So, here it is again…the wonderful fall and winter holiday season. For many of us, this time of the year means shopping, wrapping, gift giving, baking, traveling, and lots and lots of parties. Although festive, this time of year is also the number time for drunk driving, DUI arrests, and…
San Diego DUI Lawyers Blog
Drunk Driving Convictions & LVN License Consequences
Previously, the Law Offices of Susan L. Hartman wrote a blog article on how a DUI conviction can impact a professional license. In addition, we did a specific entry on the affects of a drunk driving conviction on a pilot’s license. Here, we will discuss the consequences of a DUI…
DUI Confession Leads To Prison Term
A confession to drunk driving that was posted online and subsequently went viral ended with a guilty plea and a prison sentence on October 23, 2013. Matthew Cordle, a 22-year old Ohio man, plead guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and drunken driving after driving the wrong way on a highway…
Negotiation Or Plea Bargaining Your Drunk Driving Case
There are three big advantages to hiring a DUI defense attorney to handle your drunk driving matter: 1.) Their knowledge of criminal law, specifically driving under the influence statutes and defenses; 2.) Using this knowledge to negotiate the case with the prosecutor to reduce the charges or the punishment; and,…
Arraignment: The First Court Date In Criminal Cases
The arraignment is often the first court hearing in any criminal case, including drunk driving cases in San Diego. During the arraignment, the court advises you of your constitutional rights. They include the right to have an attorney represent you, the right against self-incrimination, the right to a jury trial,…
San Diego Drunk Driving Arrest: Posting Bail
After making an arrest for driving under the influence, the officer often takes the suspect to jail to be booked. In most DUI cases, the defendant is told the amount of bail that can be posted in order to get out of jail. The amount of bail depends on the…
Drunk Driving Causing Injury: California Vehicle Code Section 23153
Recently, a young San Diego man was arrested after an intoxicated pedestrian stepped into oncoming traffic and was struck by his car, according to 10news.com. The pedestrian suffered a broken leg and arm and the driver was later arrested for felony hit and run because he left the scene. What…
Walk-And-Turn Test, Part Of The Field Sobriety Test (FST) Battery
The walk-and-turn test (WAT) is one of the three tests in the battery of field sobriety tests (FST’s) that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends law enforcement use to evaluate a suspect to determine if they are under the influence, thus establishing probable cause to arrest for drunk…
One-Leg Stand Test, A Standardized Field Sobriety Test (FST)
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, (NHTSA), has come up with three standardized tests that law enforcement uses in their drunk driving investigations to help determine if a suspect is under the influence. The three field sobriety tests, (FST’s), are the horizontal gaze nystagmus, (HGN), the walk-and-turn, and the one-leg…
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test (HGN), Why HGN Cannot Be Deemed Reliable
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, NHTSA, has come up with three “standardized field sobriety tests” for law enforcement to use to aid in drunk driving investigations. One of the three tests is the horizontal gaze nystagmus, or HGN, test. (The HGN test was previously discussed in “Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus…