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Yet some people may argue that the pop star isn't getting off too easy for violating her probation in the DUI case. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elden Fox ordered that Lindsay Lohan will remain on supervised probation until November. At a hearing last week, the judge stated that the actress must comply with random drug testing twice a week, participate in psychotherapy four times a week and meet with counselors five times a week for the remainder of her probation. If Lindsay Lohan misses or fails a drug test, she will be jailed for 30 days.
]]> Lindsay Lohan didn't attend the hearing last week, so the public didn't get to see the actress' dramatic reaction to the news. Instead, Los Angeles DUI attorney Shawn Chapman Holley showed up to court on her behalf. The attorney told reporters that her client is making very good progress and that she is a changed person since her return from rehab."She's healthy, she's clearheaded, she's positive," Shawn Chapman Holley told the Los Angeles Times. Perhaps drug testing will also allow LiLo to clear up her public image by proving that she is sober and clean from drugs.
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Faith Evans could be formally could misdemeanor DUI charges, if prosecutors decide to formally charge the singer with the drunk driving crime. In such a case, the R&B singer would likely have a Los Angeles DUI for representation in court.
]]>The 37-year-old singer is known for the 1998 song "I'll Be Missing You." The woman is also a widow to the rapper Christopher Wallace, who has the stage name of the Notorious B.I.G. However, Faith Evans has since been re-married to Todd Russaw.
Faith Evans' most recent drunk driving arrest isn't even the first time she has had a run-in with the law. In 2004, the singer and her husband were reportedly arrested in Atlanta for drug possession charges. Faith Evans spent 13 weeks in a drug-abuse intervention program in order to avoid jail time over the incident.
DUI checkpoints are occurring more and more frequently in various Los Angeles regions, so it's a good idea for drivers to know their legal rights when proceeding through a checkpoint. If you've been suspected of drunk driving at a checkpoint and you believe that law enforcement officers didn't go through the right procedures to conduct a checkpoint, you always have the right to contact a Los Angeles DUI attorney for help with criminal defense.
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The catch is that not all insurance companies will provide insurance to SR-22 holders. With a DUI conviction on your record, preferred carriers will likely cut you off, since DUI offenders are considered a liability threat by acting irresponsibly. Some auto insurance companies will provide service to DUI offenders, perhaps some smaller companies, but insurance will come at a high price. Even with just one DUI violation, an offender may face high insurance prices for the rest of his or her life.
If you've been convicted of a DUI, and are facing difficulties getting auto insurance, then you should contact a DUI attorney in Los Angeles right away. A skilled attorney may be able to negotiate with the insurance companies to make sure you're getting a fair rate and that you're not suffering too much from the skyrocketing insurance prices in the long run.
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It may seem strange to get a letter like this from your child, but across the country thousands of high school students are writing these letters and participating in The Every 15 Minutes Program. The alcohol education program started in 1995, with a two day agenda that educated students about drinking, driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions.
]]> Now the program has spread all over the United States and Canada, where several high schools in the Los Angeles region are proud participants. The cities of Burbank, Bell Gardens, Irvine, Murrietta, Anaheim, Placentia, Los Alamitos, and Rancho Cucamonga are just a few cities that have schools participating in the program.What makes Every 15 Minutes unique from other alcohol education programs is that teenage students are able to learn by experiencing. Certain students in the program are selected to participate in a mock death by a drunk driving accident. The students then learn the repercussions of being in an alcohol-related crash and get to experience the different sensations involved from a firsthand perspective.
Not only do students learn about the physical and emotional risks of drunk driving, but they learn about how expensive it can be to hire a DUI attorney in Los Angeles. The whole community will usually play a role when it comes to the program's simulations. Involvement usually comes from police and fire departments, high school staff, local hospitals, community officials and a district attorney.
If you would like the Every 15 Minutes program to come to a particular high school, contact a program representative at info@every15minutes.com.
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Andrew Gallo has gotten a widespread of negative news coverage over the last year and a half, since he was accused of killing Anaheim Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in a 2009 drunk driving crash. In addition to the death of the Angel, Andrew Gallo has been accused of killing to other people that were riding in Nick Adenhart's vehicle. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to three second degree murder counts and can be sentenced to 50 years in prison if he is convicted of all the criminal charges.
