A driving while under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint is scheduled for Friday, September 23 between 6:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. in San Juan Capistrano at an undisclosed location. According to The Capistrano Dispatch, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will run the checkpoint, which is part of a grant provided by the State of California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Orange County DUI checkpoint is intended to catch drivers who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and/or driving a vehicle without a driver’s license. However, the logistics behind a DUI arrest at a checkpoint are not usually that straightforward.
Field sobriety tests (FSTs) typically used at DUI checkpoints are often subject to interpretation, not expertise, on the part of law enforcement. Certain medical conditions or other states can lead an officer to believe a person has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs when in reality, they have not. Moreover, Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) tests are not always properly administered, leaving the accuracy of these tests and their results in question. While it is definitely important to keep our roads safe and prevent accidents, it is also important to ensure that innocent people aren’t prosecuted for an offense they didn’t commit.
At Sitkoff & Hanrahan, our San Juan Capistrano drunk driving defense attorneys protect the rights of those charged with various DUI offenses throughout Orange County and southern California. With experience as former prosecutors and DUI arrest and prosecution procedure instructors to local law enforcement, we provide our clients with a quality of legal counsel and representation they can rely on for positive results. For a free consultation, call 866-430-8383 today.