September 28, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Community Action for a Safer Tomorrow Coalition (CAST) has announced that the local community is going to increase its efforts to reduce drunk driving accidents and underage drinking.
The members of CAST are a taskforce of local police, highway control, representatives from the local school district and other community members. Together they plan to provide more education, more DUI checkpoints and more training for law enforcement to deter people from driving under the influence.
CAST has revealed that since March 1, 2012, the police have conducted 46 DUI checkpoints and 18 saturation patrols. Because of these police tactics, 323 charges were filed; 50 of which were driving under the influence (DUI) charges.
What is a DUI Check Point?
A DUI checkpoint is a police roadblock set up to determine whether drivers are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Generally, a roadblock is set up at a place and time that the police suspect they will find intoxicated motorists, for example, near a busy bar, a sporting event, on New Year's Eve or other holidays.
Some states have found DUI checkpoints illegal because they violate the Fourth Amendment, which states, "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures...." While controversial, DUI checkpoints are legal in South Carolina, but they still must comply with the Constitution.
Defending Against DUI Checkpoint Arrests
An experienced DUI lawyer can challenge the evidence obtained during a DUI checkpoint. DUI arrests that result from a police roadblock may be invalidated if the police failed to follow the specific procedures and policies set forth by their department.
Law enforcement will have to prove that they had probable cause to administer field sobriety tests or blood alcohol tests. The proof typically offered to show probable cause is the arresting officer's testimony that he or she smelled alcohol on the driver or that the driver had slurred speech or blood shot eyes.
If law enforcement suspects DUI, the officer will likely administer a battery of field sobriety tests. However, officers must follow protocol to ensure accuracy of the tests. Any deviation from the trained protocol could render the results of the tests inadmissible.
If you were recently arrested for drunk driving at a DUI checkpoint, contact an experienced DUI defense attorney. A DUI attorney can investigate the arrest and the constitutionality of the roadblock itself, and help you determine if the arrest was valid.
Article provided by Carroll Law Firm
Visit us at www.carrolllawfirm.net
South Carolina Task Force Aims to Reduce DUI with More Roadblocks
In an effort to reduce the incidence of drunk driving, more DUI roadblocks or checkpoints will be used by the police to examine individual drivers for intoxication.
2012-09-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Some Repeat DWI Offenders Receive Probation
2012-09-28
While more law enforcement agencies are moving towards "no refusal" protocols to take suspected drunk drivers off the road, those who are convicted are more likely to receive probation rather than jail time. Indeed, probation is common for first time offenders as many accept the terms of probation. However, a growing number of repeat offenders are receiving probation; even those convicted of their third DWI. According to a report by WOAI.com (WOAI 4 News), just over half of all felony DWI offenders across all Bexar County District Courts receive probation in cases ...
More Older Americans at Risk of Foreclosure
2012-09-28
While reports emerge about the nation's improving housing market, the effects of the ongoing foreclosure crisis still affects millions of Americans, especially the elderly. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) recently reported that nearly than 600,000 people age 50 and older are facing foreclosure, and an estimated 625,000 are at least 90 days delinquent on their mortgage payments. At the end of 2011, nearly three percent of loans held by older Americans had been foreclosed; eight times the number of foreclosures affecting older homeowners in 2007 (the year ...
Older Homeowners Hit Hard by Housing Crash
2012-09-28
Jewel Lewis-Hall, 57, works two jobs. Her husband lost his job at a farmer's market and has been unable to earn much money since. They live a fairly modest lifestyle, driving a 1991 car for example, but they are still unable to make enough money to pay the mortgage on their Washington home. They had been making late payments for around a year when the dreaded foreclosure letter arrived. Now, what was once a bright future is much less certain and hopeful.
The housing market crash hit older Americans particularly hard. According to a new AARP Public Policy Institute report, ...
Chicago's Ralph E. Meczyk Played a Vital Role in Peterson Defense
2012-09-28
In a high-profile criminal matter like the recent murder trial of Drew Peterson, the testimony of one witness can make or break the case. Chicago criminal defense attorney Ralph E. Meczyk demonstrated the importance of effective cross-examination in the Peterson trial, exposing important nuances in witness testimony.
One of six defense attorneys representing Peterson, Meczyk avoided the media spotlight throughout the course of the trial. "It's not my style," he explained to the Chicago Tribune.
Instead, he chose to shine inside the courtroom, specifically ...
Virginia Government Takes Important Step Toward Reducing Eyewitness Misidentification
2012-09-28
It is a question faced by law enforcement agencies around the country: are eyewitness identifications trustworthy? Research performed by The Innocence Project indicates that they aren't. Innocence Project figures reveal that up to 75 percent of cases wherein a wrongfully convicted individual's innocence was proven by DNA testing involved a misidentification by an eyewitness.
Virginia's Eyewitness Identification Policies
Fourteen of The Innocence Project's 289 overturned wrongful convictions have been in Virginia. As a result, the Commonwealth's law enforcement agencies ...
