San Diego Criminal Attorneys Blog

In Carlsbad a fourteen year old was taken to a hospital after he fell and injured his head. How did he fall? Well he was shot with a Taser gun by a California Highway Patrol officers during a dui investigation. In the early morning around 1:20a.m. CHP officers stopped a 2000 Toyota Corolla on Carlsbad Blvd. near Tamarack Ave. for suspected dui when the driver and passenger took off running.

The CHP officers shot the driver with a Taser gun near the stairs at Tamarack Beach and he fell and hit his head. The teen was later transported to Tri-city Medical Center for his injures. During the investigation, the officers learned that the car had been stolen earlier from Vista and also located alcohol and drugs in the car. Officers also learned that the teenager was an at risk runaway. When the teen is released from the hospital he will be arrested and most likely be charged as a juvenile for auto theft, dui, and evading arrest when he ran after the traffic stop. This teenager will need an experienced juvenile and dui criminal lawyer to help him and his family through these tough days ahead. The passenger was not apprehended.

What's also interesting about this case is the CHP's comment about the use of a Taser gun in these situations. "The Tasers, the stick, the pepper spray -it's meant to incapacitate someone so they don't hurt themselves, hurt us or get away. It may seem extreme, but it's what we deal with every day." However, at the time the CHP officer tased the teen, he had only been stopped for a vehicle infraction and the officer didn't know at that time the car had been stolen. So is it CHP's policy to tase every driver if they flee from a traffic stop? More to come on this one.

CARLSBAD: Teen hit by Taser after CHP pursuit, North County Times, July 11, 2009

On the bright side, in San Diego, the California Highway Patrol has reported no fatality accidents over the first 12 hours of the July 4th weekend. On the not so bright side, the CHP reports 36 driving under the influence "dui" arrests over the same time period!

However, throughout the State dui arrests were up from last year. This year the dui arrests were 454 compared to 342 last year. Traffic accident deaths statewide was 5 which is one more than last year.

Locally, in Escondido, police arrested three people on suspicion of dui and also impounded 46 cars at a dui and drivers license checkpoint on Friday night from 6:00p.m to Saturday morning at 1:00a.m.. Over 3,000 cars drove through the checkpoint and nearly 1600 drivers and cars were screened. Police impounded sixty-six cars, forty two of which the drivers were unlicensed.

No Fatalities So Far on San Diego County Roads, July 4, 2009, KFMB Talk Radio

3 DUI arrests, 46 impounds at checkpoint, North County Times, July 5, 2009

Continue reading "San Diego CHP Reports No Fataliteis But 36 DUI Arrests" »

In San Diego, Matt Bush, former San Diego Padres number one draft pick who was traded to Toronto, was arrested in Mission Valley and booked into the Central Detention Facility on driving under the influence (dui), driving on a suspended license, vandalism and resisting arrest charges.

San Diego Police were investigating a road rage incident and when they contacted Mr. Bush he was acting erratically. Unfortunately,the dui arrest comes just weeks after Bush pleaded guilty to a drunken assault at Granite Hills High School that occurred in February.

Mr. Bush is going to need an experienced criminal defense attorney knowledgeable in DUI representation to help him out of this pending case and the violation of probation assault case.

Former Padres Player Matt Bush Arrested Again, 10 News.com, June 30, 2009