Woman Known for Having Three Breasts Charged with DUI in Tampa

Los Angeles DUI reports can be strange, but Florida has got California beat this week in the “DUI news of the weird” department. Authorities arrested a three-breasted woman, 21 year-old Jasmine Tridevil, in Tampa for DUI. The New York Daily News cheekily broke the story, saying, “some busts are certainly worse than others.”

The defendant’s legal name is Alisha Jasmine Hessler; she is known online for her claims that she used cosmetic surgery to attach a third breast. Many experts (as well as Snopes.com) have refuted her claims of plastic surgery, saying that it would be very difficult and take several years to successfully complete.

Per the Daily News, Hessler had been driving “erratically in the area of Adamo Drive and 21st Street shortly before 4 am Monday [Jan. 26], when an officer spotted her.” She was also speeding and ran a red light. Police Hessler for DUI after she failed a sobriety test. Police indicated that her BAC was .18% at the time – well over two times the state’s 0.08% limit.

This is not the first time Hessler has been arrested. In 2013, authorities busted her for fraudulently using personal information; and she faced charges of holding a man captive in her home.

Hessler’s story may be eye catching and bizarre, but DUI cases are no laughing matter.

For a first time DUI offender in California, sentencing may include fines, driver’s license suspension, mandatory DUI school attendance, forced use of an interlock device before driving, probation, and jail time. A BAC level of .15% or higher could elevate a DUI to an aggravated DUI, with harsher sentencing.

Even aggravated DUI charges may be fought, and the sooner you seek advice, the better you will understand your case’s circumstances.

What should you do if you or someone you love faces a serious DUI count? Will you go to jail? Will you lose your license? Call Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer Michael Kraut immediately to understand your options and craft a strategic response.

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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Los Angeles DUI Community Saddened as Redondo Beach Driver Kills Three After Taking Prescription Drugs

Los Angeles DUI accidents can claim lives at any time; an awful crash in Redondo recently killed 3 Californians and injured many more.

According to reports, twelve people suffered injuries, when a woman crashed into a group of Christmas concert-goers in a Redondo Beach church last December. Margo Bronstein had been exiting St. James Catholic Church when she slammed into pedestrians leaving the concert. Three people died; two suffered bad injuries; and seven others suffered minor injuries.

Bronstein, a paraplegic, had a spotless driving record, but she had been taking medication that day. Her car had been outfitted with various technology to assist her driving. She had hand brakes on the steering wheel and special rear-view mirrors.

Police might charge Bronstein with felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter. Her attorneys have been urging the public to avoid jumping to conclusions about the accident. It is possible, they argue, that a defect in the hand brakes could have contributed to the accident.

If Bronstein’s lawyers can prove that the incident had been an accident — and that medication had not been to blame – perhaps they can fight or eliminate the charges. Her medications included muscle relaxers and other pain relievers to help her cope with chronic health issues.

Accidents involving prescription drugs can still be charged as DUIs, and the consequences of even non-injury stops can include jail time, license suspension, fines and fees and beyond. If a blood or urine test measures a drug’s present in the bloodstream, a conviction could follow.

What should you do if you or someone you love faces a serious DUI count? Will you go to jail? Will you lose your license? Call Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer Michael Kraut immediately to understand your options and craft a strategic response.

Did police stop you for driving under the influence in Los Angeles? Contact DUI defense attorney Michael Kraut for assistance at (323) 464-6453 or online. We’re located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1480, Los Angeles, California 90028.

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Drunk Driver Suspected of Causing Three Accidents in One Night

By guest-writer

A California drunk driver was arrested last week on suspicion of causing at least three different hit-and-run accidents in one night, according to a remarkable report from the San Jose Mercury News.

31-year-old Justin Mendoza was taken into custody by Napa police last weekend after his night of illegal activity finally ended when officers discovered him hiding in a creek bed, according to sources.

The night of driving peril started around 11:00 p.m. last Friday when Mendoza was cruising around Napa, California at an alarming speed, and with very little regard for the customary rules of the road.

The first two collisions occurred around 11:00 p.m., and both occurred on Silverado Trail Road. At least one of these hit-and-run accidents involved an injury, as well.

Then a third collision happened on the same road, and this accident led to one car completely flipping over. When police arrived on the scene, they saw a man sprinting away from the overturned vehicle that was involved in the crash.

Predictably, the man who was fleeing turned out to have been the culprit who allegedly caused all three accidents on the same stretch of road, but police had to do a bit of legwork before they caught Mendoza.

