January 2010 Archives

Former Los Angeles college football star and current Cincinnati Bengals' star football player Rey Maualuga was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after being arrested by local police in a northern Kentucky town in the early hours of the morning.  Police reports indicate that they stopped Maualuga after his vehicle crashed into a parking meter and two parked cars.  Maualuga was given field sobriety tests and is said to have registered 0.157% blood alcohol content when he took a breath analysis test, nearly twice the 0.08% legal limit in Kentucky.  The football star reportedly told police at the scene that he had consumed "...about six Captain and Coke" drinks earlier in the evening.  He was held in a Kenton, Kentucky county jail for about seven hours before being released.  Maualuga has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return for a hearing later this month. 

This failed DUI breath test was a first time violation for Maualuga, but in LA, this would still require a skilled Los Angeles DUI defense attorney.

Driving under the influence charges are very serious criminal offenses in Los Angeles.  For many people, DUI charges are especially frightening because it may be the first time they have ever experienced criminal proceedings.  Having an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney is essential if you have been charged with DUI.  From the day you are charged with DUI or DWI (driving while intoxicated), you have just 10 days to call a DUI attorney and schedule a DMV hearing, otherwise your driving privileges will be automatically suspended until after your criminal proceedings are finished.  An experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney will also carefully and thoroughly go through the details of your case with you to determine if there is any evidence against you that may prove inadmissible in court.  Los Angeles police have very specific guidelines as to how they may administer both field sobriety tests and breath analysis tests, and if those guidelines are not followed properly, the results may prove useless against you in court.  Field sobriety tests are highly subjective by nature and breath analysis machine results have been shown on numerous occasions to be flawed.  Even chemical testing of blood samples has come under recent scrutiny.  Scientific "evidence" can very often be successfully argued against. 

If you or someone you know has been charged with DUI or DWI, call a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today.  Our attorneys specialize in aggressive defenses against DUI charges and they will fight for you.  Call today at 877-781-1570 to begin preparing your defense. 

A 25-year-old woman was sentenced to five years in Florida State Prison on Thursday morning after pleading guilty to a DUI manslaughter that left a a 29-year-old father of two dead in 2007 on Interstate 75. The victim was identified as Amir Sarhaddi, a man who was returning home from a date with his wife when he pulled over on Interstate 75 at about 3 a.m. to help the victims of a crash that occurred right before his death.

As Sarhaddi helped the victims of the crash, Jessica Paquette, an impaired driver, crashed into one of the cars involved in the initial car crash, according to authorities. She was also sentenced on Thursday to previous child neglect and DUI charges after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter. In addition to the five years in prison, Paquette has also has to serve seven years probation, pay restitution, lose her driver's license permanently and complete 100 hours of community service.

The victims' parents read a statement in court that talked about their son's life as Paquette listened and cried.

James Braley, 38, is also charged with DUI manslaughter, accused of causing the initial crash that prompter Sarhaddi to pull over and help. Braley's case is still pending.

A Los Angeles DUI manslaughter arrest and conviction can have serious consequences on anyone's life, especially when it involves manslaughter or damage to property. In Paquette's case, a man was killed as a result of her driving under the influence. This invariably changes the entire case and the consequences become that much more serious; not only is she headed to prison for five years but she's also losing her drivers license permanently and will serve 100 hours of community service in addition to other punishments.

If you or anyone that you know has been arrested for DUI manslaughter, you should immediately contact a professional and knowledgeable DUI defense team. The Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP has more than 50 years of courtroom experience and have successfully devised strategies to drop DUI charges or minimize the consequences of those charges. Contacting a DUI defense attorney team with proper knowledge of DUI laws is instrumental in attaining a fair trial and keeping a DUI off of your record. If you have been charged with DUI, be sure to contact the Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP at 1-877-781-1570. For more information on DUI arrests and what you can do it if you have been arrested for DUI be sure to visit our website at www.laduidefenseteam.com.

If you have been charged with multiple Los Angeles DUI convictions, you are in danger of damaging your present and future driving freedoms, as well as potential job opportunities, family rights and much more.  Multiple Los Angeles DUI convictions can lead to a restricted license, jail time, heavy fines, having an interlock device put on your car, probation and more.

In a recent example of what can happen to you in a Los Angeles multiple DUI conviction scenario, a San Mateo man who was arrested for his seventh DUI on Saturday has pleaded not guilty to a felony drunken driving charge, a prosecutor said.

Antonio Gutierez, 42, entered his plea to driving under the influence and driving without a license charges Tuesday afternoon in San Mateo County Superior Court, according to authories. Gutierez is in jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Gutierez pulled over for speeding about 11:30 p.m. when officers believed he was under the influence and later ordered the suspect to take a blood test. According to authorities, they should have the results of that test in the next couple days. Gutierez didn't have a valid license at the time of his arrest, they added.

