DUI Defender

In a press release (following a press conference) the California Highway Patrol announced that up to 80% of the entire force will be working the holiday weekend from December 28, 2007 through midnight January 1, 2008. The funding for this incredible display of law enforcement is a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, additional funds will permit the CHP to conduct at least 100 checkpoints and 65 DUI task force operations throughout 2008. Of course, Mother’s Against Drunk Driver’s was present to further its prohibition campaign.

My latest book — Innovative DUI Trial Tools — has been getting some really nice reviews by lawyers across the country. This type of feedback from actual practitioners is encouragement.

I recently bought Innovative DUI Trial Tools ($99 at http://www.jamespublishing.com/books/dui.htm ), and have now read it cover to cover. I took away at least 10 gems that I will put to use immediately. I thought to myself: When is the last time you got that much from a cle? Some of the material may be old hat for those on this listserv with decades of experience. But for the rest of us, I thought the book was informative, easy to use and an excellent addition to my DUI library.

Kudos to Bruce.

Chris
The Angles Law Firm, LLC

I wholeheartedly agree. I read the whole thing in one night and issued some new motions the next day.

Scott C. Nolan
Scott Nolan Law

I received my copy while you all were at the Vegas seminar! I read it and had tons more fun than I would have if I were in Vegas!!!!! Well, not really, but I probably learned as much AND it cost me less than I would have spent in one trip to the tables (because I’m a crappy gambler).

Money well spent!

Jeffrey C. Meadows
Lyons & Lyons Co., L.P.A.

Thanks guys for the nice words!

Amazingly, someone realized that not every person pulled over for DUI is an alcoholic. It seems crazy to me that anyone would believe that a DUI driver is an alcoholic, in fact, some are not guilty of driving under the influence, not mention that many more may be guilty of making a bad decision based on State approved DUI charts (weight = number of drinks/hour) or some other lapse of judgment that put them behind the wheel at or around the legal limit.

The study cited in this article states that approximately 50% of all drivers pulled over are binge drinkers (which the author uses as a criteria to determine that a person is an alcoholic). The author further qualifies the non-alcoholic group as being persons who consumed more than a certain number of drinks the night they were arrested. This may be true, a better study might include the mean BAC for DUI arrests as well as a % breakdown, I sincerely believe that this number will be significantly lower than MADD would have the general public believe…

On Friday the 22nd of 2006, Judge Gorgi of the San Francisco Superior Court ruled
that a San Francisco police roadblock from last September violated the Constitutional rights of drivers. In two separate DUI defense cases, I was able to successfully argue that the roadblock, set up on Geary at Steiner, did not meet the minimal requirements established by the United States and California Supreme
Courts.

Judge Gorgi found a number of violations existed but three, in particular, seemed to bother her. First was the admission that police would stop motorists who did nothing wrong except try to avoid the checkpoint even if they used the route the police created. Additionally, the lack of proper notice
before the check point coupled with its location led her to rule the entire event was wrong. Continue Reading »

James Publishing is just about to release my new book Innovative DUI Trial Tools. Here’s the publisher’s synopsis:

How the best lawyers consistently win DUI cases

To win regularly, you need to capture both the hearts and the minds of jurors.

The mind is simpler to persuade. You capture jurors’ minds through your cross examination, if the defense is one of prosecutorial problems … bad machine or bad procedures, or through your witnesses if the defense is something else … GERD, necessity, etc.

The heart is more difficult.  To persuade the heart, you need to give jurors a simple answer to the question posed by family and friends, “How come you let the drunk go?”  You need to make jurors want to let your client off.

Bruce Kapsack’s Innovative DUI Trial Tools provides strategies and language for persuading both hearts and minds.  These methods and arguments have succeeded in trial after trial, and can work for you.

Attention-getting openings
You can’t convince them if they aren’t listening to you.  Here is how to grab jurors in the first sentence and get them thinking that a fellow citizen has been falsely charged:

• Providing a strong argument, not a trial road map.  §3:04
• How to make it detailed and personal.  §3:04
• Filling in the blanks with positive information.  §3:07
• Pointing out the problems with the prosecution’s case.  §3:08
• Boosting the officer and prosecution expert so you can knock them down on cross.  §3:10
• How to use surprise to your advantage.  §3:11 Continue Reading »

This gentleman seems understandably upset.

Well in Texas many things are big including DUI fines. There is a special $3000 “driver responsibility fee” that you can get. One of the driving forces behind this law was Texas State House Transportation Chairman Mike Krusee.

Seems like driving legislation through the legislature is better for Krusee  than driving a vehicle – seems like he just picked up his 2nd DUI arrest and faces this special fine himself.

Yes, sad but true, if you are convicted of a DUI you may not be able to enter into Canada. This site has a step by step analysis of the crimes that will prevent admission into Canada. It further describes the steps necessary to file a certificate of rehabilitation or become a temporary resident. This process is theoretically the only way that a convict can be deemed admissible to Canada. Although, the simple fact is that admission to Canada will be based upon the discretion of the border guard.

The process of rehabilitation may be initiated when 5 years has passed since the conviction. If a person needs to be admitted to Canada prior to initiating or completing the rehabilitation process you may apply for a temporary resident permit.

This article recently appeared in an Arizona newspaper. It relates the story of a woman who appeared to be under the influence by a citizen informant. He watched the woman drink glass after glass of white wine then load up her car with her 4 year old son and head out onto the highway. The citizen informant called the police when she ran a stop sign. The woman drove over to a local mall and the informant followed her, even pointing her out when the police arrived.

The police conducted a dui investigation which the overweight woman had trouble completing, finally she provided a breath sample which measured .04. Still, she was arrested, her child taken away from her as she was taken to jail. At the jail she provided a chemical test that was below the .04 she provided in the field. That didn’t stop the District Attorney from filing charges for DUI instead of apologizing for the conduct of law enforcement.

The truth of the matter was that she was driving home from dental surgery, she stopped for lunch and ordered a mimosa which she didn’t finish as it irritated her mouth, she then switched to water… which was served in a wine glass, repeatedly.

This article is a statement of the sad reality of how one person, who wasn’t doing anything wrong, ended up in a legal pickle.

If you are ever curious about the what other lawyer’s think about a particular judge you may choose to go to this site to investigate your judge. Unfortunately, many (most) judges aren’t rated but perhaps over time this could become a valuable resource for defendant’s and lawyers alike.