Actress Jennifer Lopez Survives a Scary Collision with DUI Driver in Malibu – Driver Faces Charges

This blog spills plenty of virtual ink about celebrities arrested for Los Angeles DUI. But celebrities can be victims in DUI crashes as well.

Consider, for instance, the harrowing recent ordeal of Jennifer Lopez, who survived a collision with an allegedly DUI driver in Malibu in September… with her children in the vehicle.

Prosecutors just charged 53-year-old Robert John Reitz, a Las Vegas man, with slamming her Rolls Royce from behind with his pick-up truck at a stoplight. Prosecutors hit him with a variety of counts, including driving nearly two times the limit for DUI in California (0.08% BAC, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23152). A conviction could lead to a $1,000 fine as well as six months behind bars. Lopez was not driving the Rolls Royce at the time; Leah Remini, another actress, was behind the wheel.

Although the crash occurred back in September, it took over three months before Reitz’s arraignment.

Lopez’s situation highlights an important aspect of DUI cases that’s rarely discussed, and that’s that DUI cases can take a long time to play out in the courts. That waiting can feel interminable for defendants (and their families).

Especially if you stand accused of complex charges that involve significant property damage or accusations that you hurt another person, your legal “fireworks” could last for months if not longer. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through this alone. To prepare effectively and strategically, call a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer with the Kraut Law Group today to get insight into your potential options. In addition to having served as a prosecutor of DUI crimes for nearly a decade and a half, Mr. Kraut maintains excellent relationships with diverse stakeholders in the Los Angeles DUI discussion, including prosecutors, judges and police officers.

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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Bishop faces manslaughter, DUI charges in fatal hit-and-run

The second-highest leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook, will be charged with several crimes including vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving after a hit-and-run that killed a bicyclist on December 27th.

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New Jersey driver faces DWI charge

A two-vehicle accident in Wall Township occurred on Nov. 22, and one driver faces charges for driving while intoxicated and assault by auto. A 47-year-old woman, who is from Atlantic Highlands, reportedly struck another vehicle with her car on Route 34 at about 8:34 p.m.

The authorities said that the woman traveled from Interstate 195 to Route 34 and collided with another car that was already on Route 34. She was released from police custody after being charged, and the driver of the other vehicle reportedly suffered minor injuries and received treatment at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

The northbound lanes of Route 34 were closed for around 30 minutes while authorities investigated the accident. Wall First Aid and the Glendola Fire Department also responded to the wreck, and both vehicles needed to be towed from the crash site.

When someone is charged with DWI, the authorities must collect evidence that supports their suspicions of impairment. While the reasons this woman faces a DWI charge is unknown, police might conduct tests when suspecting someone of drunk driving. While field sobriety tests are not considered scientifically valid evidence, they can still be used in court. However, drivers who refuse chemical testing face potential license suspension.

Even those who have never been charged with a DWI before face harsh consequences if convicted. In addition to a criminal record that may make future employment difficult, a DWI conviction may result in fines, jail time or the required installation of an ignition interlock device at one's own expense. Contacting an attorney might be necessary to avoid DWI charges.

Source: Asbury Park Press, "Atlantic Highlands woman charged with DWI in Wall crash", Jean Mikle, Nov. 22, 2014

Source: NJ.com, "Atlantic Highlands woman charged with DWI in Wall Township crash", MaryAnn Spoto, November 22, 2014

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Another DUI with Baby on Board and A Man Faces 3 DUI Charges in One Night

This week’s DUI stories feature a poor parenting decision, and an active night for a man charged with 3 DUIs in a single evening of driving.

It is all too common in the world of DUI news to hear about a parent’s use of poor judgment. Not only do they allegedly drive drunk, but they do so with a child in the car with them.
In Fort Myers, Florida, Brittney Locke is charged with DUI and other crimes, after police say she was stopped on the interstate while driving under the influence, according to ABC 7.
According to police, Locke was stopped after witnesses called police, having witnessed an accident on the highway. The driver left the scene, witnesses said, and police found Locke parked along the side of the road near an exit, with metal sheared off the side of the car.
She also had an infant in the car with her, in a car seat.
Police noted that she appeared to have trouble keeping her eyes open, and said she didn’t know what she’d hit to cause the damage to her car. She failed a field sobriety test.
She claimed to be on the way to see the child’s father, to get money from him. She also told police she was exhausted, and that she had to be up early to visit an area methadone clinic as a part of addiction treatment.
Police allegedly found a Xanex tablet in the car, a prescription bottle of ibuprofen and a plastic straw that, according to ABC, “appeared to be coated with drug residue.”
A relative took control of the child. Locke is charged with DUI, DUI property damage for the guard rail she allegedly hit, child cruelty, drug possession and drug equipment possession.
According to KGMI in Whatcom County, Washington, a man is facing 3 DUI charges after a single night of activity.

Tommy Ryser allegedly wrecked his pickup truck on the road, where police found it at around 8 p.m. on a Monday night. Then, police received a call that another accident had been reported.
It was a red VW Golf that had crashed into a guardrail.
Who pulled up to that accident site but Ryser, driving a tow truck. He had a cut on his face, according to police, and was found to be intoxicated.
According to KGMI, Ryser was arrested for and charged with crashing both disabled vehicles, and with driving drunk to the crash sites, in order to tow them back home.

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