"Court Case Friday" “Drunk Driving” (DUI) cases are some of the most tragic. They are also some of the most entertaining. Field Sobriety Tests In the “old days,” reciting the alphabet was a standard field sobriety test (FST). This FST tested mental impairment. Mental impairment occurs before observable physical impairment. Years ago, the National Highway … Continue reading DUI Drivers Versus the Alphabet
"Court Case Friday" “Drunk driving” (DUI) cases are some of the most tragic. They are also some of the most entertaining. I had a unique DUI case involving an 85-year-old woman with a very high blood alcohol level. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer spotted her weaving in the fast lane on the I-5 Freeway … Continue reading Drunk Driver: Golf Cart on the Freeway
"Court Case Friday" Most of the time, police “catch” the “drunk drivers.”* Sometimes, the cops are minding their own business and the “drunk drivers” “catch” them. Drunk Driver Crashes into Police Donut Shop I had a case where two CHP officers were sitting by the window inside a donut shop having a coffee break. It … Continue reading 4 Drunk Drivers Who “Caught” the Police
"Court Case Friday" A girlfriend and boyfriend loved each other and lived together for years. They were both heavy drinkers. One night, in a nearby county, they both got drunk and ended up in a fight. A witness called the police. Since the boyfriend “won” the fight, the police deemed him to be the “primary … Continue reading “He Chose Alcohol Over Love, Booze Over His Beloved”
In 2019, a Utah woman called 911 to report a drunk driver. The caller sounded intoxicated. She had slurred speech, and she was burping, and laughing uncontrollably on the phone. The dispatcher asked the woman for a description of the drunk driver. The caller gave a description of - herself. She also gave a description of … Continue reading Drunk Driver Calls 911 to Report — Herself
I enjoy working with jurors. They are upstanding citizens doing their civic duty, sometimes at great personal sacrifice. However, like everything else in the criminal justice system, jurors can be unpredictable. Murphy's Law overrides the entire criminal justice system. They Can/Can’t Get By Without Me at Work I had one woman prospective juror who tried to … Continue reading “My” Unpredictable Jurors, Pt 1
(Before the trolls, bubble-poppers, and nitpickers criticize my use of the politically incorrect “drunk” in the title, they should read the entire story, where it will be explained.) We get a lot of homeless alcoholics in our courthouse in rich Newport Beach, California. Many of these folks sleep, and hang out, on the bluffs overlooking … Continue reading “My Favorite Homeless Drunk”
The Drunk Groom I performed a wedding on the grounds of a beautiful restaurant overlooking scenic Dana Point Harbor in Orange County, California. The restaurant is built on the side of a cliff and it is very difficult to find. Everyone was set, except for the bride. A limo was bringing her. We waited and waited. No bride. … Continue reading More Embarrassing Wedding Glitches
The London Edition 