Felony (DUI)

May 27, 2016

Driver Hits CHP Officer and Flees – Arrested for DUI

On Wednesday, May 25, 2016, a 76 year old driver was booked for felony hit-and-run and felony driving under the influence, after he allegedly hit a CHP officer as she stood in the road directing traffic. The driver then fled the scene. The CHP officer suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken by helicopter to the hospital.

Responding CHP officers observed the driver, based on license plate information they had received from a tow truck driver, and pulled him over. It was later determined that he was suspected of driving under the influence and he was arrested for DUI and hit and run. The driver was apprehended several miles north of the hit-and-run collision location.

California law enforcement officers encourage people to not to drive after drinking and say that if you chose to drink then arrange for a designated driver or a safe ride home. If a driver is arrested for a DUI a long and expensive process starts that can result in the automatic administrative suspension of the person’s driving privilege, probation, fines, possible jail time and mandatory attendance at a DUI school.

April 25, 2013

El Cerrito Police Arrest 4 for DUI

by John Stanko

The City of El Cerrito Police Department made four arrests for driving under the influence between April 12 and April 15, 2013.

A 32 year old Vallejo man was arrested on April 12 for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop at Huntington and San Pablo avenues. On Saturday April 13, El Cerrito Police Officers arrested a man from Emeryville for DUI near the intersection of Central and San Pablo avenues. A third DUI arrest was made on Sunday, April 14, 2013 when the police stopped a 26 year old Richmond woman and on April 15, 2013, a driver was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance at Central and Yosemite avenues. That driver was on probation for a prior DUI and has suffered three prior drunk driving convictions in the past ten years.

Over the same four days police officers also made arrests for theft, robbery and drug related offenses.

In California a person charged with four DUIs in a ten year period can be charged with a felony. A conviction for felony for drunk driving carries between 6 months and 1 year in county jail with probation and up to 3 years state prison time without probation.

Arrests out of the City of El Cerrito are prosecuted in the Contra Costa County Superior Court in Richmond.
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November 3, 2011

Solano County Gets Grant to Supervise Felony and Rpeat DUI Offenders

by John Stanko

The Solano County Probation Department has received $17,000.00 in grant money from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) in order to conduct a one year-long program aimed at curbing DUI related deaths and injuries.

Felony and repeat drunk drivers in Solano County will be targeted with specialized probation supervision measures. Grant money will also be used by the probation department to work with other Solano County Police agencies on anti-DUI efforts. Those multi agency activities will include monitoring of treatment and DUI program compliance, driving under the influence related warrant sweeps, and unannounced home searches of drunk driving probationers.
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December 30, 2010

Sonoma County Christmas Weekend DUI Crackdown nets 6

by John Stanko

The Petaluma Police Department reported that officers with Sonoma County’s Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force arrested 80 people on suspicion of driving under the influence from the time they began their special enforcement efforts on December 17 through the Christmas weekend. Also, the CHP indicated that the, the holiday weekend crackdown on drunk driving netted six arrests.

Among those six drunk drivers arrested was 19 year old
Jaime Hernandez of Cloverdale. Mr. Hernandez was stopped around 4:20 p.m. last Saturday on northbound Highway 101 after he was observed swerving several times into the next lane. Mr. Hernandez was driving with his 4 children and was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of felony child endangerment, drunken driving and driving without a license.

Having a minor under 14 years of age is an enhancement to a DUI charge pursuant to California Vehicle Code section 23572. However, the Sonoma County District Attorney could elect to charge Mr. Hernandez for the Child Endangerment charges on which he was booked. Conviction for felony child endangerment could result in a state prison sentence and mandatory attendance at a parenting class. An enhancement under section 23572 could result in additional jail time as part of any sentence for a DUI conviction.
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December 28, 2010

Accident on 101 in Marin County leads to DUI and Hit and Run arrest

by John Stanko

41 year old John R. Forbes of Cloverdale was arrested Monday on suspicion of DUI and hit and run. The CHP reported that Mr. Forbes rear ended another car at about 4:30 p.m. near Spencer Avenue on northbound Highway 101 near Sausalito. He was arrested around 5:00 p.m. while driving near Rohnert Park in Sonoma County.

Officers said that Mr. Forbes drove off before medics arrived to treat the other driver and take her to the hospital. The rear end collision caused the diver of the other vehicle to crash into the center divider.

The District Attorney will be making a charging determination after the CHP officers booked Mr. Forbes for felony drunk driving and hit and run. He was set to be arraigned Tuesday in the Marin County Superior Court. If he is convicted of a felony driving under the influence charge he could be sentenced to state prison for up to 3 years on a first offense and he faces the possibility of having his driver license revoked for at least 1 year and for two or more years if he has any prior convictions or DMV administrative suspensions for driving under the influence.
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June 7, 2010

Marin County DUI lawyer, Santa Rosa man arrested for 6th DUI since 01′

by John Stanko

45 year old Primitivo Piceno of Santa Rosa was arrested on May 30, 2010, by the CHP in Cloverdale. Police officers contacted Mr. Piceno after being notified that a driver was traveling well under the speed limit and impeding other drivers.

Responding officers found Mr. Piceno parked on the shoulder being detained by other drivers. He was apparently so drunk that was unable to speak coherently and fell to the ground while attempting to perform field sobriety tests.

Mr. Piceno was arrested and booked in to the Sonoma County jail for numerous counts including felony drunken driving and driving with a suspended license. Anyone charged with their fourth DUI in a ten year period or who has a prior felony DUI within the last ten years can be charged with a felony for driving under the influence. Mr. Piceno was charged with a felony due the number and recency of his prior DUIs.

Police officers said that Mr. Piceno had an order to drive any vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock device installed in it. The Vehicle he was driving did not have an IID in it.
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