DUI Chekpoints

As any Los Angeles DUI Defense Attorney can tell you, sobriety checkpoints, also known as DUI checkpoints, are the subject of much debate in legal circles these days. Currently, the laws of the land allow for sobriety checkpoints, though under very strict conditions. In Edmonton, Canada, locals have taken to the social media site Twitter to announce sobriety checkpoints that they come accross, and local law enforcement agents are not happy about it. According to Edmonton police, alerting drivers to the presence of a sobriety checkpoint does not deter people from drinking, it only allows them to avoid the checkpoint and not get caught if they happen to be driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). The Edmonton Police Department issued an official request that people not announce sobriety checkpoints on social media sites. This is a stark contrast to Saskatoon, Canada, where the local police department themselves take to Twitter to announce upcoming sobriety checkpoints and advising citizens to make other arrangements for transportation back home if they plan to consume alcohol. The Saskatoon Police Department believes that by announcing DUI checkpoints, people will plan ahead to avoid being charged with DUI.

If you have been arrested for DUI at a sobriety checkpoint, you need an experienced Los Angeles DUI Defense Attorney right away. At Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP, our attorneys have the experience that can only come from a collective five decades in defending clients like you against DUI charges. Your Los Angeles DUI Defense Attorney can tell you that the reason sobriety checkpoints are something of a legal quagmire is because our nation's Constitution protects us from entrapment and unreasonable search and seizure by law enforcement officials. Officially, these laws are in place to keep law enforcement from bullying law-abiding citizens. Your Los Angeles DUI Defense Attorney can tell you that sobriety checkpoints meet many peoples' definition of entrapment and unreasonable search and seizure. Checkpoints, however, seem to be here to stay because of public safety concerns—though with strict regulations. In Los Angeles, sobriety checkpoints must be announced to the public beforehand. Typically, an announcement is made in a local newspaper. Checkpoints must also not be placed in an area that would cause unreasonable traffic and law enforcement officials conducting the checkpoint must use an impartial formula to decide which vehicles to stop and check. They cannot decide to stop you simply because you drive a flashy car or look suspicious. An experienced Los Angeles DUI Defense Attorney can tell you that drivers must also be allowed to get out of the line leading up to the checkpoint without law enforcement officials coming after them. If any of these procedure was not followed, you may be able to have your charges reduced or even completely dismissed. Call the offices of Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today at 1-877-781-1570 to speak to an experienced and aggressive Los Angeles DUI Defense Attorney about your case.