Recent Blog Posts in May 2010

http://www.ktvu.com/news/23747409/detail.html

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Fatalities are down and DUI arrests are up both statewide and in the Bay Area so far during the California Highway Patrol's maximum DUI enforcement period Memorial Day weekend.

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/gnp-dui053110,0,6116168.story

GLENDALE — Police arrested six motorists in connection on suspicion of DUI during the first half of Memorial Day weekend.

One motorist arrested Friday was DUI of cocaine, Glendale Police Sgt. Dennis Smith said.

"[Drug Recognition Enforcement] officers in training worked fast in identifying the driver," he said. "They were able to spot him right way."

The weekendDUI operations were aimed at getting intoxicated drivers off the streets and educating motorists about drunk driving, police said.

Police stopped 52 vehicles during Friday's "Avoid the 100" saturation patrol, which yielded five DUI arrests, Smith said. Local police agencies join forces during the "Avoid the 100" campaign to arrest drunk drivers.

Friday's operation combined Glendale, San Marino and South Pasadena police officers, who roamed the city looking for drunk drivers.

Police on Friday administered 16 field sobriety tests, impounded two vehicles, arrested a motorist on suspicion of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license and cited seven people, Smith said.

The next night, police conducted a sobriety checkpoint from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at West Glenoaks Boulevard and Rosedale Avenue, he said.

Saturday's checkpoint generated one DUI arrest, and eight motorists had to perform field sobriety tests, Smith said.

More than 700 vehicles drove through the checkpoint, but only 480 were screened, and four were towed, he said.

Six motorists were arrested on suspicion of driving without a valid driver's license, and two were arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license, Smith said. Another 15 people were cited and two were arrested on outstanding warrants, he said.

The California Highway Patrol was also out in force during the weekend.

As of Sunday morning, officers arrested 1,029 motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol statewide, according to CHP. That number increased from 941 in 2009.

In Los Angeles County, 208 motorists were arrested on suspicion of DUI during a 36-hour period, according to CHP, jumping from 160 last year.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2337268,rogers-park-boy-crushed-charges-053110.article

A man is charged with multiple counts of DUI following the death of a 10-year-old boy who was crushed to death between two vehicles in the North Side Rogers Park neighborhood early Saturday.

Martin Candia, 30, of the 1500 block of West Fargo Avenue, is charged with aggravated DUI and reckless homicide, according to a release from police News Affairs. He was also cited for DUI, driving under the influence with a BAC above .08, running through a red light, driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance, failure to keep in lanes, failure to reduce speed, and transportation of possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

» Click to enlarge image

Martin Candia was charged with drunken driving after the death of a 10-year-old boy crushed between two vehicles early Saturday in the Far North Side.
(Sun-Times Media)

The boy was walking between two parked vehicles in the 6900 block of North Ashland Boulevard with his father to visit an aunt about 5:45 a.m. Saturday, police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak said. As the boy was waiting to cross the street, the striking vehicle hit a parked vehicle that then ran into the vehicles that the boy was walking between, crushing him.

Calvin Santos, 10, of 2560 W. Estes Ave. was fatally struck at 6951 N. Ashland Ave. and was pronounced dead at Saint Francis Hosptal in Evanston at 7:41 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

An autopsy performed Sunday reveals Calvin died of multiple injuries in a DUI crash involving an SUV. His death was ruled an accident, the Medical Examiner’s office said.

Calvin was crushed between a black Ford Explorer and a white Toyota SR5 when a red van hit the Ford. Sources said the initial call reported a man slumped over the wheel of the van.

The victim was initially taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston from Ashland and Morse avenues about 5:45 a.m. in serious condition, Fire Media Affairs Chief Joe Roccasalva said.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Law enforcement officials reported an 11 percent increase in the number of DUI arrests in Los Angeles County this year during the first two days of their Memorial Day weekend DUI enforcement campaign.

Authorities participating in a multi-agency DUI task force called "Avoid the 100" arrested 231 people on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Los Angeles County between 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday night, task force officials said in a written statement. The statistics were preliminary, as some agencies were yet to report their DUI arrests.

During the same time period last year, officials reported 208 arrests.

The extra enforcement campaign will continue through Monday night.

Officials encourage anyone who sees a drunken driver on the road to call 9-1-1 to report it.

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

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/29/1979060/police-arrest-12-for-dui-at-checkpoint.html

Ramping up traffic enforcement for the holiday weekend, Kansas City police overnight arrested 12 persons for DUI at a sobriety DUI checkpoint at Truman Road and 71 Highway.

Police and Jackson County sheriff's deputies stopped 231 vehicles between 11 p.m. Friday and 4 a.m. Saturday. Besides making the DUI arrests, authorities cited five motorists for driving with suspended or revoked licenses, five for hazardous moving violations, six for other traffic violations and one for possessing a firearm while intoxicated.

The Missouri Highway Patrol will increase its presence along Interstate 70 and 71 Highway throughout the three-day weekend. Troopers will be stationed every 10 miles as part of an DUI enforcement and visibility program that has reduced fatal DUI crashes the past four Memorial Day weekends

Police will step up DUI efforts to nab impaired Memorial Day revelers at Lake Pleasant who get behind the wheel.

The Peoria Police Department and the West Valley DUI Task Force said they will operate a checkpoint Monday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Castle Hot Springs Road at the entrance to Lake Pleasant. Police say they hope the DUI checkpoint, and roving patrols on Carefree Highway and the surrounding area, will reduce the number of DUI related collisions.

The operation, the fourth one on Memorial Day at Lake Pleasant, is funded by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

A Peoria Police Department press release said the DUI checkpoint was being announced so that drivers have "plenty of time to arrange for a 'designated driver'."

http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12564370

LAS VEGAS - The country's largest, most concentrated and most aggressive DUI crackdown started in Las Vegas Friday night. This Memorial Day weekend, Metro Police are holding five DUI checkpoints in areas notorious for drunk driving.

"A car will enter the DUI checkpoint. We'll ask them to roll down the window all the way, and we'll ask them if they've been drinking," said Metro Police Traffic Lt. Rich Fletcher. If officers detect the odor of alcohol, they will move the car and conduct a field sobriety test. Drivers suspected of being under the influence must walk the line and balance their leg. The eye test requires them to follow an officer's flashlight. Then, officers will administer a breathalyzer test.

Several drivers at a DUI checkpoint on Flamingo passed the tests and were free to go. "Based on data, this is a good place to set up especially on a long weekend," Lt. Fletcher said. "We hope to take as many impaired drivers off the streets as we can." This weekend's crackdown involves 250 officers and civilians. They all share a common mission: to stop drunk driving before it shatters more lives.

Metro says drunk driving fatalities are down 72% from this time last year. Police believe checkpoints are one reason for the decline. "In the past, we've had people just try to keep driving," Lt. Fletcher said. "That's a charge. We have units in place to track them down."

While some impaired drivers make it home safely, others may lose control and injure or kill someone, tearing apart lives. Sandy Heverly of Stop DUI says checkpoints can avert a crisis. "The bottom line is that they are designed to save lives," she said. "It's early intervention, early detection of people who may be too impaired to be driving in a safe manner."

While some criticize the checkpoints, she says they can catch more than just drunk drivers. "It's been our experience, as recently as the last checkpoint, where a car of kids were pulled over. There were about five kids in the car. Also in the car was a bag of pot and a bong. The driver was unlicensed. This was a disaster waiting to happen," she said.

Metro officers say they could arrest as many as 30 people on Friday alone. The checkpoints run through Monday from 7pm until 3am.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_nb30_check.124f65e.html

Memorial Day weekend DUI enforcement operations around San Bernardino County resulted in 44 DUI arrests Friday, officials said.

