Drunken driving arrests in Orange County increased during the New Year's weekend when compared to the previous year, according to the California Highway Patrol.
In Orange County, 69 drivers were cited for driving under the influence of alcohol in areas patrolled by the CHP from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 through 12 a.m. Jan. 3, said CHP officer Denise Quesada. No DUI-related deaths were reported in the county.
Last year, 59 people were cited by the CHP for DUI during Dec. 31 through Jan. 4, Quesada said. One person was killed.
Statewide, CHP officers made 1,388 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence between 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve and 12 a.m. Sunday, down from 1,456 arrests last year.
Officials reported 36 traffic deaths statewide – 24 of those were within CHP jurisdiction – over the holiday period, up from 30 a year ago. Of the 24 deaths, 12 were not wearing a seatbelt, according to Erin Komatsubara, a CHP spokeswoman.
"People are not designating a non-intoxicated driver, and people need to be aware and remember how important it is to have that person to make sure they get home safely," said Officer Krystal Carter of the CHP's transportation management center in Los Angeles.
Over the New Year's weekend, at least one Orange County resident died in a car accident, on a surface street in Orange.
Roger LaSalle, 62, of Costa Mesa apparently lost control of his vehicle and careened into a utility pole on West Chapman Avenue at South Flower Street just after midnight on Saturday, police said. The cause of his death is pending an autopsy. Police say a medical condition may have been at least partly to blame.
Register reporter Scott Martindale contributed to this report.
Source
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Holiday Drunk Driving Arrests Up This Year
Los Angeles - Drunken driving arrests by the California Highway Patrol are up this New Year's Eve holiday weekend, across both California and here in the Southland, with arrests doubling this year in Orange County, according to CHP statistics.
In Orange County, the CHP made 58 drunken driving arrests compared with 32 last year, and one death was recorded, versus none last year.
In Los Angeles County, 241 drivers were arrested by the CHP between the hours of 6 p.m. Dec. 31, 2009 and 6 a.m. today. That's up from 202 arrests in the similar period last year.
"It's hard to tell if people just aren't getting the message (about drinking and driving), and this year over last there are more people driving under the influence, or if officers are just getting luckier and catching more," CHP officer Ray Scheidnes said. "We have as many officers as possible out on the roads trying to keep people safe."
Statewide, 1,252 drunken driving arrests were made by the CHP, up from 986 during the 60-hour time period last year.
Three traffic deaths were listed in Los Angeles County, one more than last year.
Statewide numbers of people killed in traffic-related incidents were also up: 21 deaths last year, versus 30 people killed this New Year's weekend.
The CHP arrest statistics only count arrests by the CHP itself, and do not include local police agencies' arrests. But the CHP death tally attempts to track all fatalities in all jurisdictions, and is a running tally as the CHP is notified by local police agencies of deaths.
Source
In Orange County, the CHP made 58 drunken driving arrests compared with 32 last year, and one death was recorded, versus none last year.
In Los Angeles County, 241 drivers were arrested by the CHP between the hours of 6 p.m. Dec. 31, 2009 and 6 a.m. today. That's up from 202 arrests in the similar period last year.
"It's hard to tell if people just aren't getting the message (about drinking and driving), and this year over last there are more people driving under the influence, or if officers are just getting luckier and catching more," CHP officer Ray Scheidnes said. "We have as many officers as possible out on the roads trying to keep people safe."
Statewide, 1,252 drunken driving arrests were made by the CHP, up from 986 during the 60-hour time period last year.
Three traffic deaths were listed in Los Angeles County, one more than last year.
Statewide numbers of people killed in traffic-related incidents were also up: 21 deaths last year, versus 30 people killed this New Year's weekend.
The CHP arrest statistics only count arrests by the CHP itself, and do not include local police agencies' arrests. But the CHP death tally attempts to track all fatalities in all jurisdictions, and is a running tally as the CHP is notified by local police agencies of deaths.
