspected DUI driver.

The detective was on his way to work in a personal car when he was hit near the intersection of Boylston Avenue and East Pine Street about 2:56 a.m.

Officials said the detective was driving along Pine Street when the person driving SUV pulled right out in front of him.

The detective was taken to Harborview Medical Center to be checked for head and neck injuries, but he is expected to recover.

Officers arrested the driver of the SUV after giving him a sobriety test, and the man was booked for investigation of DUI.

LANCASTER, Pa. - Police in central Pennsylvania say they arrested an Amish man on drunk driving charges over the weekend after he was found asleep in his moving buggy.

East Lampeter Township Police say 22-year-old Elmer Stoltzfoos Fisher, of Paradise, was slumped over and asleep in a slow-moving buggy on Sunday night.

An off-duty officer from nearby Quarryville reported seeing the horse pulling the buggy at a walking pace as it straddled the center line.

Police say a breathalyzer test snowed Fisher's blood-alcohol content was 0.18, more than twice the 0.08 legal limit for drivers.

These  Drunk Drivers in Orange County will need an experienced Orange County DUI Lawyer.

Here are a few websites to visit:

Orange County Dui Attorney

Orange County Drunk Driving Lawyer

Orange County Dui Lawyer

Pressargus.com reported. Van Buren police will be setting up DUI sobriety checkpoints at various locations throughout December.

Capt. Tony Kaman with the Police Department said he could not say on what days the DUI checkpoints would fall or where they would be, but said police are doing the DUI checkpoints primarily as a preventive measure.

"Due to the holiday season and the increase in motorists, those activities a lot of times involve alcohol," Kaman said. "And we're not putting out a notice to discourage people from traveling. We're wanting to discourage people from drinking and driving."

He said the final 2009 numbers are likely to be higher than 2008, which saw 260 DUI arrests

State Auditor Tom Salmon is expected to plead guilty to DUI charges today.

Salmon was arrested for DUI two weeks ago in Montpelier, when he blew a .086 during a traffic stop, which is just over the legal limit of .08.

Prosecutors say Salmon will be offered the standard plea deal for DUI offenses like his where there was no crash or resisting arrest. Salmon would be fined about $500 and lose his license. He will not go to jail or be placed on probation, but the misdemeanor DUI charge would go on his criminal record.

Salmon says he has "no comment" about the potential plea deal.
WCAX News reported.

KANSAS CITY .COM REPORTED.YES

Sobriety DUI checkpoints are a law enforcement technique where officials evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment at specific points on the roadway. Vehicles are stopped in a specific sequence such as every other vehicle or every fourth, fifth or sixth vehicle. Police must have a reason to believe the driver stopped at a DUI checkpoint has been drinking before a breath test can be conducted.

The Centers for Disease Control found that sobriety DUI checkpoints can reduce alcohol-related crashes and fatalities by 20 percent. DUI Checkpoints are the most effective tools we have for stopping impaired driving.

On average, people typically drive drunk almost a hundred times before they are ever arrested. Thus, DUI checkpoints are crucial for the prevention of drunken driving and in turn, for saving more lives.

There are significant cost savings from sobriety DUI checkpoints. For every dollar invested in checkpoints, communities save between $6 and $23 in costs from alcohol-related crashes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes to society is more than $100 billion.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

NO

Law enforcement agencies will once again spend the holidays trying to catch drunken drivers by using sobriety DUI checkpoints. Unfortunately, these roadblocks are a misuse of police manpower and funnel scarce taxpayer dollars away from the most effective way to catch drunken drivers.

Skeptical? More than a million vehicles went through 1,469 California DUI sobriety checkpoints in 2008. Police arrested one-third of 1 percent of those motorists for drunken driving.

A similar analysis found that in 2007, less than 1 percent of the more than 181,000 drivers stopped at Pennsylvania checkpoints were arrested.

That’s hardly a glaring success. But there’s a different way to catch drunken drivers — called roving patrols — that allows police to do it much more efficiently and at less of a cost to taxpayers.

In a roving patrol police officers drive around and seek out drunk and dangerous drivers instead of waiting around at a roadblock for offenders to show up. Patrols are up to 10 times more effective than checkpoints, according to testimony by a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation official.