The various saturation patrols and DUI checkpoints, from the city of San Bernardino to Redlands to the High Desert, were funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

In just the city of San Bernardino, five people were arrested late Friday and early Saturday during special patrols that also resulted in 44 citations written and eight vehicles impounded.

Seventy vehicles were stopped during the eight-hour operation. Four people were arrested on suspicion of DUI, while one person was arrested for an unrelated offense.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15194250?nclick_check=1

Officers from 15 law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County made 18 DUI arrests during the first 24 hours of the county's Memorial Day weekend anti-DUI campaign, according to the sheriff's office.

Between midnight Friday and midnight Saturday, 18 people were arrested. Last year, 28 people were arrested during the first 24 hours of the DUI campaign.

On Saturday night, DUI saturation patrols and sobriety check points were used in Milpitas, Palo Alto, San Jose, Los Altos Hills, Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos.

The DUI enforcement campaign will continue through Monday.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Law enforcement officials reported an 11 percent increase in the number of DUI  arrests in Los Angeles County this year during the first two days of their Memorial Day weekend DUI enforcement campaign.

Authorities participating in a multi-agency DUI task force called "Avoid the 100" arrested 231 people on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Los Angeles County between 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday night, task force officials said in a written statement. The statistics were preliminary, as some agencies were yet to report their arrests.

During the same time period last year, officials reported 208 DUI arrests.

The extra enforcement campaign will continue through Monday night.

Officials encourage anyone who sees a drunken driver on the road to call 9-1-1 to report it.

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

http://www.pineisland-eagle.com/page/content.detail/id/509732/DUI-arrest-update.html?nav=5051

Impaired drivers are a very real danger to themselves and, of course, any motorist who is sharing the road at the same time. With this in mind, the Lee County Sheriff's Office launched a multi-faceted campaign of education, awareness and enforcement to battle this threat to our community. We have elected to publicize the names of those charged by deputies with the offense of DUI during the past week:





On May 13, 2010, at approximately 01:35 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Ray Gonzales, D.O.B. 06/07/61 of Fowler St, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of 2776 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 17, 2010, at approximately 10:14 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Cynthia Ann Tolbert, D.O.B. 03/09/64 of 15460 Bellamar Cr, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Griffen Dr/McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 18, 2010, at approximately 02:28 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Christopher Dyal, D.O.B. 02/20/56 of 3334 Edison Ave, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Beth Stacey Blvd & Woodward Ave, Lehigh Acres, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 18, 2010, at approximately 03:08 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Brian Christopher Short, D.O.B. 12/30/80 of 13858 Cleto Dr, Estero, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of First Ave/Palm Dr, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 18, 2010, at approximately 03:44 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Judy Belinda Hubbard, D.O.B. 09/24/62 of 19006 Flamingo Rd, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Daniels Pkwy &

Brynwood Lane, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 19, 2010, at approximately 01:51 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Brittany Marie Siebert, D.O.B. 06/12/87 of 534 Pueblo Terrace, Fort Myers Beach, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of 17953 San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 19, 2010, at approximately 08:40 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Derek Jeffrey Bonvillian, D.O.B. 04/14/89 of 9826 Bernwood Pl Dr, Bonita Springs, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Gladiolus Dr/Old Gladiolus Dr, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 19, 2010, at approximately 11:20 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Catheryn Dale Woodard, D.O.B. 02/01/78 of 365 Windward Way, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Corkscrew Rd & Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 19, 2010, at approximately 11:22 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Michael S. Wilkins, D.O.B. 10/24/69 of 12491 Coconut Creek Dr, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 21, 2010, at approximately 11:00 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Jeffrey Scott Jaarda, D.O.B. 02/01/78 of 3621 Wild Pines Dr, Bonita Springs, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Racetrack Dr & Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 21, 2010, at approximately 11:02 p.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Cameron Dustin Howard, D.O.B. 01/06/72 of 17000 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of 13880 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 22, 2010, at approximately 12:51 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Allison Marie Dennis, D.O.B. 10/30/59 of 14600 Eagle Look Out Ct, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of Daniels Pkwy/International Dr, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 22, 2010, at approximately 01:45 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Erich J. Brown, D.O.B. 11/25/81 of 3623 SE 17th Ave, Cape Coral, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of 10100 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, Florida.

* * * * * * * * *

On May 22, 2010, at approximately 02:28 a.m., Lee County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Sean Michael O’Rourke, D.O.B. 07/25/69 of 5701 Harbour Club Rd, Fort Myers, for DUI. The incident occurred in the area of McGregor

Blvd/Rivera Ave, Fort Myers, Florida

Boys' Latin senior lacrosse standout R.G. Keenan, who led the No. 2 Lakers to Saturday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title game, was suspended from the school after officials learned on Monday that he had been charged with a number of vehicle violations, including DUI charges, on April 25.

According to Baltimore County public records, Keenan, 18, was issued five citations — two DUI citations, driving while impaired, failure to drive right of center and negligent driving — at 6:20 a.m. on April 25. Keenan's DUI attorney, said Keenan, a Perry Hall resident, was returning home from his girlfriend's house when he received the citations.

"Nobody got hurt, he was very cooperative with the police, and we intend to defend the DUI case, so it's not as if a conviction would be a forgone conclusion. But he and his family are dealing with this with the appropriate degree of seriousness. He doesn't want this to jeopardize his future or anybody's safety, and he and his family are certainly taking this seriously," said his criminal attorney.

http://www.kdvr.com/news/sns-ap-co--colo-duicrackdown,0,7164264.story

DENVER (AP) — Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer — and a summerlong crackdown on DUI.

The Colorado State Patrol and law enforcement agencies across the state are launching a DUI crackdown starting this weekend. They're calling the campaign the "100 Days of Heat" and they say the goal is to save lives.

Last year, 191 people were killed in Colorado in alcohol-related accidents. That was 41 percent of all traffic deaths.

Nearly one-third of the traffic deaths involving DUI occurred between Memorial Weekend and Labor Day. Authorities say the good news is that alcohol-related deaths dropped 17 percent last summer from the same period in 2008.

Officers made 3,531 DUI arrests during last summer's crackdown.

http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story/push?article-DUI+checkpoint+set+for+Saturday%20&id=7724293

Local police will be out in force trying to stop drunken drivers during the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

As part of the effort, a DUI checkpoint will be enforced somewhere in the city from 7 p.m. Saturday, May 29, to 3 a.m. Sunday, May 30. According to Tracy Police Department spokesman Sgt. Tony Sheneman in a written statement, officers will also be on the lookout for those driving with suspended or restricted licenses and other violations.

“This DUI checkpoint is an effort to continue the Tracy Police Department’s commitment to traffic safety by reducing the number of people killed and injured in DUI-involved collisions,” Sheneman wrote.

At a similar checkpoint in February, police tagged one motorist for suspicion of DUI, arrested one for suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, cited 14 drivers for suspended licenses and 17 for unlicensed driving, and towed a total of 32 vehicles.

Police also conducted a seat belt and child seat checkpoint earlier this week.


Read more: Tracy Press - DUI checkpoint set for Saturday

SARASOTA - The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office will conduct two DUI Checkpoints this weekend.

The locations will not be released, but the hours of operation are Friday, May 28, 2010, from 10:00 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday, May 29, 2010, from 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.

Motorists will recognize the DUI checkpoint operation by the staging of appropriate signs, warning devices and the presence of uniformed law enforcement personnel.

All law enforcement agencies in Sarasota County made 1,286 DUI arrests in all of 2009.

