4 Bizarre DUI Stories That Will Leave You in Stitches

Even Los Angeles DUI attorneys get a chuckle out of some of the bizarre DUI charges brought against individuals throughout the world. Sometimes the definition of “motorized vehicle” stretches even the best imagination, and other times people exhibit a complete lack of common sense.

Regardless, the stories of these crazy DUI instances live on through the internet. Here are a few of our favorites:

1.    Man arrested for DUI on a horse. One inebriated individual decided to ride a horse around a strip mall while intoxicated. The man clearly exhibited signs of intoxication, but the police scratched their heads after the arrest. They knew how to handle an intoxicated man, but what do you do with his horse?

2.    Russian tank crash. This case is not a DUI, per se. Russian soldiers decided to make a trip for more vodka – in a tank. During the trip, a solider steered the tank directly into a civilian house. A second crash very nearly occurred when the tank backed out of the first home. The official story from the Russian military blames mechanical malfunctioning for the accident.

3.    Motorized coolers, Barbie cars, and wheelchairs. Three separate DUIs from around the world feature these “motorized vehicles.” A man riding a motorized cooler with a 50cc engine faces DUI charges in Australia. Officers pulled Paul Hutton of England over for DUI in a souped-up toy Barbie car. Another case in England featured two individuals riding a motorized wheelchair under the influence.

4.    Goats at DUI checkpoints. One lady in Washington, DC, almost made it through a DUI checkpoint, until police heard noises in the trunk. When asked, Fiona Enderdy told officers about the goat in her trunk. The poor fellow was tied up in the back of the miserably hot vehicle. Enderdy escaped a DUI charge that night, but she did face charges of cruelty to animals.

Respond strategically to your arrest and charges by calling a former Senior Deputy D.A. and highly successful Los Angeles DUI defense attorney with the Kraut Law Group today for a complimentary consultation.

Call attorney Michael Kraut at (323) 464-6453 for help if you’ve been stopped for DUI in Los Angeles. Or Contact our team online. We’re located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1480, Los Angeles, California 90028.

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Yes, You Can Get a DUI in Los Angeles, Even If You’re Driving a Bizarre Vehicle

The diverse circumstances in which people get arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles (and other places) never cease to surprise.

A few years ago, we blogged about a spate of lawnmower DUIs that defied common sense – and earned more than a few snickers from the peanut gallery in places like Reddit.

Snide comments about lawnmower DUIs aside, it’s useful to understand that California DUI law can be applied to broad and unusual circumstances. Consider, for instance, the legal situation facing 41-year-old Criss E. Gruber, who stands accused of multiple charges, including violating light regulations and bicycle DUI, after he crashed a few weeks ago in the town of Enola.

Fortunately, no one got seriously hurt in the crash, although Gruber himself got banged up when he hit a road construction sign on Route 11/15 on November 16th. Investigators believe that he hit the sign because he lacked safety lighting on his bicycle. Blood alcohol tests revealed that he had a 0.16% blood alcohol concentration. For those of you who are keeping score, that’s twice the legal limit for DUI, per California’s Vehicle Code Section 23152.

Bicycling with DUI can be tragically dangerous for many reasons – some obvious, some not so obvious:

•    When you’re under the influence of alcohol (or fatigued or angry or distracted by a cellphone), your timing gets worse. In other words, you are less likely to brake in time to avoid accidents or swerve to avoid hazards, etc.

•    When people with certain personalities drink, they tend to be more likely to take risks, such as driving without a helmet or driving on a busy surface street or freeway;

•    Bicycles are already at a mechanical disadvantage on the road. While everyone who uses the roads should be vigilant, bicyclists and motorcyclists need to be particularly vigilant because of the extra risks caused by the mechanical disadvantage.

If you caused an accident while DUI on your bike, you can face a slew of very serious criminal penalties, including felony charges.

No matter what happened to you or what charges you face, a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney with the Kraut Law Group can assist you with constructing an appropriate, sensible and meticulous defense. Contact attorney Kraut today to schedule a free consultation.

Did you get arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles? If so, contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut for assistance by phone at (323) 464-6453 or online. We’re located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1480, Los Angeles, California 90028.

