Sacramento Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

The California Highway Patrol plans increased patrols state-wide for the duration of the Labor Day weekend to deter drunk driving. The heightened enforcement period begins this evening at 6:00 PM and continues until midnight on Monday, September 6. If you've driven on Sacramento's freeways today, you've already seen the electronic message signs flashing the admonition to motorists to call 911 if they see a drunk driver.

Locally, the Sacramento Police Department has announced a DUI and driver's license checkpoint at Florin Road and 24th Street, beginning at 8:30 PM and running until early Saturday morning.

Do what it takes to keep yourself and others safe this holiday weekend. If you plan on going out drinking, choose a designated driver before you leave your house or apartment. Also, take sufficient cash to pay for a cab if necessary. And, above all, look after your friends and family and keep them from getting behind the wheel if they've had too much to drink.

"Sobriety and Drivers License Checkpoint Notification," Sacramento Police Department, September 2, 2010

"CHP Prepares to Launch Statewide DUI Crackdown," Lake County News, August 31, 2010

Three local police departments have announced that they will be conducting traffic checkpoints the night of Friday, July 13. The Sacramento, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova police departments are all using grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to fund these efforts to check drivers for sobriety, as well as valid driver's licenses.

Folsom PD will run its checkpoint from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM and Rancho Cordova PD will run its from 8:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Sacramento PD has not stated when its checkpoint will begin and end. At this point, the precise locations for each checkpoint have not been made public.

As always, we advise you to take the steps necessary to keep yourself and others safe if you plan on going out drinking tomorrow night. That means, choose a designated driver, put taxi phone numbers into your cell phone, hire a limo, or take public transportation. Police and prosecutors in the Sacramento region treat DUIs severely. A few minutes spent planning or a few dollars spent on transportation can save you a lot of money and aggravation by avoiding arrest for driving while intoxicated.

If you have any questions about California's DUI laws, call the Law Office of Nancy King at (916) 442-1200.

Folsom PD press release
Sacramento PD press release
Rancho Cordova press release

The police departments of Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento - in cooperation with CHP - will have increased DUI patrols on May 5th. Advertisement of these patrols is meant to discourage people from driving after drinking at Cinco de Mayo celebrations, as well as provide the resources to identify and arrest those people who do drink and drive.

No specific checkpoint locations have been identified. Rather, officers will be in patrol cars roving throughout their communities.

As always, we provide this information as a reminder of the dangers of DUI and an encouragement to plan ahead to keep yourself and others safe. If you're going to take part in Cinco de Mayo celebrations, we encourage you to identify your designated driver in advance and have the phone numbers of cab companies programmed into your mobile device. Also, be sure to look after your friends and family and ensure that they don't get behind the wheel after drinking.

If you have questions about DUI laws, contact the Law Office of Nancy King at (916) 442-1200.

On St. Patrick's Day, Wednesday, March 17, the Sacramento Police Department DUI enforcement team will partner with the CHP and other law enforcement agencies to substantially increase patrols throughout the city. Anyone considering drinking alcohol on St. Patrick's Day should take these preventive measures:

• Pick your designated driver before you begin celebrating
• Put the local taxi company's number in your cell phone
• If you have an iPhone, load one of the many apps that will help you find a cab
• Hire a limo for the evening
• Go to a restaurant or bar within walking distance of your home
• Associate only with people who will look out for you

Do what it takes to keep yourself and others safe.

With abundant rain this winter, California's lakes, reservoirs, and rivers are quickly filling up. And as the weather gets warmer, more people will take out their boats for a relaxing day on the water. Everyone who enjoys boating, though, needs to keep in mind California's strict laws regarding boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Harbors and Navigation Code 655 lays out the rules regarding operation of watercraft in the California. This law makes it:

• A crime to operate a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher.
• A crime to operate a commercial vessel with a blood alcohol content of 0.04% or higher.
• A crime to operate a water ski or aquaplane after ingesting any amount of alcohol or drug.
• A crime to use a water ski or aquaplane in a "reckless or negligent manner" that poses a danger to others.

Many people assume that they get a free pass from law enforcement when consuming alcohol on the local rivers because it's not illegal to have an open container on a boat. The reality is different though. BUI is considered especially dangerous because of the speeds that boats can attain, the difficulty of stopping a boat quickly, and the lack of distinct lanes of traffic compared to streets and freeways.

Penalties for BUI are severe with fines up to $1000 and jail time of up to six months. In addition, though a 2008 California Supreme Court case made it clear that the DMV is not allowed to suspend a person's automobile driver's license for conviction of a BUI, a BUI conviction can be counted as a "prior" if the person is arrested for DUI within the next 10 years.

The sheriff's department of each county is responsible for patrolling waterways in its jurisdiction. The Sacramento Sheriff's Department, for example, oversees the Sacramento River north of downtown Sacramento all the way down through the delta region at the county's southern border. The Yolo County Sheriff's Department covers the Sacramento River, Cache Canyon, Putah Creek, and other waterways within the county. The Yolo Sheriff's Department just announced, in fact, that it is using a grant from the state to purchase additional watercraft for law enforcement and rescue operations.

If you have been arrested for boating under the influence, call Nancy King at (916) 442-1200 for a free and confidential consultation.