"Impaired drivers kill, plain and simple," said Sheriff Tom Knight. "This is a serious threat to the safety of Sarasota County residents, so we are committed to keeping drivers that are under the influence off our roads."

http://www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=12559757

CHARLOTTE COUNTY - Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron announced that the Traffic Safety Team will be conducting low-manpower DUI checkpoints between Thursday and Monday, May 27-31. Deputies will stop traffic and conduct various test procedures looking forDUI drivers at multiple locations around the county.

The Sheriff Office does not announce days, times, or DUI locations in hopes it will deter those who may drink and drive, or use drugs and drive.

Motorists are also advised that all deputies are continuing the Click it or Ticket blitz that runs through June 6. Be sure to have all occupants in your vehicle buckled in and get into the habit of putting your seatbelt on every time you drive.

http://www.aurorasentinel.com/articles/2010/05/23/opinion/editorials/doc4bf9d42d0633c838434501.txt

More is still not enough when it comes to drunk driving laws in Colorado.

The reason a Weld County man is going to jail for four years after causing the accidental death of his close friend in December is precisely why it’s so important to either get drunk drivers out from behind the wheel, or get them away from alcohol.

It’s unlikely that Colorado’s tougher new DUI punishments are going to be enough to do the job.

Bobby Lucero, 37, was sentenced Friday to jail time after a court determined it was he driving his Jeep drunk, crashing it and killing his longtime friend.  Police said he had a blood alcohol level of .177, more than double the legal limit. It was a tragedy that could have been avoided for several reasons, top among them being that Lucero should have learned his lesson in 1994 when he got his first DUI.

That’s part of the problem. Despite a heavy financial toll that comes with being caught driving drunk, that’s essentially all the trouble it brings to perpetrators. As is too often the case, once the fines, fees and hefty insurance premiums go away, too many times drinking and driving continues.

In 2009, more than 32,000 people were arrested for drunk driving in Colorado, an astounding number. These drivers are caught in occasional sting operations, or after being spotted by a police officer driving erratically, or because they crash their cars. There are no reliable estimates of just how many drunk drivers there are on the roads each day or night who aren’t caught, but it’s safe to assume it’s a large number. Sadly, some of these drunk drivers were responsible for the deaths of almost 200 people a year.

http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/94848044.html

Virginians age 17 and younger who ride in the back seat of a vehicle must wear a seat belt starting July 1, and violators face a $25 fine.

The current law requires passengers under age 16 to be belted in the back seat. Drivers will be responsible for making sure all passengers under age 18 are secured in a safety restraint or car seat.

Passengers 18 and older are responsible for themselves and face the $25 fine for riding unrestrained. Current law already requires everyone in the front seat to wear a seat belt.

In Virginia, 562 unbelted, back seat passengers ages 16 to 18 were injured from 2006 through 2008 in Virginia, and 22 were killed. The average annual cost including health care for the three-year period is estimated to be $20 million.

Several other transportation laws were passed during the recent General Assembly session, and one focuses on driver's license suspensions.

Currently, when a person is convicted of refusing to take a breath test, the court suspends their driving privilege for one year. If that person is also convicted of driving under the influence, the DUI driver's license suspension period will run consecutively with the breath test refusal suspension.

In addition, after July 1, if a driver's license is revoked for a first or second DUI conviction and the driver receives another DUI, the license suspension period will run consecutively with the existing revocation period.

Another new law adds driving to and from "a place of religious worship" and "court-ordered child support appointments" to the list of reasons why a court may issue a restricted driver's license. A court may grant restricted driving privileges to drivers convicted of certain offenses, and DMV may grant a restricted license when drivers are suspended for violating a driver improvement program probation.

An additional driving-related law taking effect July 1 impacts school bus drivers. It states that if bus drivers possess or consume alcoholic beverages while operating a school bus that's transporting children, they are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

A Class 1 misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. If convicted, the penalties for the new law are in addition to penalties associated with existing DUI laws.

Lawmakers also put tighter restrictions on those who drive without a valid driver's license. Starting July 1, if a person is caught driving without a license and has previously been convicted of this offense, he or she could lose their vehicle for three days.

However, if the offender gets a valid driver's license during the three-day vehicle impoundment period, the vehicle will be released to the driver.

The General Assembly additionally passed a law effective July 1 that allows golf carts to cross highways in certain circumstances. Golf cart owners in towns with a population of 2,000 or less may cross a highway at an intersection that is marked as a golf cart crossing with signs.

The roadway's speed limit must be 35 miles per hour or less, and the crossing has to be the only way the golf cart may travel from one part of the town to another.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100526/LOVELAND01/100526005

Colorado law got tougher for repeat drunk drivers Tuesday afternoon, and another state law will allow "smarter" management of drug users.

Gov. Bill Ritter signed the two laws along with eight others as part of what he called an ongoing effort to be tough and smart on DUI.

"We can do both. We are doing both because public safety is not a zero-sum game," said Ritter, who served as the Denver district attorney before becoming governor. "Certainly, we can always do better. We can always make improvements. And that's what we are doing here today by signing this legislation into law."

Among the bills signed into law Tuesday in Denver was House Bill 1347, which increases mandatory jail sentences for repeat drunken drivers. Those convicted of DUI for a second time will be sentenced to at least 10 days, and those convicted three times or more will serve at least 60 days in jail. The law also implements mandatory post-jail treatment for alcohol and substance abuse.

"Too often, repeat offenders get away with a slap on the wrist from some judges. There's simply not enough consistency in penalties for chronic drunk driving," said Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder.

Ritter also signed a law that creates a less severe punishment for drug users compared with drug manufacturers and dealers. House Bill 1352, which had widespread support, including that of Larimer County District Attorney Larry Abrahamson, also dedicates increased funding and focus on rehabilitation treatment rather than incarceration.

An estimated savings of $1.5 million from prison and jail budgets are to be used for substance-abuse treatment.

Abrahamson, like Ritter, supported the decision to attempt to manage drug users more effectively. He also said he hopes the law will positively impact those who are mentally ill and are substance abusers.

"We all know that there are many people in the criminal justice system who have mental health and addiction issues," Abrahamson said. "Some are amenable to treatment, others are not, but if we make good, informed decisions on who will benefit from treatment resources and then have the ability to provide those resources, we all benefit."

Six of the 10 bills Ritter signed Tuesday - including the DUI and drug laws - were recommendations from the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, a 27-member bipartisan panel created by Ritter in 2007.

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=80490

A night of bad decisions was all it took to end the promising future of Willie Shuman, a senior at Charleston's George Washington High School.

Shuman, 19, had planned to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy on a tennis scholarship. But on June 20, 2009, he was one of three people in a vehicle that crashed on Oakhurst Drive. Shuman had not been wearing a seatbelt, and the driver, classmate Kevin "Josh" Jackson, had been drinking.

Shuman died, and Jackson was charged with DUI. Any DUI that results in the death of another person has the potential to be a felony carrying a sentence up to 10 years in prison. However, in Jackson's case, Kanawha County prosecutors sought a misdemeanor because "drunk driving" and "reckless driving" are two separate things under state law.

West Virginia's DUI law contains a provision that prosecutors must prove a driver showed "reckless disregard of the safety of others" to be charged with felony DUI. Getting behind the wheel drunk is not considered reckless enough. The result is that in some cases drivers are charged with a misdemeanor even though their actions led to the injury or death of another.

It's a situation that can be frustrating for victims of the families.

"My families don't see any DUI crash as a misdemeanor," said Margie Sadler of the West Virginia chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Any driver who has an alcohol blood content level of at least .08 is too drunk to legally get behind the wheel in West Virginia. And drunk driving is a major killer on the state's roads, accounting for a third of the 431 fatal crashes in the Mountain State in 2007, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Misdemeanor DUI carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of no more than $3,000, although a fine of $500 is more common.

