Fullerton California Criminal Defense Blog

If you drive while under the influence of alcohol, you could face a DUI charge. If this is not your first offense or you harm others with your actions, you could end up facing a felony DUI charge.

You may not be aware of this, but California has some of the strictest DUI laws in the United States. A first offense alone will cost you up to $2,000 in fines and leave you in jail for at least 48 hours. Third or greater offenses within 10 years lead to up to 16 months in prison, over $18,000 in fines and an order to head to a local alcohol treatment program.

Many people from California and other areas of the country are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to protect others, including by joining the military. Unfortunately, many people who are deployed overseas will not return home in the same condition in which they left. While physical injuries are obvious, many members of the military suffer mentally as a result of their experience. Issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder can often have lifelong consequences. In fact, a mother in California speculates that the effects of PTSD are the only thing that could have prompted her son -- who is now charged with multiple counts of attempted murder --  to commit the crimes of which he is accused.

The incident that led to the 34-year-old man's arrest reportedly happened on a day in April. According to police, the man -- described in media reports as a former U.S. Army sharpshooter -- deliberately drove into a group of pedestrians on a crosswalk. Eight people were reportedly injured in the incident.

In California, drivers can face criminal charges if caught behind the wheel with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more. If convicted of drunk driving, drivers could face penalties that range from loss of driving privileges to time behind bars. Drunk driving is a serious criminal offense, and proposed changes to DUI laws could mean more people may face these charges in the future.

Two state lawmakers have recently proposed changes that could lower the BAC threshold for drunk driving to be .05. These lawmakers suggest that people who are technically not drunk according to legal standards could still be dangerous behind the wheel. By lowering BAC levels, they say the roads will be safer. Other groups plan to fight the proposed bill, saying that it would unnecessarily punish mindful, responsible drinkers. 

For many people in California and across the country, a confrontation with a law enforcement officer is an inherently stressful situation. Despite this, officers may interpret any displays of anxiety, for example, as "abnormal behavior" worthy of additional suspicion. It is this scenario that recently resulted in the arrest of a man on drug charges.

Reports indicate that the incident that led to the man's arrest happened on a day in late March. The California Highway Patrol claims that an officer initiated a traffic stop because a vehicle reportedly had tinting of the front windows that was illegal. However, the officer claims that the driver was "acting strange," specifically claiming that he was being evasive.