Cletis Gordon Educates Kids About Drunk Driving

Well, someone out there in the NFL is certainly paying attention to what's going on these days. I just came across an article over at SignOnSanDiego.com which talks about how Cletis Gordon has used his little brush with the law to help educate kids about drunk driving. Gordon was pulled over for drunk driving in the Gaslamp Quarter awhile back, but was released because he passed the sobriety tests. The incident has opened up his eyes and has given him perspective on life. Now he's collaborated with MADD and talking to high school kids and at Boys & Girls Clubs. Here's what he said about his incident:

“That night, I did have a couple of drinks, but I never would get behind the wheel drunk. Never. I was sober. I've never been in any trouble in my life. I never got in trouble in high school or college. I have no history of this; that's why I'm doing this now. I wasn't raised like that. It's dangerous. I'm trying to help kids make better decisions.”

I'm very excited to see that there are athletes who want to give back to the community and make a difference. Ok, athletes don't have to good role models, but the ones who are...well, they're the ones who will go far in life and will be the ones we'll honor and remember.

Are you being a good role model for our youth? Are you teaching them that drunk driving is wrong?

Certainly we all make mistakes. If you've made the mistake of drinking and driving, be sure to hire a professional San Diego drunk driving attorney!

We Need More Public Service Announcements on Drunk Driving

Here's a Public Service Announcement of Lindsay Lohan with Simple Plan telling us not to drink and drive. A very short, and in my honest opinion, very ineffective message. But then, any message is better than no message at all, eh? What would have been a better PSA is the group explaining why drinking and driving is wrong. Perhaps Lohan could have been a little more serious - and not acting as if this little announcement was a big joke. Simply telling us your name and holding up a peace sign isn't compelling enough for people to listen.

LindsayLohan - Don't Drink And Drive PSA
Uploaded by philcage

Judging from the comments left over at The Superficial, not too many people are fond of Lindsay Lohan. She's already ruined her reputation and credibility with all the rumors of her doing drugs, so who would really take her seriously? And let's just forget about Paris Hilton doing a PSA...Now how about someone like Justin Timberlake doing a PSA? He's someone that young people look up to.

I came across another public service announcement over at YouTube that was done for a TV/Film class. Now, this video is much, much better at illustrating the dangers of drunk driving.

We definitely need more PSA's during TV show commercials. I think if these PSA's are heard enough times, then maybe they'll be ingrained in people's minds.

If you've been caught drinking and driving, make sure to hire a dedicated San Diego DUI lawyer to help you with your case!

Things To Know About a DUI Arrest

Being pulled over for drunk driving can be a little stressful, but it's important to remember the details of what happened during the arrest. Keep in mind that the case against you is all based on the report that the policeman filed. Officers take a course especially for DUI arrests and are taught to take notes of everything that happened from the beginning when they first observe a suspect up until the time the suspect is taken to the police station and given a chemical test. Basically everything that you do and/or say can be used against you during trial. In California you don't have a right to speak to an attorney until after you've submitted to a blood or breath test.

Many people wonder if they can represent themselves in court...and although you could represent yourself, it's not advisable unless you know the law inside and out about drunk driving! Drunk driving is a very complicated issue and a lawyer can help you with all the different procedures, information gathering, and all the paperwork! Hiring a lawyer will save you so much time and headaches...

If you've been charged with drunk driving in San Diego, make sure to hire a San Diego DUI lawyer that specializes in DUI/DWI cases!

Ignition Interlocks For First Time Drunk Driving Offenders?

It goes without saying that there is a huge problem in the U.S. with regards to drunk driving. In this blog I've proposed a couple solutions to stop drunk driving including teaching our kids the dangers of drunk driving at an early age or more TV commercials warning people about drunk driving. Well, I came across the Orlando Car Accident Lawyer Blog where I found out that back in 2005 the state of New Mexico was the first to require ignition interlock devices on first-time drunk driving offenders. Since implementing this requirement, the statistics show that New Mexico has had fewer drunk driving-related accidents.

One would think that this would cost the government quite a bit of money to have these installed for every drunk driver, but New Mexico is actually requiring the convicted offender to pay for the device. Some say that a more effective solution would be to revoke drivers licenses, however, I think people would still continue to drive. With the ignition interlock device, at least the car wouldn't be drivable if the person was drunk.