A driver can be charged with felony DUI if it is that person's third arrest for the crime, which is a similar threshold used in most other states, according to data collected by the American Prosecutors Research Institute. Under that circumstance, a driver can be sentenced up to a maximum of three years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.

The harsher penalty of up to 10 years in prison is reserved for DUIs resulting in death, but simply being behind the wheel drunk is not enough to automatically warrant the charge. Prosecutors must show that the suspect drove in such a way as to show disregard for the safety of others, and that takes much more investigation on the part law enforcement, said Brian Lanham, traffic safety resource prosecutor for the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorney's Institute.

"It is something that prosecutors really look at before they make the decision," he said.

Speeding 10 or 20 mph over the speed limit, for instance, hasn't always been enough in the eyes of the court to rise to the level of reckless driving, according to Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Plants. Instead, a driver's actions must be extreme.

"When there is evidence someone is driving twice the speed limit, that's pretty reckless," he said, citing one possible example.

The question of just what constitutes reckless driving has come before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals many times, not just in cases involving DUI but in cases involving negligent homicide and involuntary manslaughter.

In the 1992 State v. Hose decision, the court upheld the involuntary manslaughter convictions of a tractor-trailer driver who killed a family of four after losing control of his vehicle. Even though a jury had cleared the driver of a reckless driving charge, the court still found his actions prior to the crash justified the manslaughter charges.

But in the 2007 State v. Green decision, the court overturned two negligent homicide charges brought against a woman who killed two people after running into the back of a car with her van. The court relied partly on existing case law that found that simply violating traffic laws was not enough to meet the standard of reckless driving.

"(I)t is not the unlawfulness of an act that justifies the conviction," the court wrote. "A mere technical violation of a traffic safety statute will not suffice. Rather, solid evidence indicating gross, wanton and culpable negligence showing a reckless disregard for human life must be introduced."

State law does not define recklessness in the felony DUI statute, leaving the decision of whether to pursue a felony DUI or misdemeanor DUI to local prosecutors. And there is a higher burden to proof to bear when charging someone with felony DUI even when driver's actions has caused someone's death.

"As a result of the case law, it has made it much more difficult to charge felony DUI resulting in death," Raleigh County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Tom MacAulay said.

It is a situation that could possibly be rectified through the state Legislature. But Sgt. Shawn Williams, a Charleston Police traffic officer who works closely with MADD, isn't so optimistic, saying that every time state lawmakers take two steps forward with DUI law, they also take "eight steps back."

Still, there is no doubt in his mind what the penalty should be for taking another life while drunk behind the wheel.

"When you take a human life, I don't think it's worthy of a misdemeanor," he said.

http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci_15169241

Law enforcement around the Inland Empire will be on patrol and at DUI checkpoints in search of intoxicated drivers for the holiday weekend.

DUI Checkpoints are scheduled for Friday night in Chino Hills and Chino, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. Law enforcement in Yucaipa, Apple Valley and Redlands have set DUI checkpoints for Saturday night.

The Redlands police DUI checkpoint will be on Orange Street south of Pearl Avenue from 10:30 p.m. Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Extra officers will be on the road to find drunken drivers during the Avoid the 25 DUI saturation patrols Saturday night through Sunday morning. Cities holding the special patrols include Hesperia, Upland, Highland, Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, Rialto, Redlands, Adelanto, Victorville and Barstow.

The California Highway Patrol also has extra officers scheduled to work throughout the weekend to enforce traffic laws on the highways.

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Theft+vs.+death%3A+A+hole+in+the+DWI+laws&articleId=51952af5-49d5-4b8d-b0fa-35a083fb0062

A Nashua woman with two prior theft convictions was arrested for stealing a steak from a Market Basket on Monday night. Charged with a felony for her third strike, Maria Dacosta, 43, could get seven years in prison.

Four days before Dacosta allegedly swiped the steak, police say Mark Hanson, 32, of Epping, crossed the center line on Route 125 in Epping and hit the car driven by 82-year-old Norma Wentworth, killing her.

Hanson was on parole for manslaughter. In 1999, he struck and killed motorcyclist Dennis Cummings of Fremont. Hanson has three DUI arrests and two convictions. It isn't clear if Hanson's accident Thursday was alcohol-related. Yet if it was and if he is convicted solely of DUI, the maximum prison sentence he could receive is the same as Dacosta's: seven years.

Surely the people of New Hampshire consider taking a steak a lesser crime than taking two human lives. The law should reflect that. But the state's DUI laws do not.

The maximum DUI sentence is seven years. And after this legislative session, no one will serve even that. The state's new parole law mandates that nonviolent offenders be released automatically at 120 percent of their minimum sentences. For aggravated DWI with a 3 1/2 to 7 year sentence, the offender would be out in a little more than four years -- if he gets any prison time.

To their credit, prosecutors often pursue higher charges when a drunken driver kills someone. For his 1999 fatal crash, Hanson was not convicted of DUI, but manslaughter. That is similar to the case of Steven Balukas of Chester. In 1995, he struck and killed East Kingston police officer Melvin Keddy while driving drunk. He was convicted of negligent homicide.

Yet without a DWI conviction, those crimes did not go on either driver's record as DUIs. So even if the state were to increase penalties for multiple DUIs, it will do little good if drunken drivers are avoiding DWI convictions.

Legislators have improved New Hampshire's DUI laws over the years. But the laws remain too soft on repeat offenders. Legislators need to address this immediately in the next session. Killing someone while driving drunk should never bring a lesser punishment than stealing a steak.

A DUI sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for this weekend, beginning Friday, May 28, 2010. The Memorial Day weekend operation will take place at an undisclosed location in Lee County as the Sheriff's Office continues its commitment to getting impaired drivers off our roadways and in support of education efforts such as the national "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." campaign.



Checkpoint emphasis is placed on the following:



1. Remove impaired drivers from the roadway.

2. Reduce the likelihood impaired drivers will operate their vehicles on our roadways.

3. Heighten awareness.

4. Educate the public on the dangers of drunk driving.



http://www.pineisland-eagle.com/page/content.detail/id/509689/Sobriety-checkpoint-planned.html?nav=5051

Motorists are reminded it is a crime to mix alcohol, drugs and driving. Citizens are encouraged to avoid the risk of driving if they consume alcoholic beverages. While it may take several drinks for someone to become legally impaired, impairment begins with the first drink. Also, DUI is not a victimless crime. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2008, 24 fatalities and 464 injuries in Lee County were alcohol related.



Daily enforcement, DUI checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols by deputies with the Sheriff's Office are a part of on-going efforts to curb traffic fatalities, injuries and crashes in Lee County. Additionally, responsible citizens can help by promptly reporting DUI drivers to law enforcement. Your best defense while driving is to wear your seat belt while in a car or use a helmet and protective gear when on a motorcycle. Finally, "Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk." If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/the-current-state-of-sobriety-checkpoints-in-california-152572.php

More Californians will be stopped at roadside DUI sobriety checkpoints in 2010 than ever before. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), police departments across the state will conduct 2,500 DUI sobriety checkpoints in 2010, a 44 percent increase over 2009. With the increased number of DUI checkpoints come increased concerns over the constitutional validity and effectiveness of these law enforcement tactics.

For people who face criminal charges stemming from sobriety checkpoints, it is important to understand that not all roadside sobriety checkpoints are necessarily set up and administered in a constitutionally permissible manner. Consultation with an experienced attorney versed in the legalities of sobriety checkpoints can reveal problems with a checkpoint that could cause a case to be dismissed or a DMV order of suspension set aside.

Pros of Sobriety Checkpoints

According to the California Highway Patrol, almost 23,000 Americans will lose their lives in DUI related motor vehicle accidents every year. That equates to one death every 22 minutes. To combat these sobering statistics, California began to conduct DUI checkpoints in areas where there is a high rate of DUI arrests and other alcohol related accidents.

