As Orange County drunk driving criminal defense lawyers, we handle defense of people accused of driving under the influence of drugs, or both drugs and alcohol, as well as those accused of driving under the influence of alcohol alone. That's why we were interested to see a May 24 article in the Orange County Register about an arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. Henry Roy Buzina, 66, was taken into custody late on May 23 after causing a three-car accident in Lake Forest. No one was injured, but both of the other motorists' cars had minor damage. After police came to the scene, Buzina failed a breath test and was arrested and booked into Orange County Jail.
Buzina was driving a Chrysler 300 at around 9:20 Sunday night, when he entered the left turn lane at Rockfield Boulevard and El Toro Road in Lake Forest. According to an Orange County sheriff's deputy, Buzina failed to stop in time to avoid rear-ending a Jeep waiting to turn left. The Jeep, in turn, was pushed into a Porsche that was also waiting to make a left. No one was injured, but the police were called to the scene. When they arrived, they administered a breath test to Buzina, who tested at nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08. He was arrested and sent to jail. The article mentions that Buzina had just had hip replacement surgery, but said nothing about his medication use or whether police tested his blood for drugs.
If our Murrieta DUI criminal defense attorneys were defending Buzina, we would be interested in how his hip replacement surgery might have affected his intoxication level and thus his driving. Hip replacement is a major kind of surgery, and patients can expect to take painkillers for some time after the surgery is over. Unfortunately, many common prescription painkillers interact with alcohol, making patients more susceptible to alcohol intoxication than they would otherwise be. Buzina's BAC reading suggests that he would have been legally drunk in any case, but the painkillers themselves can also impair judgment. Many drivers don't realize that they can be charged with intoxicated driving for driving under the influence of a drug they have legally been prescribed, but it absolutely does happen. To avoid a DUI conviction, such drivers must show that they were not intoxicated, an ambiguous requirement that can be difficult to meet.
At Howard Law, P.C., we prefer to start DUI cases as early as possible, so we have the best possible chance of minimizing the effect of a drunk driving charge on clients' lives. Many people don't realize this, but in California, you have just 10 days from the date of a DUI arrest to challenge the suspension of your driver's license. If you don't contact the DMV quickly, you will automatically lose the license without any further right to dispute it. This is in addition to the criminal drunk driving charge itself, which can bring jail time or probation, community service, fines and more. Our Manhattan Beach intoxicated driving criminal defense attorneys work hard to stop or minimize the negative consequences of a DUI, which can include problems at work as well as a criminal record and an immediate increase in auto insurance rates.
If you are charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in California, you should call Howard Law, P.C. as soon as possible. For a free evaluation of your case, please send us a message online or call 1-800-872-5925.
