Our Los Angeles County DUI criminal defense attorneys were interested to see that a former football player was recently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Television station KTLA reported April 21 that Corey Dillon, a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots between 1997 and 2006, was booked on suspicion of drunk driving early in the morning of April 21. Dillon was taken into custody at 3:40 a.m. near Mulholland Drive and the 101 Freeway, near the city of Calabasas. He will appear to answer the citation on June 21 at the Malibu courthouse of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
According to the article, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies first spotted Dillon's vehicle around 3:40 a.m. on the morning of the arrest. Two deputies were driving north on Mulholland when they saw a red Chevrolet Camaro with paper dealers' plates driving slowly behind them. They conducted a traffic stop "to verify the vehicle's registration," according to a spokesman for the sheriff's office. Inside the car, they found Dillon, 35, and an unnamed passenger. Dillon displayed signs of being under the influence and admitted to the officers that he had been drinking earlier in the evening. The officers booked him on suspicion of DUI, but released him to await further legal proceedings. The passenger was not cited.
As Cypress drunk driving criminal defense lawyers, we're interested in several aspects of this story that might help Dillon defend the DUI charge. Most importantly, the article doesn't mention whether Dillon took a breath or blood test. A blood-alcohol concentration test is not necessary to convict someone of DUI in California, but it provides much stronger evidence than the officer's judgment alone. Without one, prosecutors have to argue that the driver was "impaired," and it's difficult to provide objective evidence of impairment. We might also be interested in examining whether the deputies were justified in making the traffic stop in the first place, because "verifying the registration" sounds like a concern that could apply to any brand-new car that doesn't yet have plates. If a traffic stop is not legally justified, all of the evidence it generates is tainted and must be thrown out.
Howard Law, P.C. represents people throughout California who are charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Prosecutors and the public take DUI very seriously, and that means the penalties facing someone convicted of DUI are also very serious. Drivers like Dillon who are arrested for DUI have their driver's licenses confiscated on the spot and have just ten days to request a hearing to fight a license suspension. If convicted of a first drunk driving charge, defendants face probation or jail, community service, alcohol classes, thousands in fines and skyrocketing auto insurance rates. Our Seal Beach intoxicated driving criminal defense lawyers help clients defend themselves from these harsh consequences and avoid their negative effects on their work, family, school and social lives. Even when a BAC reading is over 0.08, we can still help clients defend themselves or minimize the consequences.
If you're charged with drunk driving or drugged driving in California, you should call Howard Law, P.C. for help. To set up a free, confidential evaluation of your case, please contact us online or call 1-800-872-5925 today.
