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Recent Blog Posts in March 2011 |
| March 31, 2011 |
| Was 2010 the Year of the Checkpoints or of the Impounds? |
| Posted By Admin |
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California traffic safety declared 2010 as the "year of the checkpoints," and they were not joking. There were 1,050 state-funded checkpoints during the holidays alone, that is twice as many holiday check points then in fiscal 2009. The purpose of the checkpoints were to find drunken drivers and to ensure public safety, but there was six cars impounded for every one DUI arrest.
There were 17,419 vehicles impounded during the last fiscal year. According to a investigation performed by the California Watch and UC Berkeley, most of those were sober unlicensed illegal immigrants. Under state law, unlicensed motorists or motorists who have had their driving privileges suspended or revoked can have their cars impounded for 30 days. The fees and fines that car owners must pay to retrieve their vehicle often reach more than $1,500. According to the data, police cited 12,867 unlicensed drivers in 2010, illegal immigrants may have accounted for more then 70% of vehicle seizures.
Impounds have become a revenue source for many cities; however, seven California agencies have modified their checkpoint policies to try and reduce impounds.
If you or someone you know is being charged with a DUI, contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our DUI attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the
Hedding law firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these. |
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| March 22, 2011 |
| Do Breathalyzers Actually Measure Alcohol? |
| Posted By Admin |
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Breathalyzers are made to detect and measure any chemical compound that contains the methyl group in its molecular structure. The problem is that those compounds are not found only in alcohol and some can actually be found on the human breath.
Infrared spectroscopy is a technology commonly used in most breath machines used by law enforcement today. When a breath test is being administered, the
DUI suspect must breath through a tube connected to the machine. A breath sample is then captured in a small sample chamber inside the machine. Then beams of infrared light are shot through the captured breath sample. If there are any methyl compounds in the breath sample they will absorb light from the beams. The more light that is absorbed, the less light reaches sensors at the other end of the chamber. The less light that is detected by those sensors, the higher the blood-alcohol reading.
These breathalyzers are more attractive to government because they are cheap. Instead of using more expensive filters or multiple filters, a lesser number of less-costly filters are used. The machines are then non specific to what compounds they detect. If a person has any of these other compounds on their breath, they will get a falsely high breath test.
According to a study done on 8 men, 69 different compounds were found containing the methyl group. A different study with 29 test subjects found that the "combined expired air comprises at least 102 various organic compounds of endogenous and exogenous origin." Diabetics with low blood sugar can have high levels of acetone, which is detected as alcohol by breathalyzers. Scientific studies have found that people on diets can have reduced blood-sugar levels, causing large amounts of acetone than normally seen in individuals. A smoker's BAC test is likely to read higher then expected because of the compound acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is produced in the human body as a by-product in metabolizing consumed alcohol, and eventually passes into the lungs and breath. According to researchers, levels of acetaldehyde in the lungs can be 30 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers. This results in a higher BAC reading. There are also industrial compounds such as paint, glue, gasoline, and thinners that contain methyl group. Simply absorbing these industrial compounds through your skin or inhaling the fumes can cause significant levels of the chemical in your body for hours or even days.
There are so many factors that can be attacked related to the methods and circumstances surrounding a DUI case. However, to really evaluate whether you should fight your case, you must speak to a seasoned Los Angeles DUI attorney.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI, contact our office today. Our Los Angeles attorneys have handled thousands of DUI cases and have a combined 75 years of experience. Call the
Hedding law firm today at 818-986-2092. |
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| March 01, 2011 |
| Christina Aguilera Arrested on Suspicion of Public Drunkenness |
| Posted By Admin |
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Christina Aguilera was arrested on suspicion of public drunkenness and released Tuesday morning. Los Angeles County Sheriff's department said they don't plan on seeking criminal charges against Aguilera. Steve Whitmore, the sheriff's department's spokesman, said the arrest will go on her record but the case will not be forwarded to prosecutors. She was taken into custody for her safety and the circumstances don't merit criminal charges. "There will be no court date, and there will be no prosecution," he said. According to deputies, a DUI investigation was initiated after they noticed a motorist who was driving erratically. The driver was arrested on suspicion of
DUI. Deputies found Aguilera inside the car, she was described as being "very intoxicated," said a source familiar with the case. Deputies did not believe Aguilera would be able to drive safely on her own and took her into protective custody. Protective custody is imprisonment to protect a person from harming oneself or others.
If you or someone you know is being charged with a DUI,
contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the
Hedding law firm, we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.
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