Springfield Charged with DUI

Former actor and 1980s rock superstar Rick Springfield has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol twice stemming from an incident this past May.  Springfield, best known for his work on the daytime television show "General Hospital," as well as the hit song "Jesse's Girl," was driving through the streets of Malibu on May 1st when he committed a traffic violation and local law enforcement agents pulled him over.  Upon approaching Springfield, officers at the scene noticed the smell of alcohol and, suspecting Springfield had been drinking, asked him to perform several field sobriety tests.  Springfield reportedly performed poorly on those tests and was promptly arrested.  Results of the singer's blood alcohol concentration tests came back at both 0.10% and 0.08%.  In Los Angeles, as in most places in the United States, the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration is 0.08%.  Springfield also reportedly became belligerent when officers at the scene told him his $200,000 1963 Corvette would be towed, threatening to kill the officer and his family. Springfield was not charged criminally for these threats.  He pleaded not guilty, however, to the two misdemeanor DUI charges against him in a Malibu court on July 1st.  If convicted, the actor and singer could face up to six months in jail as well as $1,000 in fines.

An experienced and skilled Los Angeles DUI defense attorney knows that there are many ways to fight charges of driving under the influence.  First, a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney knows that before a police officer, sheriff's deputy or highway patrolman can pull you over on suspicion of driving under the influence, they must have observed you driving in a manner that could be considered either dangerous or illegal.  Speeding, driving well below the posted speed limit, improper lane changes and failing to stop at stop signs or stoplights are frequently cited by law enforcement officials as reasons why drivers are pulled over in the first place.  If you were not driving illegally or dangerously, law enforcement agents have no real basis to pull you over and your DUI charges could be dismissed.  A smart Los Angeles DUI defense attorney also knows that field sobriety tests are rarely an accurate way to determine if a driver has been drinking.  Because many field sobriety tests rely on motor skills, people with certain health conditions, illnesses or disabilities routinely perform poorly on them even if they have not been drinking. 

The experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can also tell you that blood alcohol testing and science is not as reliable as prosecutors, law enforcement and judges would have you believe.  Breath analysis machines in particular are notoriously faulty as they require frequent recalibration and cleaning or residues from multiple tests can build up over time and lead to falsely high test results.  If you have been charged with DUI, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP at 1-877-781-1570 today to speak to an experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney about your case.