In defense of these tactics, many argue that sobriety checkpoints serve an extremely valuable purpose, regardless of the intrusiveness of the stops. Proponents argue that:
-In 2008, more than 5,000 people were arrested and charged at sobriety checkpoints
-Grants cover the majority of the costs associated with sobriety checkpoints, so as not to interfere with other police duties
-Since 2005, alcohol-related driving deaths have decreased 20.1 percent, and many attribute this decline to increased law enforcement activities like sobriety checkpoints

Proponents of DUI checkpoints argue that the success of these checkpoints relates to the fact that they reach both drinking and non-drinking drivers. By stopping both groups, the California law enforcement community argues that they can educate all people about the dangers and penalties associated with driving under the influence, deterring some people from drinking and driving in the future.

Cons of Sobriety Checkpoints

Most everyone agrees that arresting drunk drivers is a worthwhile goal to pursue. What many people question is the constitutionality and effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints.

While 5,000 DUI arrests occurred at sobriety checkpoints in 2008, this number is actually small compared to the total number of alcohol related arrests in California. According to the OTS, there were 215,000 DUI arrests in California in 2008, meaning that the number of arrests at sobriety checkpoints accounts for only 2.3 percent of all DUI arrests.

Law enforcement spent $14 million in federal grant money to arrest 5,000 people at sobriety checkpoints. Many wonder whether that money could have been used more efficiently elsewhere.

Many opponents of sobriety checkpoints argue that:
-Sobriety checkpoints result in illegal searches and seizures, violating both the state and federal constitution
-Law enforcement frequently target minorities, setting up checkpoints in communities with large minority populations
-These tactics are much less effective in arresting drunk drivers than conducting more generalized roving patrols

The State of California Sobriety Checkpoint Law

While California law does not expressly grant police officers the power to conduct sobriety checkpoints, the law does grant them the authority to enforce criminal and traffic laws. Many people have challenged the legality of these checkpoints based upon constitutional grounds.

Some courts have in effect held that the intrusion that these DUI checkpoints have on the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures is justified by the seriousness of drunk driving and the possible deterrent effect of sobriety checkpoints.

To assess the reasonableness of the search and seizure, courts examine and balance the governmental interest justifying the search against the invasion the search entails.

In the 1987 California Supreme Court Case of Ingersol v. Palmer, the key to all Fourth Amendment issues was reasonableness. In determining whether a particular roadside sobriety checkpoint is constitutionally valid, courts will examine a number of factors or limitations, including consideration of whether:
-Supervisory law enforcement officers make and establish the decision to institute a sobriety checkpoint, the site selection, and the operational procedures to be followed at the checkpoint
-Field officers have limited discretion in stopping motorists, and rely on a neutral formula for stopping motorists
-Law enforcement officers take proper and adequate safety precautions and use official vehicles and personnel during the checkpoint
-Policy-making officials make reasonable checkpoint location decisions, based on among other things, a high number of alcohol related accidents and arrests
-Officers use reasonable judgment in the time and duration of the checkpoint
-The checkpoint itself conveys sufficient indicia of its official nature
-Officers minimize the length and intrusiveness of the detention
-Officials provided advance publicity and notification of the sobriety checkpoint

There are strategies that a person can use to challenge the constitutionality of a sobriety checkpoint in California. The amount of precautions taken by law enforcement officers to minimize the intrusiveness of the stop can determine the validity of the sobriety checkpoint. If the police stop someone in a sobriety checkpoint, it may be possible to challenge the stop and subsequent criminal charge. One should speak with a local California attorney to learn more about his or her options

http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=462360

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- DUI this weekend? Better watch out.

Local law enforcement agencies are together conducting DUI sobriety checkpoints on Friday, May 28 at the start of the Memorial Day weekend.

All drivers stopped at DUI checkpoints will undergo a brief check to determine if they are operating their cars under the influence of alcohol and/or narcotics, and if no impairment is found, they will quickly be dismissed.

The effort is commonly known as "100 Days of Heat" and is a combined effort of the Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado Department of Transportation DUI Checkpoint Colorado Campaign, Colorado State Patrol and volunteers from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

"100 Days of Heat" is an educational program designed to decrease the number of intoxicated drivers on Colorado roadways, particularly during the summer holiday season.

A Connecticut judge has dismissed a DUI charge against Elmore "Rip" Torn after the Emmy-winning actor completed a court-ordered DUI alcohol education program.

Torn was arrested in December 2008 near his home in Salisbury, where he was stopped while DUI in the breakdown lane with a Christmas tree tied atop his 1994 Subaru.

• Rip Torn back in court for Conn. bank break-in


Bantam Superior Court Judge Cara Eschuck dismissed the charge Friday based on Torn's completion of the alcohol education program, which gives DUI defendants a chance to clear their records.

Another case is pending against the 79-year-old actor: charges stemming from a January incident in which he allegedly broke into a Salisbury bank while intoxicated and armed.

He returns to court Tuesday in that DUI case.

http://cbs5.com/crime/vallejo.crash.DUI.2.1711910.html

VALLEJO (BCN) ―

http://www.wrdw.com/schools/headlines/94735934.html

May 24, 2010

AUGUSTA---Glenn Hills HIgh School Principal Dr. Wayne Frazier is out on bond after being charged with DUI.

Richmond County DUI investigators say he was arrested shortly after midnight Friday morning, May 21, on Deans Bridge Road.

Dr. Frazier was charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Thursday was the last day of class for students in Richmond County. Faculty reported to school on Friday.

Dr. Frazier had previously been the principal at Tubman Middle School, as well as the top leader at the Richmond County Alternative School.

DUI Bond was set for $1,540. The Richmond County Jail says he was released by 4am Friday morning.

We're working to get a comment at this hour from the Richmond County Board of Education.

http://www.wrdw.com/schools/headlines/94735934.html

May 24, 2010

AUGUSTA---Glenn Hills HIgh School Principal Dr. Wayne Frazier is out on bond after being charged with DUI.

Richmond County DUI investigators say he was arrested shortly after midnight Friday morning, May 21, on Deans Bridge Road.

Dr. Frazier was charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Thursday was the last day of class for students in Richmond County. Faculty reported to school on Friday.

Dr. Frazier had previously been the principal at Tubman Middle School, as well as the top leader at the Richmond County Alternative School.

DUI Bond was set for $1,540. The Richmond County Jail says he was released by 4am Friday morning.

We're working to get a comment at this hour from the Richmond County Board of Education.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/23655943/detail.html

A Gainesville man is facing a DUI charge after the Florida Highway Patrol said he crashed his car into a Putnam County Sheriff's Office parking lot early Sunday morning.

Actress Lindsay Lohan agreed to refrain from drinking alcohol or taking drugs as part of the conditions of a bail agreement stemming from a DUI arrest in 2007.

At a court hearing Monday morning, Judge Marsha Revel told Lohan that in order to remain free on bail, she would have to submit to random drug testing once a week, wear a SCRAM monitoring bracelet and complete all alcohol education classes at the rate of once a week.

Wearing a black suit and dark shades, Lohan arrived a few minutes late for the DUI hearing Monday, despite missing the originally scheduled hearing Friday due to being stuck in Cannes. Revel said she would not hold Lohan’s tardiness against her, as she noted that the actress’ camp had trouble entering the courtroom for undisclosed reasons.

But Revel stood her ground on the conditions of the bail agreement, rejecting requests from Lohan’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, to attend alcohol ed classes at an accelerated rate of once a day, as well as her request to forego the SCRAM bracelet in favor of additional drug testing. Chapman Holley argued that the SCRAM bracelet would interfere with Lohan’s work, including several photoshoots and a new film in Texas.