It would be interesting if the government would require all the automobile manufacturers to install the interlock on all new cars. Of course, the older cars wouldn't have them, but at least we'd know that in the future drunk driving would be less of a problem.

If you've been charged with drunk driving in San Diego, be sure to hire a lawyer who sincerely cares about helping you with your case!

Looking At the Steve Foley Case From Different Angles

Scanning the news on the internet this afternoon, I have to say that there aren’t too many San Diego drunk driving news stories to report. Is it because there were actually no accidents this past week or is it because there were no sobriety checkpoints this week?

The only new report I came across - well, it actually isn’t new to many of us here in San Diego who have been following the Steve Foley drunk driving case - is that Lisa Gaut, the woman who was with Foley the day he was shot by a off-duty Coronado police officer, was sentenced to six months in jail on Friday for threatening the policeman with the car.

Now that I’ve had time to digest this story and look at it from different angles, I’m a little upset that Lisa Gaut has to go to jail. At the time this incident happened, she had no idea that this man was a police officer who was shooting at Foley. Wasn’t she simply trying to defend Foley?

Granted, Foley shouldn’t have been drunk driving in the first place, but how would you feel if some random guy chased you down to your home and then started firing at you? But then, perhaps there’s more to this story than what the newspapers say….

If you’ve been caught drunk driving in San Diego, make sure to call an attorney to help you with your case!

9 Mistakes To Avoid After You've Been Arrested For Drunk Driving

Michael Richmond, a San Diego DUI lawyer, shares some mistakes to avoid when you’ve been accused of drunk driving:

1. Failing To Request A DMV Administrative Hearing.
2. Making any assumptions - like thinking that if the Breath Result Is Greater Than .080, The Case Is Lost.
3. Not putting it in Writing
4. Gather Your Witnesses
5. Hiring a DUI lawyer based on the amount of the fee alone.
6. Failure to call an exclusively DUI lawyer.
7. Failing to appear in Court.
8. Failure To Become Educated And Understand The Dangers Of A DUI.
9. Failure To Properly Evaluate The Fourth Amendment Implications On A Case.

In regards to #4, I think that is an important thing to do…get your thoughts down on paper and try to remember every single detail of the event. Do you remember the conversation that you and the arresting officer had when s/he pulled you over? Who else was around when this happened?

All of these mistakes are important, but one that really sticks out in my mind is #8 - Failing to become educated and understanding the dangers of a DUI. I think one of the best ways to become educated is to simply read information on the internet, however, talking to an experienced San Diego DUI lawyer will also definitely help.

MADD and Their “Wonderful” Ideas

From the DUI Blog I learned about MADD’s new national campaign to eliminate drunk driving - an initiative to supposedly completely wipe out drunk driving. Here is what MADD is proposing:

* Intensive high-visibility law enforcement
* Full implementation of current alcohol ignition interlock technologies
* Exploration of advanced vehicle technologies through the establishment of a Blue Ribbon panel of international safety experts to assess the feasibility of a range of technologies that would prevent drunk driving.
* Mobilization of grassroots support

Isn’t this what MADD is already doing? It seems to me that nothing has really changed. Like Lawrence Taylor said, the statistics haven’t changed for 13 years, so why do we continue going through this cycle?

I also find it quite interesting that Charles Hurley, the CEO of MADD had the gall to tell Taylor that DUI defense lawyers are more concerned with their clients rights than their clients’ victims.
Now supposedly we did take defense lawyers out of the picture. Would that really and truly wipe out drunk driving? What about those people who have been charged with drunk driving but are actually innocent?

I don’t know who to give credit for this quote, but all I have to say about MADD and their “wonderful” ideas is this…”If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’re getting.”

Get the help you need if you’ve been charged with drunk driving in San Diego. Call a San Diego DUI lawyer as soon as possible!

How Much Does a San Diego DUI Lawyer Cost?

Ok, so you’ve been caught drinking and driving and now you’re searching for a San Diego DUI lawyer to help you with your case. One of the main concerns for people is: How much is a lawyer going to cost and can I afford it?