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Los Angeles DUI Lessons from Johnny Depp’s Bizarre Speech at The Hollywood Film Awards

Perhaps police stopped you and arrested you for Los Angeles DUI last weekend, so you haven’t had a chance to contemplate the latest Hollywood tabloid stories. Or maybe you suffered an injury in a DUI crash but nevertheless still learned about actor Johnny Depp’s awkward (and possibly alcohol fueled) speech at the Hollywood Film Awards.

The world famous actor — known for iconic roles like Edward Scissorhands, Jack Sparrow, and Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — has always been known for his eccentricities. But in his speech at the HFA, he left even his fans and admirers scratching their heads. We’re going to take a closer look at what happened with Depp (or what allegedly happened) and use that as a jumping off point to discuss an often poorly understood ramification of Los Angeles DUI law.

Depp had been invited to introduce an award for a veteran record producer, but he could not get through his prepared speech without mumbling, stuttering, starting and stopping, and even cursing a few times for good measure. About 75 seconds into the speech, the network cut him off and went to commercial. Whether Depp had consumed alcohol or drugs or had gotten sick is anyone’s guess. However, the takeaway that we want to emphasize is that even famous, wealthy, articulate and smart people can often find themselves suddenly in deep trouble as a result of a single night’s alcohol or drug fueled mistake.

Depp’s public gaffe obviously will not have legal ramifications, since he didn’t hurt anybody, although it could slightly injure his brand with the public. But a driver who has one too many drinks and then gets behind the wheel and hurts someone can suddenly face an onslaught of unexpected and unwelcomed challenges, ranging from potential driver’s license suspension to mandatory jail time to forced alcohol education classes and so on.

To put the puzzle pieces of your case together, call an experienced and highly qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer with the Kraut Law Group. Michael Kraut is widely respected as a DUI news commentator, and he has been quoted by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Good Morning America, and other respected media sources for his opinion about DUI matters.

If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles, contact former-prosecutor Michael Kraut for assistance at (323) 464-6453 or online. Our team is located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1480, Los Angeles, California 90028.

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Bizarre (and Downright Cruel) DUI Punishments

Breath Testing is Woefully Inaccurate and is being used as the basis for people going to jail (many times falsely!)

In an effort to “get tough on crime,” many state and local governments enact laws which are bizarre and cruel. For example, in Montana, repeat drunk driver are forced to get tested twice a day to ensure they have not had anything to drink.  While this might sound like a solution to some, it is a scary precedent based on unfounded and unreliable technology.

Twice-daily testing of repeat DUI offenders ramps up in Missoula

Think losing your driver’s license because of drunken driving is tough?

DUIs are about to get a lot more inconvenient in Missoula County.

Soon, repeat drunk drivers will have to report twice a day to the Missoula County Pre-Release Center for breath tests to prove they’re staying sober. Plus, they’ll have to pay for that particular privilege – so taxpayers won’t have to.

“There aren’t any public funds going into the program,” said Sue Wilkins, executive director of Missoula Correctional Services. “It’s a self-pay offender or defendant program.”

When Wilkins says “program,” she’s referring to Missoula County’s Sobriety and Accountability Program. The idea became better known last year when the Legislature approved a similar “24/7 Sobriety Act” for repeat DUI offenders slowly being implemented around the state.

Under 24/7, participants show up twice a day – in Missoula County, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Pre-Release Center on Mullan Road – and provide a breath sample to prove they’re sober.

Skip a test and the county puts out a warrant.

Flunk a test, go directly to jail.

“It’s what makes 24/7 effective,” Wilkins said. “It is inconvenient, and kind of embarrassing, too.”

I, for one, have some major problems with this measure:

Breath testing technology is woeful inaccurate and non-specific to ethanol.  There is a high rate of false positive and the police can’t even keep their machines in order.  People will wrongly go to jail because of this.How will a person who has to be tested twice a day be able to attend school or hold a job?Is it our goal as a society to “embarrass” and alienate these people or should we be dealing with them in a more constructive manner?Does this type of program have any long-term benefits?  Will this person be rehabilitated through these measure?The article mentions that already 40 people are being testing twice-a-day and many more are expected.  Who is calibrating and maintaining these machines? (Police have proved time and time again that they are incapable of doing this.)

In reality, these types of laws only serve to further stigmatize someone who has been convicted of DUI and push them further out of our society. Are we seeking to prevent crime (meaning DUI) or are we trying to change people and be the moral police?

View the original article here

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