Revel said Lohan would not be able to continue to film in Texas during the next few weeks, as her drug tests would have to take place in the Los Angeles area.

After some deliberation, Lohan and Chapman Holley agreed to the conditions set forth as part of the bail agreement. Should Lohan fail to meet any of the conditions, Revel said she could be jailed for 180 days.

Meanwhile, Lohan took time to defend herself this weekend, giving an emotional interview with Hollywood TV. According to the actress, she did everything in her power to return home from Cannes Film Festival in time for her DUI probation hearing -- and blasted speculation she stayed abroad to party.

In Cannes to promote new movie "Inferno," Lohan claimed her passport was stolen from her hotel room "among some items of jewelry and other items that were in my possession."

"I was stuck in Cannes. I had my passport stolen so I had no option but to stay there," Lohan said.

"I was trying to find any way to come back because I knew I'd have to deal with any repercussions and I was very scared."

Lohan also suggested that a photo rumored to show her sitting next to lines of cocaine was a set-up and that she simply believed she was posing “with a fan.”

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel -- reportedly not happy because Lohan skipped alcohol education classes some weeks and made them up later -- issued awarrant for her arrest Thursday, after the “Mean Girls” star failed to attend a mandatory court hearing at 8:30 a.m. PDT.

The warrant was withdrawn after Lohan's representatives paid $10,000, the standard 10 percent of the $100,000 bail set. The hearing was rescheduled for Monday.

The 23-year-old slammed suggestions she could be jailed over violation of her three-year probation, saying: "I've been more than in compliance with everything to do with the court system.

"I've been up to par and would be done in two weeks and four days. I missed one (alcohol education) class because my uncle passed away and I stayed in New York to be with my family.

"I didn't even go to the funeral because I came back and did another class," she said. "I don't see why I'd have to go to prison."

Um, better late than never, right? Not for Lindsay Lohan.

After the circus caused by her passport-losing, court-truant ways last week, the actress-party girl finally turned up in a Beverly Hills courtroom this morning, where the terms of her bail were formalized.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel, who postponed her vacation in order to dole out the punishment, wasn't in the mood to be lenient, making sure there was no wiggle room.

After showing up about 10 minutes late to the hearing (not the most auspicious start), Lohan was, as expected, formally ordered to refrain from drugs and booze, ordered to be fitted with an ankle-accessorizing SCRAM device and ordered to undergo random drug testing at a very minimum of once per week.

The trouble-plagued starlet, who remains free on $100,000 bail, must also attend all of her scheduled alcohol-education courses.

"I want the court to know that Ms. Lohan intends to comply," said DUI attorney after a brief conference with her client.

But not without a fight.

In addition to requesting—perhaps in hopes of getting some extra credit—that Lohan be allowed to attend daily alcohol-ed classes rather than just weekly, Holley attempted to weasel her client out of the need for the SCRAM device. Her excuses? They were no stolen-passport, but not too shabby nonetheless:

"Ms. Lohan has a number of upcoming photo shoots as well as filming a movie in Texas…the SCRAM bracelet would interfere," she said.

As an alternate suggestion, she offered up to the court the possibility that Lohan instead undergo random drug and alcohol testing.

No dice.

Revel said that not only would Lohan not be allowed to escape the firm grasp of the SCRAM device, but she would have to submit to the drug testing in Los Angeles—meaning she would either have to postpone or bow out of her Texas gig.

"She needs to submit to random drug testing here, not in Texas," Revel said. "I'm afraid she's going to have to delay that for now."

If she was in Texas and was called to L.A. to undergo testing, "it's not random," Revel explained. "It's going to be drug testing here."

Courtroom chatter briefly breaked after Revel asked if Lohan accepted the terms of her bail. If they were to formally object, Revel would go on record with her justification of the harshness—a record that she said would take roughly 30 minutes to get through. That's a lot of skeletons.

Wisely, after conferencing with Holley, she agreed to the terms.

Now, the 23-year-old has 24 hours to get fitted with the SCRAM device and random drug testing and compliance with her courses will begin immediately. Revel did not read out where Lohan  would be getting fitted as she wanted to give the star "the opportunity to go there without a following."

Best of luck with that.

As for her drug testing, Revel made clear there would be no excuses.

"Failure to show for random drug testing is the same as a dirty test to the court," she said.

The only acceptable excuse for missing an alcohol class, meanwhile, is if Lohan has a random drug test scheduled for that time, as the testing supersedes her courses.

Some other business was attended to during the brief hearing, including the prosecutors' request for some good-faith evidence that Lohan had in fact intended on making last week's court date. Holley provided it, showing proof that she had an airline ticket booked for last Wednesday as well as a record of the appointment she booked with the U.S. Embassy.

As for Lohan, she spoke up just once during the hearing, when asked by the judge if she understood the conditions of her bail.

"Yes, your honor," Lohan said.

She's free on $100,000 bail pending a July 6 probation-violation hearing—if she's found in violation, Lohan could face jail time.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b182568_judge_lindsay_lohan_just_say_no_drugs.html#ixzz0orlcz9yU

Stanford's JJ Hones drives against Duke last December.

CAPTION

By Ben Margot/AP

Stanford this week dismissed guard JJ Hones from the team that went to the NCAA championship game this year. Her infraction? An arrest for DUI, but not just any DUI.

Hones was pulled over May 2 for driving a golf cart on campus while under the influence, school spokeswoman Lisa Lapin tells the San Jose Mercury News.

Hones, 22, was arrested for DUI, evading a campus police officer and resisting arrest. She was booked at Santa Clara County jail at about 4 a.m., and DUI charges are still pending.

The senior point guard had limited playing time the past two years because of knee surgeries, and had a third knee surgery last month. The Mercury News said she declined to comment. She has career averaged of 5.4 points and 3.0 assists, and had hoped to play one more season.

http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/orlandpark/2302304,052310orcops.article
HOMER GLEN

BREAK-IN ATTEMPT A resident in the 16000 block of Hidden Valley Circle reported May 10 that his 12-year-old son was home alone when a stranger approached the front door and began fiddling with the handle. When the boy came downstairs, the man fled to a white sedan in front of the house with another man in the driver's seat.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE A resident of the 13000 block of Lemont Road reported May 11 that a white Ford Escape was in his driveway when he arrived home but quickly left as he was pulling up. The homeowner discovered that his new furnace was missing.

DUI CHARGE Cheryl A. Rudd, 47, 5343 Waterbury Court, Crestwood, was charged with DUI, failure to yield and failure to signal after a head-on crash May 12 near Bruce and Cedar roads, police said.

ROBBERY An Orland Park woman had a diaper bag containing her wallet stolen May 12 in the parking lot of Dominick's, 14200 Bell Road, by two youths who snuck up on her, police said. They said the bag was later dropped off on her doorstep at home, but all the contents were missing.

DUI ARREST Roberto Uriostegui, 25, of Chicago, was charged with DUI, driving on a revoked license, no insurance and driving with an obstructed view after a stop May 14 near 159th Street and Will-Cook Road, police said.

BUSINESS BURGLARY The manager of A Touch of Green, 12720 W. 159th St., reported May 15 that someone cut a hole in the chain link fence surrounding the business and entered two containers and a dump truck on the property. It was unclear whether anything was stolen.

ORLAND PARK

RETAIL THEFT Shacongo Harris, 21, 102 Cloverleaf Road, Matteson, was charged with retail theft after she stole $273 in merchandise May 6 from Marshall's in the Orland Park Place mall, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Stanley Blalock, 48, of Milwaukee, was arrested on a McLean County warrant after he was stopped May 10 in the 18000 block of Wolf Road, police said.