]]> In this case, the defendant actually has a criminal history with one prior DUI conviction. The day of the fatal crash, Andrew Gallo reportedly had a blood alcohol level that was more than twice the legal limit when he was tested two hours after the collision.Attorneys would have liked for this drunk driving case to move out of Orange County because of the negative press Andrew Gallo has received. A DUI attorney in Los Angeles or Orange County might believe that it will be difficult to find an impartial jury in the area, but perhaps finding impartial jury members won't be impossible. Jury selection will begin for this case on September 1, where NBC News reports that opening statements are likely to be on September 13.
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DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, surrendered himself to the Los Angeles County authorities on July 26 for his probation violation in connection with a 2002 reckless driving conviction. The rapper was initially charged with DUI, but was able to reach a plea deal with prosecutors so that he could only plead guilty to reckless driving. Yet, it seems that there's just no room for drunk driving offenders in the L.A jails due to jail overcrowding. As we reported in an earlier blog post, men convicted of non-violent crimes typically serve only 50 percent of their sentence, where women convicted of non-violent crimes will serve only 20 percent of their jail sentence.
]]> Yet DMX served less than 50 percent of his 90 day jail sentence and actress Lindsay Lohan served less than 20 percent of her 90 day sentence by getting out of jail in just 13 days. The even earlier release for these two celebrities has to do with their good behavior while they were locked behind bars. With DUI cases, many celebrities also have skilled Los Angeles DUI attorneys working for them, who can sometimes negotiate with prosecutors before the judge's sentencing.Perhaps Los Angeles is one of the only areas where inmates can get out of jail significantly early. According to New York Daily News, DMX had to serve his full 90 day sentence in Arizona, when he was convicted of drug possession and animal cruelty charges.
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The Orange County Register reported that the county's Mothers Against Drunk Driving hosted its "Hold 'Em, Fold 'Em, Save 'Em" poker tournament a couple weeks ago in order to raise money for the organization's programs and services to the victims of drunk driving.
]]> MADD was able to raise almost $4,000 through the tournament. The money is set to go toward several MADD programs, including Youth and Action, a program in which young adults discuss underage drinking at police departments. Money from the tournament will also go to Power to the Parents, which is a program aimed at helping parents take initiative to prevent their children from drinking.Some DUI attorneys in Los Angeles County or Orange County may question the effectiveness of such programs, but many people in these Southern California regions are also happy that money is being spent to prevent drunk driving on the roads.
"We wanted a fun-loving, popular event that would help with the fundraising prospect," MADD executive director Mary Beth Griffin told the Orange County Register. "Everyone in attendance said that they had a great time."
MADD of Orange County plans to host another poker tournament fundraiser next year. Anybody who has questions about the legal consequences of a DUI conviction in California should contact a Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer to learn more information.
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The Los Angeles Times reports that one particular complaint among Lindsay Lohan's Los Angeles DUI attorney was that Judge Marsha Revel reportedly spoke to the Morningside Recovery rehab before selecting it for the actress, even though it was not one of the facilities recommended by the experts involved in the case. The actress' lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley was able to change the Morningside facility to the UCLA Medical Center.
]]> Judge Marsha Revel was criticized by some Los Angeles DUI defense lawyers after giving Lindsay Lohan a harsh sentence of 90 days in jail and 90 days in rehab for violating the terms of her probation. The actress' mother, Dina Lohan, said that Judge Marsha Revel was "playing hardball" with the sentence. Yet other people think that Lindsay Lohan might now be getting yet another break (after completing just 13 days of the 90 day jail sentence) by having a new judge preside over her case.The new Beverly Hills judge handling the Lohan case is Judge Elden Fox. With a new judge, the Los Angeles Times reports that Lindsay Lohan may be getting out of rehab in fewer than 90 days because the substance abuse treatment program at UCLA lasts about half the time. It will now be up to Judge Fox to decide on the rules.
Some people are wrongfully arrested for driving under the influence at Los Angeles DUI checkpoints, so it's important to know your legal rights when proceeding through such roadblocks. We cover the constraints that California law enforcers have in an earlier blog post titled "Los Angeles DUI Attorneys Analyze Sobriety Checkpoints." If you feel that law enforcement officers didn't go through the right procedures to conduct a checkpoint, you always have the legal right to a Los Angeles DUI attorney. Attorneys can help people avoid a DUI conviction and provide proper defense in court.
