Increased DUI enforcement common during the holiday season

In order to keep California streets save for everyone, it is common for an increased police presence to be felt during the holiday season. DUI enforcement is up, and will likely remain so until after New Year’s Day. Those who are charged with impaired driving during this time have every right to question the charges and defend themselves in court.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, the California Highway Patrol arrested a total of 45 drivers for suspicion of DUI in the San Diego area. This number is slightly higher than the number of those arrested over Thanksgiving in 2013. Statewide, 594 DUI arrests were made, which is a significant decrease compared to the previous year. These numbers only account for arrests made on roadways that are patrolled by the state.

Each of these DUI arrests come with a story. Details specific to each case may be used to help those accused as they work through court proceedings. In situations like this, where officers are purposely looking for impaired drivers, questioning probable cause and officer intent could prove to be helpful in successfully fighting DUI charges.

California residents who are charged and convicted of a DUI offense could face a number of potential consequences. Some of these include an automatic license suspension, jail time and fines. The severity of the accused crime will have an effect on the type of consequences if a conviction is secured. As each of these and other possible penalties can have such a dramatic impact on a person’s life, a number of criminal defense strategies may be utilized to fight the charges and exclude or minimize any potential damages.