George Michael Sentenced

British pop superstar George Michael was sentenced in a British court of law this week for an earlier driving under the influence incident.  Michael, who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop duo Wham! in the 1980s and later embarked on a successful solo career that included such hit songs as "Careless Whisper" and "Freedom," crashed into a photography shop in north London in early July while reportedly driving under the influence of marijuana. 

Michael had been convicted of driving under the influence of marijuanain August and was sentenced this past Tuesday to eight weeks in a British jail.  Michael has had several prior drug-related arrests in Britain, including driving while unfit through drugs in 2007 and two arrests for the possession of drugs in both 2006 and 2008. 

While Michael's drug arrests and legal troubles have mostly happened in Britain, Los Angeles law enforcement also takes drug-related DUI offenses very seriously.  If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana, or simply for possession of marijuana or other drugs, the first thing you need is to find an experienced criminal defense attorney.  While the possession of marijuana is often a misdemeanor criminal offense in Los Angeles, most drug offenses are considered felony criminal offenses and eligible for very severe punishments, including probation, drug or alcohol counseling and education classes and even potential jail time.   Drug-related DUI offenses could also warrant the loss of your driving privileges, severely limiting your ability to get on with your daily life.  Even the possession of drug-related paraphernalia without the possession of actual drugs can be a punishable offense, depending on the case.  An experienced  Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can help you navigate an often complicated and even frightening legal system.  Depending on your particular offense, your criminal defense attorney may even be able to defer the entry of judgment on your case, which could help keep your criminal record clean.  For instance, if your criminal defense attorney determines that you are eligible for deferment, you would plead guilty at your first hearing.  The judge presiding over your case would give you a list of requirements to fulfill over a specified period of time, such as drug or alcohol rehabilitation, counseling, drug testing and further court appearances.  If, after the specified time period, you have complied with all the terms of your agreement satisfactorily, then charges against you may completely dismissed, thus not appearing on your criminal record. 

If you have been arrested for a drug-related offense, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today.  Our attorneys have 50 years of combined courtroom experience in defending against drug charges of all types.  Let us fight for you.