Source
Friday, January 15, 2010
Reality star Shayne Lamas accused of DUI
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Reality TV star Shayne Lamas said she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence at a police checkpoint in Los Angeles.
The former winner of "The Bachelor" told E! News exclusively that she was arrested on the misdemeanor charge in Los Angeles' Venice district Saturday night and is taking "full responsibility" for the incident, E! Online reported.
"Early Saturday morning, after consuming one drink, I willingly drove through a mandatory check point on my way home with complete confidence of passing," the "Leave It to Lamas" star said. "However, the breathalyzer indicated that I was over the legal limit of blood alcohol content and was arrested on site."
"I take full responsibility for my lack of judgment. I have always strived to be a role model for my friends, family and fans and have never nor will ever condone drinking and driving. I apologize for all those I have disappointed, including myself."
Source
The former winner of "The Bachelor" told E! News exclusively that she was arrested on the misdemeanor charge in Los Angeles' Venice district Saturday night and is taking "full responsibility" for the incident, E! Online reported.
"Early Saturday morning, after consuming one drink, I willingly drove through a mandatory check point on my way home with complete confidence of passing," the "Leave It to Lamas" star said. "However, the breathalyzer indicated that I was over the legal limit of blood alcohol content and was arrested on site."
"I take full responsibility for my lack of judgment. I have always strived to be a role model for my friends, family and fans and have never nor will ever condone drinking and driving. I apologize for all those I have disappointed, including myself."
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
New York Is Set for Strict Stand on D.W.I. Cases
ALBANY — New York State would make it a felony to drive while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and would require first-time convicted drunken drivers to buy a device that prevents them from driving their cars if they have been drinking, under a bill passed by the State Assembly on Tuesday.
The measure, which would significantly toughen penalties for drunken driving, could be passed by the Senate and sent to the governor this week. It would make New York the second state, after Arizona, in which drivers under the influence of alcohol could be charged with a felony if they have children as passengers.
New York would also be one of only a dozen states that force drivers convicted for the first time of drunken driving to install what is called an interlock device, which measures the alcohol content of a driver’s breath and prevents the engine from starting if it detects too high a level.
The push for harsher drunken-driving penalties follows two recent crashes in New York in which children were killed while traveling with adults who had been drinking.
In July, a Long Island woman drove the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in Westchester County and killed eight people, including her 2-year-old daughter and three young nieces. The driver, who also died, had a blood alcohol content of 0.19 percent, more than double the 0.08 percent that qualifies as being intoxicated while driving, and had marijuana in her system.
And in October, an 11-year-old girl, Leandra Rosado, was killed after the mother of one of her friends, who has since been charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated, flipped her car on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. The new law was named in honor of the girl.
Leandra’s father, Lenny Rosado, wept on Tuesday as he stood with lawmakers in the State Capitol to announce an agreement on the new stricter laws.
“Everyone who takes a drink and gets behind the wheel is going to think twice about driving whether there are children in the car,” Mr. Rosado said. “My daughter’s name and her death will make a difference.”
Under the measure, which Mr. Paterson has said he supports, drivers convicted of being drunk while carrying passengers 15 years or younger could face up to four years in prison.
Though the proposal was expected to get overwhelming support in the Legislature, some warned that the measure was not being given a thorough study.
“This bill has floated through so quickly, and I believe there are a lot of voices who would like to be heard,” said Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, a Democrat from Brooklyn. “They will never be heard, and the reason they will never be heard is because there’s too much emotionalism.”
Courts in New York convicted 37,695 people for drunken driving last year, and across the country people who drink and drive kill about 13,000 people a year.
Source
The measure, which would significantly toughen penalties for drunken driving, could be passed by the Senate and sent to the governor this week. It would make New York the second state, after Arizona, in which drivers under the influence of alcohol could be charged with a felony if they have children as passengers.
