When Providing Alcohol to a Minor Causes Collision
When Providing Alcohol to a Minor Causes Collision
When Providing Alcohol to a Minor Causes Collision California Business and Professions Code Section 25658 Under California Business and Professions Code Section 25658, every person who sells, furnishes, or gives any alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age is guilty of a misdemeanor. In the United States, the minimum legal drinking age is 21 years. According to research, a relatively high legal drinking age of 21 has…
Read MoreMay the Police Enter a Vehicle After a Traffic Stop?
May the Police Enter a Vehicle After a Traffic Stop? The Fourth Amendment protects a car’s interior as a whole from unreasonable intrusions by the police. A police officer’s physical intrusion into the interior of a car constitutes a “search” under the Fourth Amendment. What Happens if the Police Conduct an Unlawful Search? The Exclusionary Rule The exclusionary rule generally applies in Fourth Amendment cases requiring courts to suppress…
Read MoreWhat to Say When Police Ask “Have you Been Drinking?”
What to Say When Police Ask "Have you Been Drinking?" When you are pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, you are probably afraid of what could potentially happen to you. The next few minutes could lead to very serious consequences. That is why you should be prepared for the question most police officers ask drivers who are pulled over for DUI: “Have you been drinking?”…
Read MoreHow Certain Foods You Eat Can Impact Your DUI Case
You might remember a famous episode of “Seinfeld” where Elaine is called into her boss’ office because she failed a drug test for opium. Elaine, surprised by the result, soon discovers that the reason was the poppy-seed muffins she often ate. Poppy seeds, as it turns out, contain the principal chemicals needed to produce opium and related drugs. As funny as that episode of “Seinfeld” is, there is nothing funny…
Read MoreCan You Refuse a Breath Test If Pulled Over for DUI?
Can You Refuse a Breath Test If Pulled Over for DUI? Traffic stops are stressful events. You see red lights flashing in your mirror, hear the sirens, and the intimidating demand to pull over from the voice coming through the cruiser’s speaker. Add to this that you probably have no idea why you are being stopped, and you have the ingredients for a situation in which you might inadvertently waive…
Read MoreWhy We Publicize DUI Checkpoints
Why We Publicize DUI Checkpoints We get a lot of feedback on our social media postings for announcing the locations of DUI checkpoints in Southern California. Among the most common questions we receive: “Why do you publicly announce these locations? Aren’t law firms like yours helping people get away with driving under the influence by issuing these advanced warnings about checkpoints?” The answer is simple: We do it because the…
Read MoreSuccess Stories: One Bad Night
Success Stories: One Bad Night For many of our clients, driving under the influence is the first and only crime they ever commit. Take this example of a recent client, a young college student with no prior criminal record who went out drinking with one of his friends. After a few too many drinks, our client and his friend got into his car. Driving too fast, the client lost control…
Read MoreWhat Are Your Rights if Stopped at a DUI Checkpoint on Halloween Night?
What Are Your Rights if Stopped at a DUI Checkpoint on Halloween Night? If you're out driving California streets and roads on Halloween night, about the only thing that might be scarier than running into a ghost or goblin is encountering the dreaded California DUI Checkpoint and the prospect of spending a night in jail if you've been celebrating the holiday with your favorite pumpkin brew. Are these things even…
Read MoreHow Out-of-State Convictions for DUI Can Be Used in a California DUI Case
How Out-of-State Convictions for DUI Can Be Used in a California DUI Case Driving under the influence is one of the most commonly committed crimes in the United States. It is a universal crime: drivers of any race, gender, education, nationality, or economic background could potentially commit the crime. Every state has its own laws to punish DUI convictions, as well as sentence enhancements for repeat offenders. What happens if…
Read MoreDUI Manslaughter or Vehicular Homicide
DUI Manslaughter or Vehicular Homicide Though it is seen as a less serious charge than murder, manslaughter is a very serious crime in California that comes with severe penalties that may impact you for the rest of your life. Because so much of our time is spent driving, being involved in an automobile accident is a common occurrence on the busy roads of California. But what happens when you are…
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