State Highway Patrol officials will start cracking down this month on residents who register their vehicles in other states in order to dodge Nevada registration fees. According to a news report in the Las Vegas Sun, authorities have taken this action because counties and school districts are losing money as a result of more and more vehicles being registered out of state. Under this new law, failing to register a vehicle is a misdemeanor offense, which could result in a fine of up to $1,000. If you live or work in Nevada, you are required to register your vehicle in this state within 30 days.

In North Las Vegas, police are also in the process of conducting crosswalk and DUI undercover stings. On St. Patrick’s Day, a number of police officers conducted crosswalk stings as they masqueraded as leprechauns. Officers are also pretending to be tourists to catch motorists to fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks. This is part of the city’s effort to curb pedestrian accidents. Just in six hours on a recent day, North Las Vegas police handed out more than 100 tickets to violators. These pedestrian stings and DUI saturation patrols will only increase come summer.

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Being arrested for driving under the influence in California can be a stressful and overwhelming experience, particularly if you have grounds to believe that the charges are unjustified. Fortunately, there are many defenses available in a California drunk driving case.

Some of the most common DUI defenses include:

• Was the defendant actually driving? The prosecution must prove that the defendant was, in fact, driving. Intoxication is not enough to win the case. This may be difficult to prove because there are often no witnesses to the incident.
• Did the officer have probable cause? The arresting officer must have “legal cause” to (a) stop, (b) detain, and (c) arrest.
• Did you make incriminating statements to law enforcement? The Miranda rules may allow incriminating statements to be suppressed if warnings were not given at the appropriate time.

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A recent decision by the Supreme Court may impact some California DUI cases. The case addressed the Confrontation Clause, under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that criminal defendants have the right to confront witnesses against them.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court held that crime laboratory reports may not be used against criminal defendants at trial unless the analysts responsible for creating them testify and submit to cross-examination.

The case at issue involved the arrest of a New Mexico man, Donald Bullcoming, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. At his trial, prosecutors presented a crime lab report showing that his blood-alcohol levels were above the legal limit. (more…)

Drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in California face a variety of consequences, including license suspensions, monetary fines, mandatory alcohol-education program attendance, and jail time. The good news is that many in the California criminal justice system recognize that a jail cell is not often the best place to rehabilitate a DUI offender. Therefore, many California DUI defendants are eligible for sentencing alternatives in lieu of jail time and as part of plea bargain agreements.

Here is a summary of a few of the sentencing alternatives that may be available to drivers facing a California DUI charge.

One alternative allows California DUI offenders to receive good time/work time custody credits that are exchanged hour-for-hour in lieu of suspended jail time. In this situation, as long as the individual continues to work and stay out of trouble, he or she will spend little or no time incarcerated. This is a form of probation and most often is combined with another sentencing alternative. (more…)

California motorists arrested for driving under the influence face numerous consequences, including license suspension, fines, and possible jail time. Many drivers don’t realize that a DUI arrest, or worse yet a DUI conviction, can also have a significant effect on the driver’s current job and future employment opportunities, particularly if driving is part of the job description.

This is because many public and private employers conduct background checks on all prospective employees. In addition to occupations involving driving, jobs that require security clearance or involve children, the elderly, or the disabled may require background checks.

Also, many fields of employment require an applicant to disclose a past California DUI conviction. For example, those running for public office or applying for a professional license in the state must disclose a DUI conviction from the past 10 years. (more…)

The laws regarding driving a commercial vehicle under the influence in California differ in several ways from the rules that apply to other drivers. In essence, commercial drivers are held to a much higher standard.

The most important difference is that the blood alcohol content threshold is significantly lower. In California, it is illegal to operate a commercial vehicle with a BAC of .04 or higher.

Under California law, a driver with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) can be charged with a California DUI under the following circumstances: (more…)

California law enforcement officers are trained to look for certain “common” signs of intoxication when evaluating a driver during a DUI stop. But what exactly are they looking for?

Below is a list of symptoms officers may be looking for when a driver is stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence. (more…)

As reported by several sports media outlets, Major League Baseball seems poised to address what is becoming a growing problem for its players – driving under the influence.

As evidence of the problem, six major leaguers – Miguel Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo, Coco Crisp, Derek Lowe, Austin Kearns and Adam Kennedy – have already been charged with driving under the influence this year.

Sources have told the Associated Press that Major League Baseball and its players association are considering a formal plan for dealing with alcohol-related incidents in the next collective bargaining agreement.

The current collective bargaining agreement, which expires Dec. 11, has provisions for dealing with “drugs of abuse” such as cocaine and marijuana, but does not authorize the league to discipline players for alcohol-related offenses. (more…)

It is possible. As reported by the Palm Beach Post, Skype technology is currently being used by Florida law enforcement to conduct driving under the influence (DUI) investigations.

Specifically, police in Palm Bay, Florida are using the Internet communication technology to obtain blood search warrants more quickly in cases where drivers refuse to willingly submit to chemical testing.

Essentially, officers and judges use the Internet to create a “virtual courtroom” in which documents are exchanged and testimony is provided. Officers use email to forward documents to the judge and then hold a conference call by Skype to obtain warrants for blood draws on suspects. (more…)

It appears that efforts to curb driving under the influence (DUI) among teens are making a significant impact, particularly as prom season approaches.

As reported by U.S. News and World Report, only 6 percent of students reported that they have driven under the influence on prom night, according to a study by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Liberty Mutual insurance.

The practices of requiring students to blow into a breathalyzer before entering prom and holding sponsored after-prom functions have helped deter drunk driving, says Stephen Wallace, chairman of SADD.

Some schools also require students to sign sobriety contracts and hire police security to discourage students from drinking. (more…)