New York would also be one of only a dozen states that force drivers convicted for the first time of drunken driving to install what is called an interlock device, which measures the alcohol content of a driver’s breath and prevents the engine from starting if it detects too high a level.
The push for harsher drunken-driving penalties follows two recent crashes in New York in which children were killed while traveling with adults who had been drinking.
In July, a Long Island woman drove the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in Westchester County and killed eight people, including her 2-year-old daughter and three young nieces. The driver, who also died, had a blood alcohol content of 0.19 percent, more than double the 0.08 percent that qualifies as being intoxicated while driving, and had marijuana in her system.
And in October, an 11-year-old girl, Leandra Rosado, was killed after the mother of one of her friends, who has since been charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated, flipped her car on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. The new law was named in honor of the girl.
Leandra’s father, Lenny Rosado, wept on Tuesday as he stood with lawmakers in the State Capitol to announce an agreement on the new stricter laws.
“Everyone who takes a drink and gets behind the wheel is going to think twice about driving whether there are children in the car,” Mr. Rosado said. “My daughter’s name and her death will make a difference.”
Under the measure, which Mr. Paterson has said he supports, drivers convicted of being drunk while carrying passengers 15 years or younger could face up to four years in prison.
Though the proposal was expected to get overwhelming support in the Legislature, some warned that the measure was not being given a thorough study.
“This bill has floated through so quickly, and I believe there are a lot of voices who would like to be heard,” said Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, a Democrat from Brooklyn. “They will never be heard, and the reason they will never be heard is because there’s too much emotionalism.”
Courts in New York convicted 37,695 people for drunken driving last year, and across the country people who drink and drive kill about 13,000 people a year.
Source
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
KESTENBAUM, EISNER & GORIN, LLP ANNOUNCE MAJOR LOS ANGELES DUI LAW CHANGES
Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP, a premier Los Angeles DUI defense law firm, is working to make the public aware of new state legislation involving new DUI laws impacting Los Angeles, Southern California and the rest of the state.
Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed into law major changes to Los Angeles DUI legislation which require certain drivers with prior DUI convictions to pass sobriety tests before driving. The first bill, proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Mike Feuer, established a pilot program requiring a breathalyzer to be installed in vehicles owned/operated by “first-time DUI offenders.” The breathalyzer will not allow the car to start until the driver measures a blood-alcohol concentration under the legal limit of .08% in California.
A second Los Angeles DUI law allows repeat DUI offenders to apply for a restricted driver’s license if they allow breathalyzers to be installed in their vehicles.
The Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, is determined to provide top-notch legal representation for anyone charged with or arrested for DUI in Southern California. Drunk driving is a serious offense, and only a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can assist those who are facing serious consequences.
Los Angeles DUI Consequences
For anyone convicted of a DUI crime in Los Angeles, he or she can expect the following punishments:
· Hefty fines
· Potential jail time
· Restricted driving privileges
· Loss of driver’s license
· And long probationary periods
To properly defend against these consequences, contact the Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin. Their Los Angeles DUI Law Firm has a long track record of successfully defending people facing life-changing DUI consequences.
About Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin
The Los Angeles DUI attorneys at Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin LLP specialize in the aggressive defense of DUI (driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol) charges resulting from drunken driving arrests throughout Southern California. The attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin are Former Senior Los Angeles Prosecutors with more than 50 years experience litigating DUI charges in court and at DMV hearings. This Los Angeles DUI defense firm has been recognized as a Top 5% U.S Law Firm year after year, receiving a “Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a nationally-recognized lawyers’ review company. The firm specializes in defending DUI cases in Los Angeles Superior Courts including in the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, Pasadena, Metro Court on 1945 S. Hill Street and throughout Southern California.
Source
Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed into law major changes to Los Angeles DUI legislation which require certain drivers with prior DUI convictions to pass sobriety tests before driving. The first bill, proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Mike Feuer, established a pilot program requiring a breathalyzer to be installed in vehicles owned/operated by “first-time DUI offenders.” The breathalyzer will not allow the car to start until the driver measures a blood-alcohol concentration under the legal limit of .08% in California.
