Our Huntington Beach drunk driving defense attorneys were disappointed to note that a young Laguna Hills man was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving over the weekend. The Orange County Register reported March 15 that police believe alcohol was a factor when Nicolas Cavallo, 19, crashed his car into a tree. Four friends were in his car; all four sustained moderate to mild injuries. Cavallo's accident made the news in part because he's the son of Joe Cavallo, a criminal defense attorney who became famous for representing Gregory Haidl in both of his trials for the sexual assault of a teenaged girl. Haidl was the son of OC Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, who later turned state's witness in the corruption trial of former OC Sheriff Michael Carona.
When the crash occurred, Cavallo and his friends had just left a party in the Laguna Hills neighborhood of Nellie Gail. Cavallo was driving at around 4 a.m. when his 2008 Subaru hit a tree. The four passengers sustained minor injuries in the crash, but Cavallo was the most badly hurt, with injuries including a broken wrist and a broken leg. He was taken to Mission Hospital, as were three of the four passengers. As of March 15, he was listed in good condition there. A Laguna Hills police spokesperson said the hospital ran blood tests on Cavallo before he went into surgery. Possibly based on the results, the spokesperson said police believe alcohol was involved in the crash. No BAC test result was reported.
As Fallbrook DUI defense lawyers, we're afraid Cavallo's age means he has far less flexibility with his BAC test results. The legal limit for people 21 and older is 0.08, but California's "zero tolerance" law for minors under 21 means their legal limit is 0.01. People with low (under 0.05) BAC test results may be charged with a civil rather than criminal violation, but because Cavallo got into an accident, prosecutors may not be interested in doing this. In fact, he faces felony charges, likely because of the injuries. Under the law, it doesn't matter that Cavallo himself suffered the most serious of the injuries or that his friends weren't hospitalized; any bodily injury is enough to make it a felony. His father's notoriety may also play into the case. For those reasons, we very much hope Cavallo will be represented by an experienced attorney.
Based in Anaheim, Howard Law, P.C. represents Californians charged with all types of DUI. We also handle related administrative license suspension cases at the DMV. Defendants accused of driving under the influence typically have their licenses taken away by police right away, sometimes even at the scene, and replaced with a temporary driver's license. They then have ten days, including weekends and holidays, to request a hearing contesting that license suspension. Our Temecula intoxicated driving defense attorneys can and should represent you at that hearing, but we need to get involved quickly, so our clients don't wait so long that they waive their rights. Driver's license suspensions are especially serious for minors like Cavallo, who lose their licenses for a full year, not just four months, on a first offense.
If you're accused of driving under the influence in California, don't wait to call Howard Law, P.C. for help. To set up a free, confidential consultation, please contact us through our website or call 1-800-872-5925.
