Fresno Criminal Lawyer Blog

As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend approaches, people are finalizing their grocery lists, planning their football-watching schedules and even looking forward to Black Friday shopping after the big meal.

One more thing -- Be on the lookout for Fresno police.

That's because as the holiday season approaches, police will be out in full force, setting up DUI checkpoints and increasing patrols to try to nab drunk drivers.

Picking up a charge of DUI in Fresno can be enough to ruin not only the holidays but the months and maybe years ahead. Drivers know that if they pick up this charge they can not only face extreme penalties, such as jail or prison time, a suspended or revoked driver's license, fines and fees and other sanctions, but also they can possibly lose their job and have personal problems.

This is why it's so critical to consult with an experienced Fresno DUI defense lawyer as soon as you can following your arrest. You should refrain from giving any statements to police, as they will use those against you in court.

These charges are serious and police will attempt to make as many arrests as possible during the holiday season. Officers will look for people who are swerving from lane to lane, speeding, running red lights or committing other traffic infractions in order to give them a reason to make a stop.

After that, they will look for slurred speech, glassy or bloodshot eyes or other reasons to begin conducting a DUI investigation. This may be followed by field sobriety tests, a request for a breath test or blood test.

DUI has been in the news lately, as two DUI-related accidents serve as a reminder that driving after drinking alcoholic beverages can be deadly.

In one case, a Clovis man who was killed by an alleged drunk driver was recently laid to rest the same day the suspect in the case made her first court appearance, ABC News reports.

According to court records, a 24-year-old woman allegedly hit the man's Jeep, causing the vehicle to roll down an embankment. The 54-year-old victim died at the scene. Police said the woman allegedly drove off and was pulled over by police a short time later.

In an unrelated incident, Fox News reports that an alleged drunk driver pulled in the path of an off-duty Fresno police officer in Clovis and caused a crash on his motorcycle.

Police have said the 24-year-old driver had a blood alcohol level above the state's 0.08 legal limit when the crash happened. Investigators believe he pulled out in front of the motorcycle. They have charged him with two felony counts.

Certainly the fact that a police officer was the alleged victim of a drunken-driving episode will bring additional exposure to this crime. That, in turn, may cause local law enforcement area-wide to step up their efforts to track drunk driving.

But not all drivers arrested for DUI are guilty and there are many defenses to the crime. If you are suspected this holiday season of DUI in the Fresno area, call an experienced Fresno DUI defense lawyer immediately.