A second Los Angeles DUI law allows repeat DUI offenders to apply for a restricted driver’s license if they allow breathalyzers to be installed in their vehicles.
The Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, is determined to provide top-notch legal representation for anyone charged with or arrested for DUI in Southern California. Drunk driving is a serious offense, and only a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can assist those who are facing serious consequences.
Los Angeles DUI Consequences
For anyone convicted of a DUI crime in Los Angeles, he or she can expect the following punishments:
· Hefty fines
· Potential jail time
· Restricted driving privileges
· Loss of driver’s license
· And long probationary periods
To properly defend against these consequences, contact the Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin. Their Los Angeles DUI Law Firm has a long track record of successfully defending people facing life-changing DUI consequences.
About Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin
The Los Angeles DUI attorneys at Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin LLP specialize in the aggressive defense of DUI (driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol) charges resulting from drunken driving arrests throughout Southern California. The attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin are Former Senior Los Angeles Prosecutors with more than 50 years experience litigating DUI charges in court and at DMV hearings. This Los Angeles DUI defense firm has been recognized as a Top 5% U.S Law Firm year after year, receiving a “Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a nationally-recognized lawyers’ review company. The firm specializes in defending DUI cases in Los Angeles Superior Courts including in the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, Pasadena, Metro Court on 1945 S. Hill Street and throughout Southern California.
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Man pleads no contest to killing rabbi in 2007 Long Beach DUI crash
LONG BEACH - A 30-year-old Los Angeles man pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge that he killed a 61-year-old rabbi while driving drunk two years ago.
Willie Norton Jr., 30, entered his plea - considered the same as a guilty plea in criminal court - as jury selection was slated to begin in his trial Wednesday, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Hans Kohnlein.
After entering his plea Norton was promptly sentenced to 17 years in prison, said Kohnlein, who is in charge of the Accident Investigations Detail.
The victim, Gilbert Shaffer, was visiting from Brooklyn, New York, on March 7, 2007, when the fatal crash occurred.
The car Shaffer was driving - a white 2007 Saturn Ion - was hit by Norton's gold 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood and Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said then that Norton's Cadillac spun out of control after he was hit by a Los Angeles Metro bus near Pacific Coast Highway and Long Beach Boulevard.
Investigators said Norton appeared to be drunk and the cause of the crash. He was eventually arrested and charged with the rabbi's death in October of 2007.
Relatives of Shaffer said the rabbi - who lived in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York - was in Long Beach on a business trip at the time of his death.
The driver of the Metro bus, a 24-year-old Whittier man, was never charged in the fatal crash.
Source
Willie Norton Jr., 30, entered his plea - considered the same as a guilty plea in criminal court - as jury selection was slated to begin in his trial Wednesday, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Hans Kohnlein.
After entering his plea Norton was promptly sentenced to 17 years in prison, said Kohnlein, who is in charge of the Accident Investigations Detail.
The victim, Gilbert Shaffer, was visiting from Brooklyn, New York, on March 7, 2007, when the fatal crash occurred.
The car Shaffer was driving - a white 2007 Saturn Ion - was hit by Norton's gold 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood and Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said then that Norton's Cadillac spun out of control after he was hit by a Los Angeles Metro bus near Pacific Coast Highway and Long Beach Boulevard.
Investigators said Norton appeared to be drunk and the cause of the crash. He was eventually arrested and charged with the rabbi's death in October of 2007.
Relatives of Shaffer said the rabbi - who lived in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York - was in Long Beach on a business trip at the time of his death.
The driver of the Metro bus, a 24-year-old Whittier man, was never charged in the fatal crash.
Source
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Families of drunk driving victims giving back in MADD fundraiser
Hank Alvarez has learned to cope with the pain of losing a child since his son was killed in an accident caused by a drunken driver more than seven years ago.