This is not Gutierez' first run in with the law; not only did he have two misdemeanor DUI arrests in 1993 and 1996, but was convicted another five times from 1999 to 2007, according to authorities. Drunken drivers typically must get three misdemeanor convictions before prosecutors can charge them with a felony so it is possible that this is his eighth DUI arrest. Gutierez has been convicted of felony DUI five times before and is due back in court Feb. 2.

Multiple Los Angeles DUI convictions are a serious matter as the consequences increase with each arrest and conviction. Typically, jail time becomes mandatory and increases with each DUI and misdemeanor DUI arrests become a thing of the past after a fourth DUI arrest. For this reason, an experienced and professional Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team is essential when fighting DUI charges in court. With a knowledgeable team working on your behalf, you can make sure that you have a fair trial, regardless of the previous number of DUI convictions you have.

If you have been arrested for a first time DUI, or multiple Los Angeles DUI convictions, contact the professional Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP immediately. The Los Angeles DUI defense team has more than 50 years of courtroom experience and the DUI attorneys at the firm have been recognized as some of the best defense lawyers in California. The first thing you should do after a DUI arrest is contact a legitimate DUI defense team to make sure that a legal arrest was made and a fair trial is given. Contact the Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at www.laduidefenseteam.com for more information.

At least three people were injured on an early January morning in Van Nuys after two suspected drunk drivers crashed into each other, according to authorities.

Los Angeles Police Office James LaForce said that a car was attempting to make a U-turn on Sherman Way when it struck a pickup truck. The collision resulted in the car being pushed onto a curb, while the truck spun and pushed a parked SUV onto a parked Ford Mustang.
After the collision, the driver of the truck ran away from the scene before being arrested moments after by an officer responding to the crash. The passenger in the truck also ran from the scene and was found about an hour later, attempting to kick in the door of a residence, according to police. The driver was placed under arrest for a felony DUI hit-and-run and is also under investigation for a misdemeanor DUI.

The driver of the car, a woman in her 20s, was injured and taken to a hospital. She is under investigation for a Van Nuys felony DUI. The two passengers in her car, a male and a female, both in their early 20s, were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

This incident involves several charges that can prove to be disastrous for those involved. The driver of the truck faces a combination of a felony DUI hit-and-run charge and a possible misdemeanor DUI charge, both carrying sentencing that can include; community service, probation, alcohol school, fines and even jail time. The driver of the car is also at risk of facing a felony DUI, a charge that can carry mandatory jail time, in addition to the above mentioned sentences.

If you have been charged with a misdemeanor or felony DUI, you need a professional and knowledgeable Los Angeles DUI defense team on your side to protect your rights and ensure a fair trial in court. The experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP has over 50 years of courtroom experience and can help develop an effective defense against your felony DUI charge. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact the Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP immediately at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at www.laduidefenseteam.com for more information on the DUI process and how we can help you if you have been charged with a Los Angeles DUI.

In any Los Angeles Vehicular manslaughter, the skills of an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney are absolutely necessary.  In a terrible recent collision, two women in were killed on an early January morning after a driver they were riding with fled the scene of a hit-and-run and crashed into a tree in La Verne, according to authorities.
The women, identified as Telassie Dague, 22, and Renee Hardy, 20, were both from Alta Loma, according to the L.A. County coroner's office.

The driver, who was identified as 27-year-old Alan McConnell, was arrested and charged with murder, felony DUI and hit-and-run. McConnell was with the two women in a 2000 Pontiac when he struck a car at about 12:45 a.m. McConnell proceeded to flee the scene and eventually hit a tree in the median on a La Verne road that was less than a half-mile away from the hit-and-run incident.

Officers found McConnell inside the car, looking dazed but without any injuries. One of the passengers was pronounce dead at the scene while the other was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center where she died later.  No other injuries were reported.

If convicted, McConnell faces serious consequences that can have detrimental effects on the rest of his life. A Los Angeles DUI can stay on a person's record permanently and affect different aspects of a person's life including their job, insurance rates and more. In addition to affecting a person's everyday life, a DUI can also carry heavy criminal consequences including; community service, alcohol school, fines, probation and even jail time.

If you have been charged with DUI, you need a professional and knowledgeable Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team on your side. A legitimate Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team can devise a strategy that will protect your rights and ensure a fail trial in court. The Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP has more than 50 years of courtroom experience and can help you dodge the serious consequences associated with a Los Angeles DUI.

Common defenses against a DUI include; proving that your rights were violated, proving that a search was unconstitutional, validity of administered blood test, proving an unlawful police stop, whether a Drug Recognition Expert was used to examine the suspect and others. The Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP is knowledgeable in the DUI process and can give you invaluable advice when facing DUI charges. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact us immediately at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at www.laduidefenseteam.com.