Sources say that the police who originally responded to the scene called for additional help, and the officers eventually set up a large perimeter around the area where Mendoza had fled.

After setting up a broad perimeter, the officers enlisted the aid of a police dog, which eventually discovered Mendoza hiding in a creek bed near a small river.

They soon learned that Mendoza was the registered owner of the overturned car, and promptly escorted him to jail after seeing that he displayed obvious signs of intoxication.

But before he was taken to jail, Mendoza, who is a resident of Yountville, California, was sent to a hospital for treatment for what sources call “minor injuries.”

After his DUI arrest, Mendoza was charged with drunk driving and also causing three different hit-and-run crashes.

The extent of Mendoza’s criminal penalties will depend on a number of factors, including his prior history, his level of inebriation at the time of the arrest, and the nature of the injuries and property damage he caused through his irresponsible driving.

In California, even minor, first-time DUI offenses can lead to heavy fines, a suspended license, or even jail time, so Mendoza likely faces a significant amount of punishment, if the tale of his epic driving adventures proves true.

View the original article here

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Malden Armed Robbery Sting Operation Yields Three Arrests – Attorney Sam’s Take

Sting operations in Massachusetts are not uncommon. They are employed by law enforcement to investigate various types of crimes from drug dealing to prostitution.

Oh yes. And guns.

Robert C. Kenney, 56, Christopher P. Littlejohn, 30, and Ramone Arakelow, 34, all from Beverly, (collectively, the “Defendants”) have now learned this lesson. They were arrested last week in such an operation. They allegedly thought they were planning a home invasion in Malden with “legitimate” co-conspirators.

The victim-to-be was a drug dealer.

The victim-to-be was not a legal citizen.

The victim- to be…did not exist.

The would-be victim was simply part of a fictitious scenario created by authorities who had been investigating the Defendants. What the various law enforcement agencies (FBI, State Police and various local police departments) were really after was weapons. One of the Defendants is suspected of selling seven illegal firearms in the Boston and North Shore areas, State Police said. The other two are suspected associates.

The authorities monitored the Defendants as they made their way along Route 99 in a green and gray pickup truck. A State Police helicopter was also tracking the truck. When the truck stopped in Saugus, allegedly the spot used to prepare for the night’s festivities, they were arrested.

Inside the truck, authorities say they found knives, a ski mask, duct tape, and paraphernalia indicating the men planned to pose as federal immigration agents during the home invasion, including a fluorescent jacket like those worn by police officers, emergency lights that could be mounted on a dashboard, and zip ties, used by police as handcuffs.

The Defendants face a host of charges, ranging from conspiracy to commit armed robbery in state court and, potentially, gun charges in federal court.

As a long time experience criminal defense attorney in Boston, I have often criticized police officers for not for being creative and not limiting themselves to the truth. There are, however, Cases in which police officers are creative, manipulating the truth, but simply doing their jobs.

This would include sting operations such as that which is mentioned in today's story.

"But Sam, isn't this entrapment?"

No it is probably not. It might be entrapment if officers enticed an individual who would never otherwise commit such a crime to commit it. This does not seem to be the case in this story.

I have often reminded you that, in the course of the investigation, police officers are allowed to lie for a number of reasons. We have discussed times where officers lie to suspect in order to get statements from him or to trick him into letting the officers into his home. They are also allowed to actais undercover officers and trick people whmo they believe would otherwise commit a crime pretend to join in the fun with them.

Far from finding this unfair, the law considers this "good police work". When the case involves people who might otherwise do home invasions or possess weapons, the law is particularly pleased with the police manipulations.

"Well I know that people are not allowed to lie to police officers, that is a felony, right?"

Yes, that's right.

"But then isn't it unfair that they were allowed to lie to us?"

Perhaps it is unfair, but it is the state of the law. After all, these are police officers and it is assumed that they are always acting for the public good. They are, after all, protecing us.

The rest of us are apparently not so laudable. So, trying to save your own skin, or that of a loved one, is not a good enough reason to lie.

You do have the right to keep your mouth closed, though. Usually, when contacted in an investigation, the wise thing is to do just that until you have a chance to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney. Especially if the person being investigated is you.

You may or may not end up cooperating with police. But making that decision alone can cost you years in the end.

The part of reality that the system does not seem to recognize is that, good or bad, after a certain point in an investigation, the officers decide what they believe the truth to be. By the time they get to interviewing you, little you say is likely to convince them that they were wrong.

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

In the meantime, have a great Valentine's day!

To view the original story, please go to : http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/02/three_beverly_m.html

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