Defending Dangerous DUI Stops in Los Angeles

Throughout Los Angeles, countless DUI stops happen every day, and some of them end worse than others.  Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys are not just your last line of defense against drunk driving charges, but they may also be your only chance to stay out of prison. While police are investigation a  DUI, you or the police may act in an unfortunate manner, and the ensuing chaos could lead to a felony charge, tremendous fines and years in prison.

For example, in Sylmar, police were following a vehicle near Glenoaks Blvd. suspecting the driver was committing a DUI crime. Police say the suspect's vehicle crashed and two men got out of the car and started shooting at the officers. The officers returned fire, but say no one was hit. One man who allegedly shot at police officers is still at large today, but another suspect is in custody.

An unlawful police stop will sometimes result in a DUI arrest and charges filed in court. If this has happened to you, our  DUI law firm will defend the violation of your constitutional rights. When demonstrated in court, an unlawful stop may result in your case being dismissed or your charges dropped. The  DUI attorney must prove that the traffic stop was unreasonable, in violation of prevailing statutes and case law.

Anytime police officers pull you over, they must have reasonable cause to believe you are committing some sort of crime. When you are stopped for DUI, the officer must have first observed some type of behavior that would cause one to reasonably suspect the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This behavior may include:

• Swerving
• Speeding
• Driving recklessly
• Driving too slow
• Ignoring traffic laws
• Taking a corner too quickly
• Ignoring a stop sign or traffic light
• Weaving repeatedly within your lane or between lanes
• Driving without your headlights off after dark
• Another vehicle code violation

This type of behavior provides "reasonable cause" for an officer to pull you over. Oftentimes, officers may not have reasonable cause to stop you, rather they stop you on the chance you have been drinking - which is unconstitutional and violates your rights. These stops may occur at specific times, especially on holidays or after 2 a.m., when most bars and clubs throughout Los Angeles close. Also, officers may "cherry-pick," or patrol, areas surrounding bars and clubs at closing time, selectively stopping cars without sufficient legal cause.