When a Los Angeles DUI charge is coupled with other criminal charges or past convictions, it can complicate any DUI Court process.  A Los Angeles DUI charge by itself is a serious matter, and while a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can help clear such a case, related charges make it that much more difficult.  Recently, a former NBA player received a DUI charge related to a January 5th incident. 

Former professional basketball standout Jayson Williams was charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) earlier this month after he careened off a highway and into a tree in New York City.  According to police reports, Williams veered across four lanes of oncoming traffic around 3:15 in the morning on January 5th.  Williams reportedly told police that he had been sitting in the passenger's seat at the time of the accident and that the car's driver had fled the scene.  Witnesses, however, refuted the statement, saying they had not seen anyone leave or enter the car.  Williams was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for a minor fracture in the neck as well as several cuts to his face.  Williams refused to undergo breath analysis testing, leaving police in the case to request blood samples from the hospital to later determine his blood alcohol concentration.  Williams has yet to enter a plea and is facing up to one year in jail.

It has been a rough decade for Williams.  In 2002, he was charged with murder after a shotgun he was showing several friends went off and killed his driver, Costas Christofi.  Witnesses to the incident testified that Williams initially placed the shotgun in the victim's hands and told them to lie to the police.  Williams' 2004 trial ended in mistrial and another hearing has yet to be scheduled.  Last year, his wife filed for divorce, then police had to use a stun gun to subdue him after a friend claimed he was acting suicidal.  Williams' father also died last November. 

While Williams' DWI incident occurred in New York, Los Angeles laws are very strict in regards to drinking and driving.  If, like Williams, a driver refused to submit to chemical testing for blood alcohol  content, he or she would automatically have their license suspended and such a refusal can, in some cases, be considered an admission of guilt.  Factors such as the speed someone was driving before being pulled over or getting into an accident can also affect the type and length of punishment someone would receive in the case of a conviction.  Repeat DUI offenders are also likely to spend significant time in prison and have their driving privileges revoked for longer periods of time. 

If you have received a Los Angeles DUI charge, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner &  Gorin, LLP today.  Our attorneys have a combined 50 years in courtroom experience in successfully defending against DUI charges and we will fight for you.

People in Los Angeles are accustomed to high profile DUI arrest stories, but in other parts of the country, it is a shock.  A Los Angeles DUI arrest can be a difficult experience for the person involved, as well as for their family, coworkers and friends. 

In a recent DUI arrest story, Utah Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on Friday, January 15. The next day, Killpack resigned from the Utah Senate and there is now a scheduled meeting for Saturday, January 23 where the Republican Party will nominate a replacement.

"My heart weighs heavy. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the legislative process, my legislative colleagues and for my constituents. At this time the Legislature would be a distraction from what is most important and, frankly, I find that I have become a distraction to the Legislature," Killpack said. "In light of that, I have decided to tender my resignation as majority leader and as a Utah state senator, effective immediately."

Ironically, a drunken driver killed Killpack's father when he was a teenager and the senator also had supported and sponsored drunken-driving measures. Killpack is also part of the LDS Church, a strong opponent of alcohol.

Killpack was stopped just after midnight on Friday by a Utah Highway Patrol officer who noticed the vehicle driving erratically and said later detected a "strong odor of alcohol". Killpack performed a series of field sobriety tests but refused to take a breath test and was subsequently arrested. A warrant was then issued to take a blood test and he was booked into the Salt Lake City County Jail at 2:45 a.m. and was released about 2 hours later.
As this case clearly shows, a DUI arrest and conviction can have devastating effects on a person's life. Not only are DUI arrests and convictions a matter of public record, they can also have consequences that can tarnish a person's reputation for years to come. Some of the consequences include; community service, alcohol school, probation, fines and even jail time.
An experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team can help avoid these consequences with an effective defense strategy that will get rid of or reduce the consequences associated with a DUI.

In order to properly defend yourself against a DUI arrest or charge in court you need an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team. The experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP has over 50 years of courtroom experience and can help develop an effective defense against your DUI charge. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact the Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP immediately at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at www.laduidefenseteam.com for more information on the DUI process and how we can help you if you have been charged with a Los Angeles DUI.

A Los Angeles DUI arrest can be a devastating event in a person's life. Not only are the court costs and possible fines staggering, a conviction can also end up on your criminal record for a long time. Plenty of times, Los Angeles DUI defendants are not aware of their rights and what they can do to ensure that they are given a fair trial with admissible evidence present at the time of the trial.

Recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Court solidified DUI defendant rights by requiring two breath samples be taken during the course of a DUI arrest. This ensures that the breath test machine is functioning correctly and only the lower reading is admissible in court. By law, the higher reading is inadmissible as the second test is put in place to make sure that the machine is functioning, not as a way to bring further evidence to the trial.

