California - Four counties in California, Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tulare, will be the first to test a new DUI law requiring first time offenders to have an ignition interlock installed in their cars. With the device, offenders have to register a 0.0% to be able to start their vehicles. Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles. “This is a piece of legislation that will really matter at the community level.”
Most offenders will be required to pay a $125 installation fee, a $45 DMV fee, and a $60 a month service charge. First time offenders will have to have the ingnition interlocks for 5 months, second offenders for 12 months, third offender for 24 months, and fourth offenders for 36 months.
Read the article, “Calif. DUI law among those taking effect this week” by Don Thompson - Associated Press Writer
Most of us remember the infamous case of when Mel Gibson got a DUI in California back in 2006 when he used anti-sematic remarks to the arresting officer. He later pleaded guilty to driving 87mph while holding an open bottle of tequila. His alcohol content was 0.12, which is one and a half times the legal limit.
Since then Gibson has comlpeted his 3 year probation, paid $1600 in fines, attended AA meetings, and perfomed public services. Since he was a first time offender, he was able to get a California judge to hear his case, and decide to expunge the DUI from his record.
Read the article ” Mel Gibsons Drunk Driving Conviction Expunged”
We understand that you should always designate a driver who is not drinking, but one California couple took that too far when they decided that a 13 year old boy would be their best decision. 29 year old Donald Hughes and 32 year old Heather Choulos asked the boy to drive them home after they had a dinner date on Sunday. Both of them already have prior drunk driving arrests.
The boy managed to drive the car onto a busy street, but then stopped and stalled the car. When police spotted the car and came up to it to see what happened, they knew right away something was wrong. Choulos was charged with misdemeanor count fo child endangerment and misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Hughes was not charges with anything.
Read the article “13-year old designated driver pulled over by police” from www.NBC-2.com
California has an evergrowing problem with repeat drunk drivers. Right now there are over 300,000 drivers that have THREE or more DUI conviction, and 40,000 of those have FIVE or more convictions. In 2007, drunk drivers were involved in more then 53,000 accidents, killing over 1500 people in California. It is statistics like these that show a need for a new, better way to combat drunk driving. We need to fight this problem at its source, the establishment where people are drinking. Drunk driving accidents account for around 20% of all auto insurance payments in California.
Read the article ” Editorial:300,000 repeat DUI offenders? Time to act!”
Uncategorized | henry | 
July 1, 2010 12:50 pm | 
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