Washington Governor to Take New Look At Sex Offender Identity Disclosure
2012-09-28
On August 3, Washington governor Christine Gregoire visited Prosser as part of a two-day tour of the state. One of the questions posed to Governor Gregoire in Prosser concerned her stance on a state law policy recently revealed by a new government report.
A performance report conducted by the state auditor's office was released just prior to the governor's visit, and its main focus was sex offenders in child care, foster care and school settings. According to data in the report, 28 registered sex offenders lived in state regulated or subsidized child care settings during ...
Driving Drowsy Is as Irresponsible as Driving Drunk
2012-09-28
The state of Florida held its Drowsy Driving Awareness Week in early September, 2012, in honor of a little Tallahassee girl who died when a cement truck hit the vehicle she was riding in. Tragically, the truck driver had fallen asleep at the wheel.
The Florida Department of Transportation reports that in 2011, drowsy drivers were involved in almost 3,000 road accidents in the state. In those crashes, 2,393 people were hurt and 21 died.
Not only are people at risk of falling asleep when they drive while too tired, but also their response times and alertness are dulled. ...
Safety Groups Work Together to Prevent Falls at Construction Sites
2012-09-28
A new cooperative initiative between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is currently being launched with the aim of fostering construction fall prevention.
Construction Falls: Deadly but Preventable Incidents
Every year, 225 construction workers die and more than 10,000 are injured in construction falls. In 2010, 264 of the 774 total construction fatalities in the United States were caused by falls, and most of these were falls ...
Texas No-Refusal Weekends: How They Can Impact You
2012-09-28
Due to a grant funded by the Texas Department of Transportation, drivers in the San Antonio and greater Bexar County areas are subject to enhanced DWI/DUI enforcement. What does that added enforcement entail? Well, for one thing, it means that anyone pulled over and suspected to be under the influence of alcohol must provide a blood or breath sample for alcohol testing.
The "no-refusal" program began several years ago as an effort by law enforcement agencies to fight drunk driving during periods of notoriously high alcohol consumption. Since July 4th is the ...
Don't Let a Shareholder Dispute Put Your Business in Peril
2012-09-28
Disagreements between shareholders can often escalate into hostile disputes that lead to the ruin of an otherwise successful company. Disputes may be over the future direction of the company, how to best downsize a company or transfer ownership, contractual obligations and a plethora of other business concerns.
However, shareholder disputes need not spell the end of a business or business relationship. There are steps that can be taken to deescalate the situation and come to a positive conclusion.
Shareholder Disputes: Arguments Protected by Law
First, it is important ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
The U-shaped relationship between admission peripheral oxygen saturation and all-cause hospital mortality in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective analysis using
New research highlights wide variation in prostate cancer testing between GP practices
Antidepressants linked to faster cognitive decline in dementia
DNA origami suggests route to reusable, multifunctional biosensors
Virginia Tech study reveals that honeybee dance ‘styles’ sway food foraging success
Beehive sensors offer hope in saving honeybee colonies
Award-winning research may unlock universe’s origins
BRCA1 gene mutations may not be key to prostate cancer initiation, as previously thought
Melatonin supplementation may help offset DNA damage linked to night shift work
Common gynaecological disorders linked to raised heart and cerebrovascular disease risk
Nerve fibers in the inner ear adjust sound levels and help compensate for hearing loss in mice, study finds
ECMWF – Europe’s leading centre for weather prediction makes forecast data from AI model available to all
New paper-based device boosts HIV test accuracy from dried blood samples
Pay-for-performance metrics must be more impactful and physician-controlled
GLP-1RAs may offer modest antidepressant effects compared to DPP4is but not SGLT-2is
Performance-based reimbursement increases administrative burden and moral distress, lowers perceived quality of care
Survey finds many Americans greatly overestimate primary care spending
Researchers advance RNA medical discovery decades ahead of schedule
Immune ‘fingerprints’ aid diagnosis of complex diseases in Stanford Medicine study
Ancient beaches testify to long-ago ocean on Mars
Gulf of Mars: Rover finds evidence of ‘vacation-style’ beaches on Mars
MSU researchers use open-access data to study climate change effects in 24,000 US lakes
More than meets the eye: An adrenal gland tumor is more complex than previously thought
Origin and diversity of Hun Empire populations
New AI model measures how fast the brain ages
This new treatment can adjust to Parkinson's symptoms in real time
Bigger animals get more cancer, defying decades-old belief
As dengue spreads, researchers discover a clue to fighting the virus
Teaming up tiny robot swimmers to transform medicine
The Center for Open Science welcomes Daniel Correa and Amanda Kay Montoya to its Board of Directors
[Press-News.org] South Carolina Task Force Aims to Reduce DUI with More RoadblocksIn an effort to reduce the incidence of drunk driving, more DUI roadblocks or checkpoints will be used by the police to examine individual drivers for intoxication.