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According to MTV News, DMX's Los Angeles DUI attorney Aja Southern was able to lower the initial DUI charge to a reckless driving charge through a plea deal. He was sentenced to probation, but when he violated the terms of the probation last January, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
]]> DMX was reportedly supposed to go to jail last March, but the rapper never appeared for his court hearing. This led a Los Angeles judge to revoke the rapper's $100,000 bail and an arrest warrant to be issued.It turns out that DMX recently served an unrelated jail sentence in Arizona for violating the terms of his drug probation by failing a drug test. He was released from the Arizona jail after serving six months of the four month jail sentence. After his jail release, the rapper turned himself in at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Courthouse on July 26 and began serving his Los Angeles jail sentence for the reckless driving probation violation.
It may seem like DMX has really gotten himself into quite a bit of trouble over the last decade, however the rapper's Los Angeles DUI attorney seems to be protecting the man's reputation to some degree. In a statement, the lawyer said that DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been cooperative with the criminal courts.
"Mr. Simmons is here today to fully cooperate with respect to any matters of the Court's concern," Aja Southern said in a statement when DMX returned to jail. "This is one of many steps towards rebuilding his image and rapport with the community and his loyal fans."
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AB 2486, also known as the Teen Alcohol Safety Act of 2010, was authored by Los Angeles Assemblyman Mike Feuer. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the bill passed with a 72-1 vote in the Assembly and a unanimous vote in favor of the bill in the Senate.
]]> "It's a rare opportunity in public service to be able to author legislation that literally could save someone's life," Mike Feuer said in the San Francisco Chronicle. "This is one of those bills, as we know from the tragedies that precede it. The stakes are very high here."The passage of the Teen Alcohol Safety Act of 2010 probably won't have much of an effect on the criminal cases for those that have been accused of driving under the influence. However, holding the host liable for providing alcohol will probably lead to many more civil lawsuits in California. Perhaps a Los Angeles DUI attorney will soon be helping out with the defense of adults being sued for providing alcohol to minors at parties.
It seems that the bill had a great amount of supporters, in addition to the large number of lawmakers that voted for the passage of AB 2496. Consumer Attorneys of California and Mothers Against Drunk Driving that voiced their approval of the Teen Alcohol Safety Act.
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Up until last month, Robert Rizzo worked as the city manager for the city of Bell in Los Angeles County. However, the city official resigned after being widely criticized for his high salary of almost $800,000 per year. Many people in the Bell community were outraged when they learned of the high wages of the city manager and assistant city manager from the Los Angeles Times.
While many people are angry over this issue, it's important to realize that Robert Rizzo's DUI case is completely separate. A Los Angeles DUI attorney can ensure that irrelevant factors are not considered in this criminal case and that he is subjected to a fair trial. More information on the DUI laws in California and the various defenses to drunk driving can be found through our Related Resources pages.
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Yet this strategy doesn't seem too popular among DUI defense lawyers. Aside from the fact that posting the names of DUI suspects may not do anything to deter drunk driving in Huntington Beach, many people feel that the listing of names can be damaging to a person's reputation.
]]> This policy can especially be problematic if a person was wrongfully accused of driving under the influence. An innocent person can potentially suffer from a great deal of humiliation if they are publicly labeled as a DUI suspect. However, the Huntington Beach Police Department asserts that the purpose of this policy is not to humiliate drunk drivers, but is meant to raise awareness about DUI crimes."It's not a wall of shame we're looking to put up," Lt. Russell Reinhart told the Los Angeles Times. "Public awareness of the problem, and scope of the problem, is one way of addressing any public safety concern."
Anybody that is wrongfully accused of DUI in Southern California should see a DUI attorney in Los Angeles or Orange County to learn about what rights they have under the law. An attorney can evaluate all the evidence in a particular case, including any chemical tests or field sobriety tests that were administered by law enforcers.
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The early jail release of the Mean Girls star comes from her good behavior as a non-violent offender, who often serve less than a quarter of their sentence due to jail overcrowding. CNN reports that that Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel ordered the actress to start the alcohol rehabilitation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center within 24 hours of leaving jail.
]]> Lindsay Lohan's next court date is scheduled for next week, but if she is in the rehab program then it's likely that she will not be in court for her hearing and that her Los Angeles DUI Attorney Shawn Chapman Holley will appear in court without her. The Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer may try to argue that her client should be able to leave the alcohol rehabilitation program early with good behavior, but prosecutors insist that LiLo will not be able to get out of rehab early and that she'll have to spend the entire 90 days in treatment.Even after sentencing, a Los Angeles DUI attorney can help with negotiations and representation at hearings during the duration of the probation. More information about DUI sentencing and DUI probation can be found through our Related Resources pages.
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