The California Office of Traffic Safety recently announced that it has received $76 million in federal funding to support 213 traffic safety grants to state and local agencies for the grant year that begins October 1, 2011.

As in years past, many of these grants will be used to target drunk drivers through the use of sobriety checkpoints and other enforcement tools. New this year is the focus on drugged driving.

According the OTS, major emphasis will still be given to combating drunk driving with sobriety checkpoints, help for special DUI prosecutors, and targeted probation department staffing and warrant enforcement in efforts directed at the most egregious drunk driving offenders.

In addition, educational and awareness programs for youth like Every 15 Minutes, Impact Teen Drivers, Real DUI Trials in Schools, Smart Start, and other programs for high school students will be expanded.

In a new enforcement campaign, special emphasis will be placed on combating drugged driving. As the OTS highlighted, the incidence of drugs alone and in combination with alcohol in fatal crashes has been rising steadily for the last five years. Therefore, new grants will fund increases in drug recognition training, special district attorneys dedicated to drugged driving cases, and new laboratory drug testing equipment.

For a list of 2012 grants, visit the OTS website at www.ots.ca.gov.

If you have been arrested for drugged driving in California, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you to get the best possible outcome in your case.

Posted by Thomas Wallin at 2:10 PM | Permalink

A teenage girl was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs after she failed to slow down when she approached a collision scene.

The 16-year-old driver was driving around 1am on Sunday morning when she failed to slow down when she approached a collision scene. The teen drove through a red light before stopping in the middle of the intersection. Once officers began to investigate, they found that the teen was driving on a provisional license and was violating a restriction not to drive after 11pm as well as found marijuana residue and glass smoking pipes inside the car. According to Mercury News, the girl was arrested after she failed sobriety tests at the scene, was cited and released to a guardian while her vehicle was towed.

If you have been arrested for a DUI with drugs or alcohol, contact our Orange County DUI Defense Attorneys today. We will answer any questions you may have, provide you with legal advice and represent you in both the DMV and criminal court hearings.

Posted by Thomas Wallin at 10:53 AM | Permalink

Being arrested for a DUI with alcohol and/or drugs can be a stressful time, especially if it's during or right after a weekend long concert.

33 individuals were arrested for providing alcohol to minors, possession of false identification, minors in possession of alcohol and possession of open alcoholic beverage containers. According to KPSP Local 2, undercover officers, dressed in plain clothes, were targeting alcohol and drug violations. On top of this, 10 additional individuals were arrested for the possession of drugs or possession of drugs for sale including marijuana, ketamine, cocaine and MDMA.

Contact our Orange County DUI Attorneys if you have been arrested for a California DUI; we have the experience and knowledge to handle any type of DUI case.

Posted by Thomas Wallin at 3:33 PM | Permalink

Lake Forrest Deputy Christine Chang arrested three people with nearly 50 heroin-filled balloons and is being recognized for her achievements, productivity and professionalism. According to the OC Register, two other Deputies are being recognized for their efforts in drunken-driving enforcement; one officer is being recognized for his third year in arresting more than 100 suspects who were driving under the influence.

Unfortunately, because officers get rewarded for the amount of DUI arrests they make in a year, most are encouraged to be overzealous in the arrests. Because of this, officers tend to make up reasons for the stop, keep their videos off until after the stop is initiated and are even trained to perform DUI field sobriety tests off camera in order to avoid inconsistencies in the report. Officers also tend to not give proper instructions and will exaggerate at how poor people perform on the tests.

Our Orange County DUI Defense Lawyers have the experience and knowledge to help you fight your DUI. We have been trained by the NHTSA, know all the DUI laws and will be able to determine whether the initial stop as well as the field sobriety test was done lawfully. Contact our OC DUI Attorneys today for a free case evaluation.

Posted by Thomas Wallin at 10:07 AM | Permalink

Seneca Turner, 29, has been convicted of second-degree murder and two DUI felonies for drunken driving and driving under the influence.

According to Mercury News, Turner intentionally ran over her 48 year old boyfriend, Sendy Thomas, on January 9, 2010. Records show that Turner was drunk and had cocaine and marijuana in her system when she ran Thomas over. Turner's attorney stated that the woman feared Thomas and that he had jumped in front of Turner's car.

Have you been in a DUI-related accident? If so, contact our Orange County DUI Defense Attorneys to find out how we can help you.

Posted by Thomas Wallin at 3:00 PM | Permalink

Late last month the Secretary of State confirmed that those in favor of a bill allowing California to regulate, control and tax cannabis obtained enough signatures to have the act be placed on the November 2010 ballot. Voters will decide if California will legalize marijuana for private use. Limitations to the personal use marijuana act include that you must be 21 or older and there are limitations on the amount that you may use. Laws will remain in effect that prohibits driving under the influence of marijuana. While California decides on whether or not to legalize marijuana, there are laws on the books that must be addressed. It is vital to remember that even if this legislation does pass, one can still be arrested for driving under the influence of any drug. Vehicle code section 23152 (a) driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, is often simply glanced over. Too often we solely associate a California DUI with alcohol, however the legislature was clear to include drugs in this vehicle code. If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol call our team of highly qualified California DUI attorneys today.

Posted by Thomas Wallin at 7:38 AM | Permalink