Marin DUI Lawyer Blog

A 46-year-old Woodacre woman was arrested for driving under the influence on Sunday night in San Anselmo.

San Anselmo Police officers got a call around 6:30 p.m. concerning a car being driven erratically. They located the suspected vehicle near the intersection of Red Hill and Sir Francis Drake and effectuated a traffic stop.

The driver was found to have an alleged blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit of .08 percent. She was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of DUI and child endangerment as police officers found a 6-year-old boy in the car with her.

The suspect could be charged with an enhancement, specific to driving under the influence, for having a minor under the age of 14 in the car with her at the time of her arrest. However, the Marin County DA could also elect to charge her with a separate offense for child endangerment which could carry a county jail sentence of up to one year and result her her attending parenting classes if she is convicted.

Continue reading "Marin County woman arrested for DUI with 6 year old in car" »

55 year old Arron Joe Perry was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, corporal injury to a child, evading police and DUI on Monday night after leading police on a pursuit from Solano County to Downtown Oakland.

Police responded to a residence in Suisun City after receiving a call from a woman indicating that Mr. Perry was assaulting a family inside the home. Mr. Perry drove away from the residence prior to officers arriving. Local police officers pursued him from Highway 12 to Interstate 80 and through Solano County to the Carquinez Bridge in Vallejo. CHP officers flattened the tires of Mr. Perry's Hummer with a spike strip just west of Vallejo but that did not stop him. He continued to drive with officers in pursuit until he reached downtown Oakland in Alameda County.

Mr. Perry was arrested without further incident and booked into the Solano County jail on allegations of domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, corporal injury to a child, evading police and DUI. The Solano County District Attorney filed a felony complaint against him on Wednesday. If he is convicted of a felony he could be placed on probation with possible county jail time or he could be sent the state prison. A conviction for a domestic violence charge, misdemeanor or felony, would require that he complete a 52 week domestic violence counseling program.

Continue reading "Solano County Man Arrested for DUI after Pursuit from Suisun City to Oakland" »

Heather Danielle Choulos of Mill Valley who was accused in October 2009 of using her 13-year-old son as a designated driver entered a guilty plea to a DUI and felony drug possession on Monday. Her drug possession charges stemmed from an unrelated earlier arrest.

Ms. Choulos was arrested on October 4, 2009, after she and her boyfriend had her son drive them home from dinner and drinks so as to avoid another DUI arrest. The couple both had prior drunk driving cases. Shortly after he started driving home from San Anselmo the 13 year old decided he could not continue and stopped the vehicle in the middle of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. San Anselmo police were attracted to the parked vehicle and contacted the involved parties. Ms. Choulos was subsequently arrested and charged by the Marin County District Attorney with DUI, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and allowing a minor to drive. In exchange for her guilty plea to the DUI the remaining charges were dismissed.

Ms. Choulos returns to court on April 20, 2010 for sentencing. The sentence she receives will depending on the recency of any prior DUI convictions and will likely include punishment for the drug possession. On a second offense DUI alone she would be facing between ten days to one year in county jail, substantial fines and mandatory attendance at a DUI program. However, a conviction for a felony drug charge can carry punishment ranging from drug treatment or probation which may include county jail time, up to a state prison commitment. Her actual sentence will be based on numerous factors which will usually be discussed and provided to the judge in a pre-sentence report prepared by the Marin County Probation Department.

Continue reading "Marin County Woman who Used her 13 year old as Designated Driver Pleads Guilty to DUI" »