The cost to have a lawyer represent you can vary from lawyer to lawyer and from case to case. However, there are some things you should do and consider in regards to cost before hiring one:

1. Get a quote over the phone - don’t fall prey to lawyers who require you to come into their office. They will only pressure you into hiring them!

2. Provide all the facts in the case so that the lawyer can give you an accurate quote.

3. Make sure that there aren’t any “hidden” costs.

4. Find out if the lawyer offers payment arrangements.

One noteworthy point to make: You shouldn’t hire a lawyer simply because they’re the cheapest. Think more about service quality, professionalism and experience. You want a DUI lawyer who is going to represent you to the best of their ability. Also keep in mind that there will be several court appearances and investigation costs that may come into play.

Drunk Driving Education Is the Solution

As I’ve mentioned here before, I believe that one of the ways that we can really make a difference and decrease drunk driving incidents is to start educating kids at a very young age about the dangers of drinking and driving.

However, the question comes to mind: At what age should we start telling our kids that drunk driving is bad? Would five years old be too young?

It’s refreshing to read about teenagers at Gatehouse Academy, a residential drug and alcohol center for young adults age 17-25, who created a mock drunk driving accident. They staged crushed vehicles and injured people in front of the school, then set off the fire alarm inside the school. When students and staff went outside, they saw the scene - unbeknownst to them that this was just a staged display.

“Our hope is that the Wickenburg High School students will take the memory of this event with them and think before getting into a vehicle where alcohol and drugs are involved” stated Kent Sherman CEO of Gatehouse Academy, “We consider it our duty to help spread this message”.

IdiotBrain offers a similar solution regarding this drinking issue:

“Regardless of all the efforts, and money spent, it seems as though this extreme legal drinking age hasn’t solved the problem. All the millions of dollars that tax-payers are spending, would more affectively be spend on education. I believe that the age should be lowered to eighteen, and then all this money could be better spent on educating our youth on drinking responsibly…”
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If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being charged with drunk driving in San Diego, be sure to hire a professional San Diego DUI lawyer!

Paris Hilton Is "Reassigned" To Her Home

Well, this comes as no surprise... Miss Paris Hilton, the one person whom everybody is buzzing over, was released from jail today and will serve the rest of her sentence at home.

My initial reaction was anger. What kind of message is this sending to people? Then I got to thinking about all the emotional trauma that Paris has undergone because of this. First it was the nasty video tape that circulated around the world and now this...She has become the butt of every comedian's jokes and many people are making money off her latest scandal.

I wouldn't doubt that Paris is going through some serious medical issue - which was the main reason for her release from jail and being reassigned to her home with an ankle bracelet. Everyone is speculating what the actual medical condition really is - everything from a nervous breakdown to a rash on her body have been mentioned.

Do you think that Paris has learned her lesson and should be able to get house arrest? Is this preferential treatment? Is this an open invitation for everyone who has been charged with drunk driving to be able to use this excuse to get the same sentence?
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If you've been charged with a DUI in San Diego, be sure to hire a professional San Diego DUI lawyer to help you with your case!


Source: Reuters

Life Saving Lessons on Oprah

On last Friday’s Oprah show, the topic was “Life-Saving Lessons” where a company came on to share their story about a drunk driver who had killed a member of their family. It was almost two years ago that Lisa and David got married and on the same day had to say goodbye to their niece, Katie.

Lisa and David’s family was in a limousine heading home when they were hit head on by a driver who was going the wrong way on the highway. The drunk driver, Martin Heidgen, was reported to have 14 drinks in his system the night his car struck the limousine and killed the limo driver as well as little Katie.

Lisa and David came on the Oprah show to share their story in hopes that people will become more aware of how dangerous drunk driving is. They talked about how our society doesn’t take drunk driving seriously enough and the reason that nobody is doing anything about it is because the majority of us are doing it. We don’t want it to be something that is considered as horrifying as murder - when in actuality that is what is happening. Some of these people are getting behind the wheel and killing people…It may not be intentional, but it’s still devastating.
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If you've been arrested for a DUI in San Diego, contact an experienced San Diego DUI lawyer.