THEFT Bianca White, 21, 4728 Drexel Ave., Chicago, was charged with theft by deception after she fraudulently returned $100 in merchandise May 11 at J.C. Penney at Orland Square Mall, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Theresa Carlassare, 50, 17535 Sandalwood Drive, Tinley Park, was charged with DUI and no taillight after a May 11 stop in the 8400 block of 143rd Street, police said.

PROPERTY DAMAGE Trevon Carter, 23, 12623 Marshfield Ave., Calumet Park, was charged with criminal damage to property after he tore a garment he was trying to steal May 11 from the H&M store in Orland Square Mall, police said. They said he also was arrested on an Illinois State Police warrant.

REVOKED LICENSE Mark Piersma, 28, 10357 Broadmoor Drive, Palos Hills, was charged with driving on a revoked license, operating an uninsured vehicle and not wearing a seat belt after he was stopped May 11 in the 14800 block of LaGrange Road, police said.

SUSPENDED REGISTRATION Rebecca Allright, 27, 10147 151st St., Orland Park, was charged with driving on suspended registration, operating an uninsured vehicle, not wearing a seat belt and not having a driver's license with her after a stop May 11 in the 10900 block of 143rd Street, police said.

RETAIL THEFT Kathleen Berry, 58, 5985 W. Lakeside Place, Tinley Park, was charged with retail theft after she stole $111 in merchandise May 12 from Sears and Lane Bryant in the Orland Square Mall, police said.

DUI ARREST Lisa Deany, 38, 7540 W. 111th St., Worth, was charged with DUI, speeding and not wearing a seat belt after a May 12 stop in the 14300 block of LaGrange Road, police said.

WARRANT ARREST Philip Regan, 21, 17230 Locust Ave., Tinley Park, was arrested May 12 on an Orland Park warrant after a stop in the 15800 block of Orlan Brook Drive, police said.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT Salvatore Della Fave, 56, No. 9 Old Frankfort Way, Frankfort, was charged with disorderly conduct after an incident May 12 at Best Buy, 15845 LaGrange Road, in which he unwrapped $320 in DVDs and put them back on the shelf, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Lorenzo Brandon, 22, 21708 Peterson Ave., Sauk Village, was charged with driving on a suspended license and improper lane use after a stop May 13 in the 15800 block of LaGrange Road, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Donald Petrik, 24, 5234 Archer Ave., Chicago, was charged with driving on a suspended license and operating an uninsured vehicle after he was stopped May 14 in the 14700 block of LaGrange Road, police said.

EXPIRED LICENSE Tashy Klinger, 49, 4530 W. 93rd St., Oak Lawn, was charged with driving on an expired license, operating an uninsured vehicle and speeding in a school zone after a May 14 stop in the 8800 block of 151st Street, police said.

DUI ARREST Daniel Armbruster, 25, 11820 Boyne Court, Orland Park, was charged with drunken driving and speeding after a stop May 16 at Brook Hill Drive and Wolf Road, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Warren Hardin, 38, 1013 Purdue Ave., Matteson, was charged with driving on a suspended license and not wearing a seat belt after being stopped May 17 at Wheeler Drive and Harlem Avenue, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Cedell Martin, 56, of New Mexico, was charged with driving on a suspended license and not wearing a seat belt after a May 17 stop at Wheeler Drive and Harlem Avenue, police said.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Pierre Welch, 25, 14515 Manistee Ave., Burnham, was charged with driving on a suspended license and no rear plate light after a stop May 18 in the 8800 block of 159th Street, police said.

NO LICENSE Christopher Cruz, 24, 5526 California Ave., Chicago, was charged driving without a valid license, operating an uninsured vehicle, having a defective windshield, possession of drug paraphernalia and no insurance after he was stopped May 18 in the 9400 block of 159th Street, police said.

BATTERY Michael Epley, 18, 16825 91st Ave., Orland Hills, was charged with battery after he spat at a woman who cursed at him when he blocked her view of oncoming traffic May 19 at McDonald's, 9110 W. 159th St., police said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/05/23/2010-05-23_lilo_not_laying_off_vino_on_way_to_dui_hearing.html
Lindsay Lohan tossed back some vino on a plane Saturday - just a couple of days from her DUI hearing in Los Angeles.

After partying until the early hours of Saturday morning in Cannes, France, the troubled star boarded a British Airways flight to London Saturday, where she was spotted knocking back red wine.

Lohan arrived in Los Angeles Saturday night around 7, according to reports.

She has been ordered to attend a DUI court hearing Monday related to her 2007 drug and alcohol busts.

The 23-year-old missed a DUI court hearing Thursday, claiming she was unable to return to California because her passport had been stolen.

Then she angered the judge by being photographed lounging on a yacht in the French Riviera the same day.

A DUI arrest warrant was issued, authorizing officials to pick her up the minute she stepped off the plane, but Lohan was allowed to post $100,000 bail instead as a guarantee she'll show up for the hearing.

DUI is one of America's deadliest crimes, police noted. In California last year 1,029 people died in crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

"Make no mistake. Our message is simple," said traffic Sgt. Mike Mitchell. "No matter what you drive -- a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle or motorcycle -- if we catch you DUI, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses."

He said officers will be talking to drivers, making sure they are not impaired, arresting those who are, and "getting the word out that DUI and driving without a proper license is not acceptable in Fairfield."

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=7455962
OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- Every year in the U.S., 12,000 people die in accidents caused by drunk drivers. Police departments are hoping to reduce that number with DUI checkpoints, but they are catching more than just drunks.

At one DUI checkpoint in Oakland, police aren't just looking to see if drivers are drunk. They are also looking to see if the drivers have a license. On one particular night, 77 unlicensed drivers were cited; there were no drunk drivers. In most cities no license means your car will be towed and impounded.

"It's a revenue generator, there's no question," says investigative reporter Ryan Gabrielson. "We found a huge disparity in the number of DUI arrests that they are making at these sobriety of checkpoints and the number of cars they are impounding for people not having a drivers license."

Gabrielson is an investigative reporting fellow at the University of California. He looked at data from DUI and license checkpoints all over the state.

"We found that in some jurisdictions, some municipalities where they will average 60 vehicles seized at a checkpoint for every one DUI arrest," says Gabrielson.

In Oakland, most cars are held overnight, but in many other cities, state law allows the car to be held for 30 days. The car will sit at a tow lot, accruing daily impound fees, and local fines.

"These total $1,500 to $2,000 to as high as $4,000 for people to retrieve their cars," says Gabrielson.

Many people never pick them up and cities generally sell those cars at auctions providing a steady source of income.

"I think it's very important to understand that driving without a license carries a very high risk," says David Ragland.

Ragland is with SafeTREC, the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at UC Berkeley. SafeTREC helps administer checkpoints with federal grants. Ragland says the 30-day hold actually keeps our roads safer.

"About 20 percent of all the fatalities, traffic fatalities in the Unites States, involve at least one driver without a valid license," says Ragland.

Still, there are those who say, targeting unlicensed drivers unfairly singles out poor and undocumented immigrants.

One man at the checkpoint said he had a license, but it was expired. His car was towed. He told ABC7 he believes police came to the prominently Latino Fruitvale District in Oakland because they know many immigrants don't have licenses.

Oakland police deny they are targeting anyone, they say checkpoints are random, and they're just enforcing the law.

"I find that offensive and I think we should stop that immediately," says Sen. Gilbert Cedillo, (D) Los Angeles.

Cedillo believes that law needs to be changed. He says undocumented immigrants should be allowed to get drivers licenses. In 1993, the state legislature voted that only legal residents can get one.

"All it did do was make our highways less safe and less secure," says Cedillo.

Cedillo says allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses would educate them on the rules of the road, making them more responsible drivers.

He says DUI checkpoints have turned into money making opportunities for cash strapped cities.

