Rapper Arrested For DUI. Now What?

“Krayzie Bone,” a member of the famous Bone Thugs-n-Harmony group, was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of DUI in the West Valley. A spokeswoman for the LAPD stated that he was pulled over and failed a sobriety test at approximately 12:40 a.m. and transported to the Van Nuys jail.

Just another example of how even celebrities are not immune from the law. The question to you, the reader, might be, “now what happens?”.

Well, if “Krayzie Bone” were to hire Attorney Ross Erlich, Mr. Erlich would first contact the DMV Driver’s Safety Offices to set up an Administrative Per Se hearing and delay the automatic suspension the DMV seeks to enforce 30 days after an arrest. It is important to note that either you or your attorney must contact the DMV within 10 days of arrest or your license will be suspended automatically, without any hearing whatsoever.

Second, Attorney Ross Erlich would contact the City Attorney to see if any charges have been filed and if not, seek to speak with the Deputy City Attorney in charge of making the filing decisions and attempt to prevent any charges from being filed in the first place.

Now, assuming that charges have been filed or that the City Attorney is not willing to reject the case, the next step would be to appear on the first court date, collect all the police reports, any witness statements, police officer observations and go over all of that with the client. This is one of the most crucial steps in any DUI case. This is when we see what the Blood Alcohol Level was, what tests were taken, the police officer’s notes on the field sobriety tests, any statements that were made, whether or not the police officers followed proper protocol in pulling the car over, observing the driver, waiting the proper amount of time before starting any tests. All of these factors DO matter and any one which is not done correctly can open the door to a dismissal or reduction of the charges.

What is also important to consider is Attorney Ross Erlich’s personal relationships with the City Attorney’s and District Attorney’s who may be prosecuting your case. Because Attorney Ross Erlich has handled a large volume of DUIs, he has developed personal relationships with the prosecutors that, a lot of the time, can make a big impact on a client’s case.

If you have been arrested for DUI in Beverly Hills, the Metro (Metropolitan) Court, in Mid City Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles or on the Westside, contact Attorney Ross Erlich at (323) 222-4529.

Posted in DUI

Jail or no jail? The choice may now soon be yours

The California State Senate approved a bill this week that would make it easier for people convicted of DUIs and other low-level misdemeanors to reduce jail time, and in some cases, avoid jail altogether. This is a further example of California’s need to deal with over crowded jails and a shrinking budget to house those inmates.

AB 2127 would allow Sheriff Departments to give people convicted of these offenses credit towards their jail time (and possibly work release time) through participation in educational programs, job training, parenting and substance-abuse classes.

This is, of course, good news for anyone who has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) or other low-level misdemeanors such as assault, battery, petty theft, hit and run and numerous other violations. While the exact details, and certainty of passage, is not yet final, this bill would provide criminal defense attorney’s with a greater arsenal of tools to keep client’s out of jail and with their families.

The bill was passed by a vote of 21-14, but goes back to the State Assembly for approval of other amendments added onto the bill.

If you or someone you know has been arrested for DUI, petty theft, assault and battery, hit and run or any other misdemeanor in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills or in the Airport Court, contact attorney Ross Erlich as soon as possible. Getting in touch with the prosecutor before any charges are filed can help obtain the most favorable result for you.

Contact Los Angeles Defense attorney Ross Erlich here.

Posted in DUI

Memorial Day DUIs On The Decline

According to the California Highway Patrol, CHP officers arrested 187 people for DUI in L.A. County during the period between 6:00pm on Friday and 11:59pm on Monday. This number was down from 230 in 2011.

There are likely a number of factors that contributed to the decline, some of which include aggressive anti drinking and driving ad campaigns by law enforcement agencies, greater number of law enforcement officials patrolling the roads and highways and even the price of gasoline, which likely kept a significant number of people off the roads this past holiday weekend.

A DUI can be a scary experience and something that you should not have to go through alone. If you or someone you know has been arrested for DUI and has court at the Beverly Hills Courthouse, the Metropolitan Courthouse or the Airport Courthouse, contact Attorney Ross Erlich as soon as possible to prevent an automatic suspension of your license and to ensure that an aggressive defense is provided to you.

Contact the office of Ross Erlich at (818) 783-5700 or 15260 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1810, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Posted in DUI

DWP Employee Drunk On The Job

Ever wonder why it can take so long to get a service call from the DWP? Well, here is a great story for you.

43 year old Isaac Chavez was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on April 25 after crashing his DWP city truck into three parked cars in Van Nuys. Mr. Chavez was placed on administrative leave without pay pending a full investigation of the incident by the DWP. Los Angeles City Attorney officials stated that Mr. Chavez had two open vodka containers in his vehicle at the time of arrest.

If you have been arrested, or know someone who has been arrested, for driving under the influence (DUI), it is important to contact attorney Ross Erlich within the first 10 days after arrest so that he can postpone the automatic suspension of your license until a full administrative hearing can be held. Attorney Ross Erlich specializes in representing clients in all Los Angeles County courts, including Beverly Hills, LAX/Airport Court, Metropolitan Court, Downtown Criminal Justice Center and Van Nuys court.

If you or a loved one has questions regarding a DUI arrest, please take advantage of Attorney Ross Erlich’s free consultations

Posted in DUI

Drugged Driving On The Rise in Los Angeles

Even with alcohol-related traffic fatalities on the decline, the number of deadly car accidents involving drugs is on the rise.

The California Office of Traffic Safety recently announced that 30% of all drivers killed in car accidents in 2010 tested positive for legal and/or illegal drugs. The key to the increase of arrests for “driving while drugged” is the Office of Traffic Safety’s teaming up with the California Highway Patrol to increase drug recognition police officer training.

Driving under the influence of drugs, legal or not, may still result in your arrest for DUI or other driving under the influence charges. Under Penal Code section 23152(a), you will be arrested if a police office believes that you are driving while “under the influence of drugs, or alcohol, or both.”

If you have been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and have a court appearance at the Airport Courthouse, Beverly Hills Courthouse or anywhere in the Mid-City area, contact attorney Ross Erlich as soon as possible. It is important to start working on your case early in order to pursue other possible avenues to resolve your matter without going to trial.

Posted in DUI

DUI Arrests Up This Holiday Season

DUI Arrests Up This Holiday Season

A task force set up in Los Angeles County to curb drunk driving during the holiday season racked up 1,500 arrests from December 16 through Christmas Day.

Last year, during the same ten day period, just over 1,250 people were arrested for the alleged driving under the influence violations.

More checkpoints and specially assigned law enforcement personnel are sure to be up throughout the next week and over New Years Eve so take extra precautions.

It is important to obtain legal representation as early as possible if you are arrested for DUI. If you or someone you know has been arrested for alleged driving under the influence in Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills, the Mid City area or anywhere else in Southern California, contact attorney Ross Erlich at (818) 783-5700 as soon as possible.

Posted in DUI

Los Angeles County Thanksgiving DUI Arrests Rise During 2011

DUI arrests were up this Thanksgiving weekend 7 percent when compared to this same time a year ago, CHP officals reported.

As of this past Saturday, there had been a total of 200 DUI arrests made in Los Angeles County, compared to just 182 a year ago. While no deaths were reported in Los Angeles County so far this year, the CHP noted that 14 deaths have been reported throughout the state since Thursday.

If you have been arrested for DUI in Los Angeles County or the Mid City area, contact Attorney Ross Erlich as soon as possible to set up a free consultation and to protect your rights and license privileges before it is too late. Attorney Ross Erlich handles matters in the Los Angeles Metro Courthouse, the Beverly Hills Courthouse and all other courts in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties

Posted in DUI