When people think about DUI, the first thing that comes to mind is driving under the influence of alcohol. In the United States, alcohol is the cause of 44% of traffic fatalities, so it is easy to see why alcohol is the first substance people think of when it comes to celebrity DUI. A
celebrity DUI, however, can result from driving under the influence of any controlled substance, including marijuana.
Rapper Nas was arrested for a celebrity DUI in September 2009 after he failed a field sobriety test near his Georgia home. The rapper, real name Nasir Jones, allegedly admitted to law enforcement officials that he had been smoking marijuana at a friend's house before the arrest.
The arresting officer said that he observed his eyes to be "bloodshot and droopy" as well as "eyelid tremors in both eyes and body tremors".
The twist in the story, however, came in early December when the case was administratively dismissed. The reason for the dismissal was that there was a lack of evidence because his drug test "came back negative for drugs, including marijuana."
Just like in Georgia, in Los Angeles, police may arrest a suspect upon finding the person was driving under the influence of drugs, with or without alcohol in his or her system. The law states that whether or not the controlled substance is legally prescribed, it is unlawful to drive under the influence of any narcotic such that you are unsafe on the road. Furthermore, if the breath testing machine shows 0.0% alcohol, the police may suspect that you could have used controlled substances and were under the influence of cocaine, ecstacy, marijuana, psilocybin, LSD, methamphetamine, and/or prescribed medications.
If you have been arrested or charged with a celebrity DUI or any other form of DUI in Los Angeles, whether it's because of alcohol or a controlled substance, the prosecution has to prove that you were driving and that you were intoxication. There are plenty of instances where the officer might make false observations of key factors such as checking the pupils, pulse and other physical symptoms. The blood tests may also prove to be invalid and therefore false in some cases. These are two common defenses for DUI charges that only an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team can utilize in order to dismiss your DUI case or reduce your sentencing. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact the experienced Los Angeles DUI defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP at 1-877-781-1570 or visit our site at
www.laduidefenseteam.com for more information.