San Diego / California DUI drunk driving attorney news

Police officials are asking that the inebriated stay off the roads this season — and that the public report anyone who breaks that California DUI law.

To help prevent California DUI drunk driving accidents, California police have launched their annual three week-long campaign, called the “AVOID Anti-DUI Program,” with the help of 350 state law enforcement agencies. Efforts include checkpoints, patrols, stakeouts and court stings — which aim to “reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by this totally preventable crime,” said Wendy Soos, Glendora Police Department community service officer and coordinator for one of several police coalitions.

“Drunk driving can cost you approximately $10,000 for a first time arrest — that is, if you’re lucky enough not to kill innocent people or yourself,” she said.

California DUI Enforcement affecting the Long Beach area began Dec. 14 in South Gate with a multi-agency checkpoint. California DUI Checkpoints continue on Friday (Dec. 21) in the city of Long Beach at a site that has yet to be announced by California DUI officials.

Another multi-agency California DUI checkpoint most likely will take place in Long Beach on Dec. 31, Soos said. Her coalition, known as the AVOID the 40, is made up of 40 police, sheriff and California Highway Patrol agencies.

In addition to California DUI checkpoints, California DUI police will conduct a number of California DUI saturation patrols, which strategically place police officers where DUI driving incidents happen most often to concentrate efforts on those types of California DUI arrests. In total, 36 California DUI checkpoints and about 200 patrols will take place throughout the county during the DUI crackdown.

“Saturation patrols are normally multiple two-officer patrol units, who saturate certain high-incident areas related to DUI crashes or arrests,” Soos explained.

The California DUI task force has seen an increase in support from the public since its inception, she said.

“More agencies are participating in the countywide DUI Task Force, resulting in an increased number of checkpoints, patrols, education and media,” she added.

Officials call it one of the state’s most aggressive California DUI impaired driving crackdowns to keep would-be drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel. It is part of the nationwide “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” effort.

California DUI Law enforcement officials began the program in 1973 to suppress the number of drunk drivers and alcohol-related accidents on the road. State grants help pay for the services.

California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles statistics indicate that California DUI alcohol-related car crashes in California have risen in number, from 1,574 deaths and 30,810 injuries in 2005 to 1,597 deaths and 31,099 injuries in 2006.

Officials have asked that members of the public report suspected California DUI drunk drivers by calling 9-1-1. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports, California DUI - drunk drivers can usually be distinguished by either slow or erratic driving as well as abrupt or wide turns.

For details, visit www.californiaavoid.org.

The California DUI countywide law enforcement campaign against California DUI drunk driving, called "Avoid the 25," resulted in more than 20 arrests Thursday of people with outstanding warrants related to DUI charges.

Officers in the California DUI program, which is a partnership between 25 agencies in the county, have arrested 125 people on suspicion of California DUI or drunken driving since the winter campaign began Dec. 14, said Jimmy Lee, spokesman for the county Sheriff's Office.

"Tonight, we're focusing on people with DUI warrants," Lee said Thursday evening. "We're going door-to-door arresting people and taking them to jail and they'll have to go to court tomorrow."

There have been no fatal car collisions related to California DUI / drunken driving since the campaign began, Lee said. The California DUI court issues warrants for people who have been charged with California DUI drunk driving if they do not follow up on their court-ordered programs, fail to make California DUI court appearances or do not pay their fines. The California DUI campaign will last through New Year's Day.


A 22-year-old man is suspected of driving drunk and triggering a California DUI accident Wednesday that killed his three best friends and closed a mountain highway overnight.
It was just the type of tragic California DUI accident law-enforcement agencies throughout San Bernardino County are trying to avert during the holiday season by stepping up patrols and DUI checkpoints.

Jose Ricki Flores, who authorities said lost control of his vehicle at 8:41 p.m. as he rounded a curve on Highway 18, was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center.

Authorities were waiting for California DUI test results on Flores' blood, but he is expected to be arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Flores and three passengers were south of Lower Waterman Canyon Road when he lost control of his 1991 Nissan Sentra, spun around and skidded backward into oncoming traffic, crashing into a 2006 Cadillac Escalade.

All three of Flores' passengers - brothers Moises Figuereo, 18, and Jose Figuereo, 17, and their cousin, Oscar Jareguy, 25, all of San Bernardino - were killed.

San Bernardino police Detective John Cardillo lamented the loss of life, disappointed that his department's DUI program didn't save these three.

A countywide California DUI program called Avoid the 25- referring to the 25 California DUI agencies participating in the program - has been in effect since Dec. 14 and will continue through the end of the year.

About $40,000 in grant money is funding 72 California DUI saturation.

San Diego DUI attorneys would like to help any way possible.