"To take those dollars and then use them in a dragnet to focus on immigrant communities, to take away their vehicles is a violation of the constitution," says Cedillo.

The constitutionality of DUI checkpoints has been challenged repeatedly since their implementation, but the United States Supreme Court has said they are constitutional.

The defendant in this case will need to hire an experienced Orange County DUI Attorney or an Orange County   Drunk Driving Lawyer .

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7013276.html
Houston millionaire John Goodman, a major financial supporter of American polo and the owner of the International Polo Club near Palm Beach, faces up to 30 years in prison in Florida on DUI manslaughter charges arising from a fatal car crash in February.

Goodman, 46, was arrested at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami on Wednesday shortly after charges were filed. He later made an initial court appearance and was released after posting a $100,000 bond.

Goodman also was charged with failing to render aid, a significant offense because under Florida law it enhances potential criminal penalties.

A probable cause affidavit from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department claims Goodman was drunk when the Bentley sports car he was driving collided with a Hyundai sedan driven by Scott Wilson early on the morning of Feb. 12 in the Palm Beach suburb of Wellington.

The affidavit also states that Goodman fled on foot and made no attempt to check on the welfare of Wilson, whose car was knocked into a canal. Wilson, 23, drowned before emergency vehicles arrived, the affidavit says.

Goodman walked to a residence and failed to notify authorities for almost an hour, the affidavit says.

The homeowner who helped him aid Goodman was reluctant to call for help because he feared getting into trouble.

“Goodman borrowed a cellular phone from (the homeowner) and called his girlfriend at 1:52 a.m. before calling 911 at 1:55 a.m.,” the affidavit states. “According to (the resident), Goodman asked her if he looked or sounded impaired to her and asked if he should call 911.”

‘Strong smell of alcohol'

A deputy who responded to Goodman's call took him back to the scene of the DUI accident.

The deputy said that Goodman “had a strong smell of alcoholic beverage coming from his person” and also said Goodman's eyes were “bloodshot and glassy.” A subsequent blood alcohol test showed an alcohol content of .177, more than twice the legal limit in that state, according to the affidavit.

Goodman, who inherited a fortune after selling the air-conditioning company started by his father, is well known in Houston society. A proficient polo player who took up the sport as an adult, he also supports a professional team of which he is a member.

He had spent the evening of the crash at a charity fund- raiser and had continued drinking at a bar, according to the affidavit.

Wilson's parents filed a civil lawsuit against Goodman last month. Their attorneys Wednesday condemned Goodman's behavior.

“Instead of trying to help the victim of his wanton action, he fled the scene and began calling friends and lawyers to try to cover himself,” the statement said.

Freed, with conditions

Goodman's attorney, Roy Black, asked the public not to pre-judge his client.

“Mr. Goodman intends to vigorously defend himself against the criminal charges while continuing to do all within his power to minimize any further suffering by the Wilson family,” Black said in a prepared statement.

Goodman, who travels back and forth between Palm Beach and Houston, cannot leave Florida without permission of prosecutors and has been prohibited from drinking, driving or patronizing bars.

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/man-turns-himself-in-after-ucf-grad-was-killed-in-dui-crash-1.2267917
The man who killed UCF graduate Scott Patrick Wilson in a February DUI car accident turned himself in to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office early Wednesday morning.

According to The Palm Beach Post, John Bailey Goodman, the owner of the International Polo Club Palm Beach, was arrested at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami and brought to the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of DUI manslaughter with failure to render aid and vehicular homicide with failure to render aid.

The DUI arrest comes after a three-month investigation led by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The crash involving Wilson and Goodman occurred in Wellington on Feb. 12 around 1 a.m.

Goodman was driving southbound on 120 Avenue in his 2007 Bentley GTC and failed to stop for a posted stop sign at the intersection of Lake Worth Road and S. 120 Avenue.

Goodman collided with Wilson’s 2006 Hyundai Sonata that was traveling westbound on Lake Worth Road. The collision caused Wilson’s vehicle to be pushed onto a canal bank where it rolled into the canal.

According to the arrest affidavit, “Goodman fled the scene and left Wilson to drown in the canal, belted in the driver seat of his vehicle.”

Goodman then walked .2 miles south and borrowed a cell phone from a resident of 120 Avenue South. He called his girlfriend at 1:52 a.m. before calling 911 at 1:55 a.m.

According to the DUI arrest affidavit, when deputies located Goodman, they noticed that he smelled of alcohol and that his speech was slurred. Goodman was taken to Wellington Regional Medical Center for his minor injuries where a forced blood sample was taken.

“The results of the blood tests showed that Goodman had a blood alcohol level of .177,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Wilson had just graduated in May 2009 with a degree in mechanical engineering and was staying in Orlando to look for work, according to The Post.

“Our sympathies are with the family, and now we will let the legal process run its course,” said Grant Heston, the assistant vice president of UCF News and Information.

If convicted, Goodman could face up to 30 years in prison for each DUI charge.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20100519/NEWS01/5190313
Area law enforcement will hold two sobriety DUI checkpoints in the next two days.

On Thursday the West Monroe Police Department will join Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents and Ouachita Parish sheriff's deputies in working a DUI checkpoint from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. in West Monroe's city limits.

On Friday, LSP and LDWF officers will work with Union Parish Sheriff's deputies to conduct a DUI sobriety checkpoint in Union Parish from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Research Group, in 2009 alcohol was involved in almost 50 percent of fatal car crashes in Louisiana.

http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/516733.html
The Fort Myers Police Department will conduct a DUI sobriety checkpoint sometime this coming weekend. The operation will take place at an undisclosed location in the City of Fort Myers as FMPD continues its commitment to getting DUI drivers off our roadways. DUI Checkpoint emphasis is placed on the following: 1. Remove impaired drivers from the roadway 2. Reduce the likelihood impaired drivers will operate their vehicles on our roadways 3. Heighten awareness 4. Educate the public on the dangers of drunk driving.

Various community partnerships, including planned DUI sobriety checkpoints, are established with the goal of educating and informing the public on traffic safety issues. FMPD received funding from the Florida Department of Transportation to host DUI checkpoints. The money helps purchase DUI checkpoint equipment and to pay officers overtime when they participate in the checkpoints

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7447642
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- Police have two men in custody after an officer was shot during a DUI traffic stop in Santa Monica on Tuesday. The alleged gunman was wounded during an exchange of gunfire.

Police said the alleged gunman had been hiding for about three hours until K-9 officers and the SWAT team found him at about 5:10 a.m. Officers shot the suspect, but it was unclear whether the suspect fired on officers. The extent of his injuries are unknown.

The suspect is accused of wounding a Santa Monica police officer during a DUI traffic stop at Pico and Lincoln boulevards at about 1:30 a.m.

An officer had pulled over a suspected drunk driver in a Nissan Pathfinder and called for backup. While the officer was doing a routine field-sobriety test, the passenger got out of the vehicle and started firing at police officers.

A 16-year veteran on the force was hit in the abdomen. Officers returned fire, but the gunman fled the scene.

Dozens of police officers from multiple agencies moved into the area in search of the gunman, and residents were urged to stay inside.

"There was somebody who shot an officer, and we were really concerned about the public's safety," said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Jay Trisler.

The officer who was shot was rushed to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

http://samessenger.com/NewsView.asp?ID=6004
ST. ALBANS CITY –– Monday afternoon was surreal for Pat LaBier-Boucher.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2302179_find-dui-checkpoints.html
The United States Supreme Court has determined that DUI Checkpoints, also called "DUI sobriety roadblocks", are legal and minimally invasive. Of course, for a motorist who is late for a meeting or anxious to get home, the inconvenience is subjective. Fortunately, there are ways to find out if there are DUI checkpoints in your area so that you can avoid them.