Steven Alvarez, a 20-year-old wrestling coach at West High School, was driving along Western Avenue in April 2003 when he was broadsided by Ricardo Pena, 22.
Steven Alvarez was taken off life support the next day, while authorities said that Pena's blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit.
"The hardest thing about losing someone is learning how to live with the pain," said Alvarez, a longtime Torrance resident. "You move on, but it's still not easy."
Through the most difficult times, Alvarez relied on support from families who had experienced similar losses.
Now he's giving back by participating in Saturday's "Walk Like MADD" fundraiser in Long Beach, sponsored by the Los Angeles-Ventura chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
The event will start at 9 a.m. at the Queen Mary Events Park, 1126 Queens Highway.
Alvarez has participated in the charity event for the last six years to honor his son's memory. His team, "Alvy 59," has already raised nearly $900.
"I can still picture how it happened, when the officers told me he got hit," he said. "To this day, I can picture it in my mind."
Several other South Bay families, including Palos Verdes Estates resident Marlene Young, also are participating in the event.
Young organized a team in memory of her daughter, Whitney Young, who died in a drunken driving accident in January 2006.
In her third year walking, Young has put an extra emphasis on finding children and teenagers to participate for her daughter's team, "Whitney's All Stars."
"That's what we want, young people talking to young people to create positive peer pressure against drunk driving," she said.
Young has channeled her pain by volunteering for MADD. To her, every person educated is a person saved. She has also enlisted the support of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department, which signed up a team of virtual walkers to raise funds.
"My reason for doing it every year is just to try to impact one person," she said. "Someone could be spared the tragedy that we've had to experience."
MADD's goal for the walk is to raise $800,000 to help local volunteers who organize community support groups and preventative programs to combat drunken driving.
Statistics show that 41 percent of fatal crashes are alcohol related.
Cheryl Matasso, a Harbor City resident who will walk Saturday, volunteers for MADD by speaking to the community about ways to prevent these accidents.
Source
Steven Alvarez, a 20-year-old wrestling coach at West High School, was driving along Western Avenue in April 2003 when he was broadsided by Ricardo Pena, 22.
Steven Alvarez was taken off life support the next day, while authorities said that Pena's blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit.
"The hardest thing about losing someone is learning how to live with the pain," said Alvarez, a longtime Torrance resident. "You move on, but it's still not easy."
Through the most difficult times, Alvarez relied on support from families who had experienced similar losses.
Now he's giving back by participating in Saturday's "Walk Like MADD" fundraiser in Long Beach, sponsored by the Los Angeles-Ventura chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
The event will start at 9 a.m. at the Queen Mary Events Park, 1126 Queens Highway.
Alvarez has participated in the charity event for the last six years to honor his son's memory. His team, "Alvy 59," has already raised nearly $900.
"I can still picture how it happened, when the officers told me he got hit," he said. "To this day, I can picture it in my mind."
Several other South Bay families, including Palos Verdes Estates resident Marlene Young, also are participating in the event.
Young organized a team in memory of her daughter, Whitney Young, who died in a drunken driving accident in January 2006.
In her third year walking, Young has put an extra emphasis on finding children and teenagers to participate for her daughter's team, "Whitney's All Stars."
"That's what we want, young people talking to young people to create positive peer pressure against drunk driving," she said.
Young has channeled her pain by volunteering for MADD. To her, every person educated is a person saved. She has also enlisted the support of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department, which signed up a team of virtual walkers to raise funds.
"My reason for doing it every year is just to try to impact one person," she said. "Someone could be spared the tragedy that we've had to experience."
MADD's goal for the walk is to raise $800,000 to help local volunteers who organize community support groups and preventative programs to combat drunken driving.
Statistics show that 41 percent of fatal crashes are alcohol related.
Cheryl Matasso, a Harbor City resident who will walk Saturday, volunteers for MADD by speaking to the community about ways to prevent these accidents.
Source
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