Maloof Arrested for DUI

The rich and famous are far from immune to being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).  George Maloof, who owns the famed Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas with his brothers and sister, was arrested for DUI last Saturday night.  Law enforcement officials at the scene say Maloof had been driving nearly 30 miles per hour above the posted speed limit and had made an illegal U-turn when they decided to pull him over.  Upon questioning Maloof, police found that the mogul, who also owns the Sacramento Kings professional basketball team, was also driving without a valid license or proof of auto insurance.  Test later revealed that Maloof's blood alcohol concentration was .086%, just over Nevada's legal limit of .08%.  Maloof was just outside the Spanish Trail Country Club where he lives when he was arrested.  No word has been given yet on when Maloof will be arraigned, though he did tell the media that he would likely fight the DUI charge since he felt he was "nowhere near intoxicated."

Maloof's arrest in Nevada provides several interesting points about DUIs that are equally applicable here in Los Angeles.  In most cities in the United States, the legal limit for blood alcohol content is .08%, meaning that just .08% of your blood can be filled with alcohol before you are legally considered "impaired" and a danger to others when you are driving because of decreased reaction times and judgment.  While .08% is a hard, scientific number that can be looked for in a blood or breath test, it has also become the standard minimum for law enforcement officials making DUI arrests.  Any experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can tell you, however, that that number does not take into account a defendant's gender, body weight and build, rate of alcohol absorption or tolerance to alcohol.  In Maloof's case, he claimed to have not had enough alcohol to really impair his ability to drive.  Many  Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys can use a similar argument to defend against DUI charges:  .08% blood alcohol concentration will affect a 200-lb person very differently from a 120-lb person.  A skilled  Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can also argue that the alcohol was not completely absorbed into the defendant's body at the time of the actual DUI stop, which in many cases occurs well before their blood or breath is actually tested for the presence of alcohol.  Thus, at the time of the actual DUI stop, a defendant may have a blood alcohol content of .06%, below the legal limit, but may still be absorbing alcohol into the blood stream, so 30 minutes later they may give a higher reading. 

If you have been arrested for DUI, call the Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today at 1-877-781-1570 today.  Our DUI defense attorneys have decades of combined experience in successfully defending against DUI charges of all types and we will fight for you.