RSSGetting into any sort of DUI-related incident is always jarring, but when a crash puts others’ lives in danger, the repercussions can be extremely wide-ranging. Recently in Los Angeles, a suspected drunk driver crashed a vehicle into the patio of a nightclub, sending four people, including the driver, to the hospital.
The incident took place under a unique set of circumstances. According to a sergeant with the LAPD, the vehicle, a Dodge Charger, featured a keyless ignition. The car’s owner placed the suspect in the car, and somehow the suspect hit the ignition and drove off, minus the permission of the owner of the car. The car swiped two other vehicles on South Street and then frighteningly veered onto a sidewalk. Shortly thereafter the car struck a barrier surrounding the patio of an L.A. nightclub, injuring three people who had been dining there.
Police have charged the driver of the Charger with felony DUI, and may also charge him with unauthorized vehicle usage. In many DUI cases, certain forms of technology will likely feature in both the prosecution’s pursuit of a suspect as well as a corresponding defense. Nowadays, there are many different types of technology that can impact a DUI case: breathalyzer machines and ignition interlocks, of course, but also vehicles which may be able to perform certain functions on their own.
In DUI cases that involve technology, a competent defense is not likely to overlook the important role of such technology in a suspect’s future. There are strict penalties for DUI convictions in California, but nearly one-third of DUI cases don’t translate into conviction. If a breath test machine is not properly maintained, for instance, the results of such testing may not be valid. Likewise, if an accident was not caused solely by a drunk driver but rather by a combination of factors involving technology, that too is a point likely to be raised in court.
Those on the receiving end of DUI charges in Los Angeles should know what, specifically, they have been charged with and how an effective defense is constructed. Contact the Law Offices of Jonathan I. Kelman at 310.286.1218 for more information about defending against charges of drunk driving.