Research Suggests an Intriguing Reason for Why People Do Stupid Things While DUI in Los Angeles and Elsewhere

One of our recent blog posts covered some strange Los Angeles DUI stories, and today’s tale isn’t any less bizarre. On February 17th, an Australian man presented at a local hospital with a deep chainsaw wound that he had allegedly caused himself.

After accidentally cutting his hand with a chainsaw, Timothy Woodrow stitched the wound at home and doused it in gin before taking a few swigs for the pain. He attempted to drive himself to the hospital while intoxicated. Police pulled him over for neglecting to stop at a stop sign. When they tested Woodrow’s BAC, they found he was significantly over the legal limit and arrested him.

Alcohol and Judgment

What makes strange errors of judgment so frequent with DUI cases?

New research into alcohol’s effect on the brain indicates that the same reaction that causes impaired judgment is also responsible for slowing the brain’s “alarm signal” response. This response alerts other parts of the brain that something is wrong.

Researchers measured participants’ moods, perception, and accuracy while performing computer tasks under the influence. Results showed that the affected participants made little effort to correct or avoid errors. The researchers found that alcohol’s influence on the brain doesn’t actually reduce its ability to recognize mistakes, but instead affects the ability to care about them. Participants in the study simply didn’t feel bothered by the mistakes they knew they were making.

Perhaps this is why people sometimes find themselves apologizing to friends the morning after a night of drinking. This may give some insight into why people insist on driving when they know they’ve had too much to drink. An individual may recognize that driving would be a mistake, but he or she feels confident that “everything will be fine” and gets behind the wheel anyway.

If you made a mistake, and police arrested you for a DUI, seek experienced counsel to respond to your charges. Call a qualified Los Angeles DUI lawyer with the Kraut Law Group today to schedule a free consultation.

If police stopped you for Los Angeles DUI, you may be worried and anxious. Contact Harvard Law School educated, ex-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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When Police Do Bad Things During Los Angeles DUI Stops – Like Shoot Dogs

LAPD officers engage in the dangerous work of patrolling our streets and stopping drivers suspected of Los Angeles DUI and other crimes. Without these courageous men and women, it is absolutely true that our surface streets and freeways would be more dangerous and more people would die and get hurt.

We applaud these efforts.

But we also want to make sure that patrol officers obey the law and respect the rights of suspected DUI drivers. So what restrictions on officer behaviors are appropriate and required? And when can officers effectively break standard procedure?

A sad but compelling case out of Mesa County, Colorado speaks to these two questions.

According to AP reports, a sheriff’s deputy near Grand Junction Colorado shot and killed a dog that allegedly attacked him while he was struggling with a DUI suspect. Reports say that police responded to an emergency call at a grocery store last Monday night. A man allegedly had been driving all over the road. When police arrived, the suspect ran away, and his shepherd mix dog jumped onto the deputy and bit him on the upper thigh. The deputy instinctively shot the dog and killed it.

According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, the suspect, Joseph McMillan, said that his dog had not been vaccinated for things like rabies, so now local animal services is submitting the dog’s body for tests for rabies.

In this case, at least according to reports, what the officer did sounds completely appropriate.

Although officers generally do not like to brandish their weapons against dogs or people, they do deserve and need the right to protect themselves (and victims) from harm caused by wild, erratic and dangerous people and animals.

Some cases, however, are ambiguous.

For instance, the shootings in Ferguson, Missouri this summer catalyzed intense and divisive debate over the use of police force in emergency situations. And we have covered many instances in which police officers have said or done things that are either inappropriate or downright ridiculous/Unconstitutional after DUI stops.

What should you do if you suspect that police behaved inappropriately (or even Unconstitutionally) during your DUI stop, tests or arrest?

The short answer is: take action by getting in touch with a qualified Los Angeles DUI lawyer as quickly as possible. Call attorney Michael Kraut and leverage his knowledge to obtain the results you need.

Have you been arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles? If so, please contact DUI defense attorney Michael Kraut at (323) 464-6453 or online. Our building is located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1480, Los Angeles, California 90028.

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Medford Man Is Sentenced In Federal Court For, Among Other Things, Lying To Police-Attorney Sam’s Take

Samuel Goldberg has been a Massachusetts criminal defense attorney for 20 years. Prior to that, he was a New York state prosecutor. He has published various articles regarding the practice of criminal law and frequently provides legal analysis on radio and television, appearing on outlets such as the Fox News Channel, Court TV, MSNBC and The BBC Network.
To speak to Sam about a criminal matter call 617-492-3000.

Posted On: January 11, 2011 by Samuel Goldberg

Gerard Sasso, 52, of Medford, (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) has made Massachusetts history. In fact, he is not only a “first” in the Commonwealth, but is a “second” in the country! Unfortunately, he will be “celebrating” in a federal prison.

Yesterday, the Defendant became the first person in the state -- and the second in the nation -- to be convicted for lasering an aircraft. He was convicted of charges of willfully interfering with an aircraft operator with reckless disregard for human life, and of making false statements, the US attorney's office said in a statement.

The Defendant received the award of three years in prison for shining a laser at a State Police helicopter that was escorting a tanker through Boston Harbor, federal prosecutors said.

Apparently, the Defendant shined a powerful green laser on the helicopter on December 8, 2007. Prosecutors said the pilots were able to determine the light was likely coming from his apartment. When the police went to his apartment to investigate, he initially denied having the lasers but later confessed, prosecutors said. The green laser was recovered, along with 10 other lasers, from the apartment.

"This sentence should send a strong message that interfering with an aircraft in any way will result in aggressive prosecution and stiff sentences. Such actions endanger lives and disrupt air travel, and will not be tolerated," quota the government.

My experience as a Boston criminal law attorney has made me somewhat overly cautious. At least, that is what my kids say. I remember when my son got his hands on a laser pointer and thought it was hysterical to annoy people with it. I not only thought it was not funny, but was worried if there could be some kind of criminal proceeding against someone playing with these things.

I admit that it never occurred to me that, if you pointed it skyward, it could actually interfere with planes or helicopters!

As you may know, though, ignorance of the law is not a defense. Further, prosecutors seem to be almost falling over themselves to fit everyday actions into criminal cases, if only to keep up with technology. This is why, for example, cyber crime is particularly popular among law enforcement.

Had the Defendant been playing with the laser and had no idea it could interfere with pilots, he might have had a defense. Maybe the court would have felt bad for him. However, he made one mistake. A big one.

He lied to law enforcement.

As you know, you may refuse to answer questions of the investigating officers. However, you may not try to mislead them in their investigation.

That, believe it or not, is a felony called “intimidation of a witness”.

Not only is it an additional crime, but the prosecution will normally use the deception as “consciousness of guilt” to help prove that you knew you had committed a criminal act.

So, when the blue arm of the law comes a-calling, do not lie. Call. Call an experienced criminal defense attorney who can best advise you on what to do.

If you would like to discuss a criminal matter with me, please feel free to call me to arrange a free initial consultation at 617-492-3000.

To view the original story in which parts of this blog were based, please go to : http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/01/medford_man_con_1.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed7_HP

View the original article here

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