Like Massachusetts, California has several laws that protect DUI defendant rights, but many are unaware of them. An experienced and professional Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team is knowledgeable in these laws and can help defend your rights in court.

There are several different options that a defense team can pursue in order defend a client accused of a Los Angeles DUI including; proving that your rights were violated, proving that a search was unconstitutional, validity of administered blood test, proving an unlawful police stop, whether a Drug Recognition Expert was used to examine the suspect and a host of other defenses.

If you have been arrested for a Los Angeles DUI, you should call an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney team that knows the laws surrounding DUI arrests and your rights. You should never tell a police officer more information that is needed, that is a surefire way to incriminate yourself. After a DUI arrest, the best option you have is to contact a Los Angeles DUI defense team that can devise a strategy to protect you in court if a conviction arises.

The experienced and knowledgeable Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP has more than 50 years of courtroom experience and is well versed in the Los Angeles laws surrounding DUI arrests and defendant rights. We can create an effective strategy that can help you avoid a DUI conviction or lessen the severity of the consequences associated with a DUI conviction. Contact us immediately at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at www.laduidefenseteam.com for more information on the DUI process and how we can help you if you have been charged with a Los Angeles DUI.

A Los Angeles vehicular manslaughter DUI case is incredibly complicated.  At this moment, many people in the general population are highly prejudiced against anyone accused of a DUI, regardless of their guilt.  Commercials make drunk drivers out to be horrible people who want to do nothing more than kill everyone on the streets, so any Los Angeles vehicular manslaughter DUI case will be very hard to defend.  This is why having a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney working with you is so important should you find yourself in such a situation.

In a recent Los Angeles vehicular manslaughter DUI, a motorcyclist from Los Angeles died Saturday afternoon after colliding with pickup in a rural area of Redlands. The man was traveling about 40 miles per hour and crossed into the northbound lane, where he was struck by a pickup and ejected, coroner officials said. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. The victim was transported by paramedics to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries he suffered in the collision. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

In such a case, the man accused of the Los Angeles vehicular manslaughter DUI could be facing up to ten years in prison depending upon how the prosecution pursues the case.  A skilled Los Angeles DUI defense attorney will analyze the case and do his best to pick apart every area, including the crime scene investigation, the breath/blood test, the witnesses and more.  However, without a skilled defense attorney, anyone accused of a Los Angeles vehicular manslaughter DUI will be left at the mercy of the judge, the public defender and the prosecution.  This could lead to fines, probation, loss of license, serious jail time and much more. 

The important thing to remember, if you have been charged with a Los Angeles vehicular manslaughter DUI, is that you have options. By working with a skilled DUI defense attorney you may be able to avoid a harsh sentence or a conviction altogether. A capable vehicular manslaughter attorney, with the correct resources, may be able to prove that the accident was not actually your fault and was due to poor road or weather conditions or another driver - or that you were not actually intoxicated.

Call us today at 877-781-1570 if you have been arrested for a DUI.

Unfortunately, some crimes involve luck (whether good or bad) and any Los Angeles DUI defense attorney will tell you that having bad luck in your life is not good.  For example, a man drove into an Orange County jail early Sunday morning and was arrested on suspicion of a Los Angeles area DUI after a small altercation with a police officer.

According to Lt. Janet Lonich of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, Matthew Van McDaniel, 25, drove a late-model Mercedes Benz through the front gate of the James A. Musick jail in Irvine at around 2:05 a.m.

McDaniel then proceeded to exit the vehicle, but left it in drive and it hit a tree inside of the jail, according to Lonich. After the car hit the tree, McDaniel got into "a little physical altercation" with an officer, leaving the officer with small cuts and bruises.

McDaniel was then arrested on suspicion of DUI, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and unspecified weapons charges. No one was seriously hurt in the incident and neither the jail nor gates were damaged.

If convicted, McDaniel faces a slew of consequences that can have a serious effect on his record that can affect future employment, housing and loans, obtaining a professional license and more aspects of his life. These are common areas of life that can be severely affected when someone is convicted of a felony in California, including for a DUI conviction.

A Los Angeles DUI can have life-altering consequences that can include community service, fines, jail time, alcohol school and probation. There are, however, several ways that an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team can help combat these consequences with an effective defense strategy in place.

In order to properly defend yourself against a Los Angeles DUI charge in court you need an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team. There are several routes that a defense team can take to defend a client accused of a DUI including; proving that your rights were violated, proving that a search was unconstitutional, validity of administered blood test, proving an unlawful police stop, whether a Drug Recognition Expert was used to examine the suspect and others.

The experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP has over 50 years of courtroom experience and can help develop an effective defense against your DUI charge. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact the Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP immediately at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at www.laduidefenseteam.com for more information on the DUI process and how we can help you if you have been charged with a Los Angeles DUI.