Orange County DUI Checkpoints Labor Day Weekend, 2017
La Habra DUI Checkpoint
La Habra announced a La Habra DUI Checkpoint DUI checkpoint in their city on September 1st, 2017, from the hours of 7:00 pm. to 3:00 a.m.
Fullerton DUI Activity
Fullerton Police Department announced not a Fullerton DUI Checkpoint, but roving DUI patrols on 16 different nights looking to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol and/or drugs and causing DUI in Fullerton or Fullerton DUI arrests. In addition to the roving patrols, the Fullerton Police Department Traffic Bureau will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Thursday, August 31, 2017, at an undisclosed location, between the hours of 8:30 PM and 2:20 AM.
Garden Grove DUI Activity
Garden Grove Police Department announced not a Garden Grove DUI Checkpoint, but roving DUI patrols who might be DUI or may be DUI in Garden Grove. In addition to the roving patrols, the Fullerton Police Department Traffic Bureau will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Thursday, August 31, 2017, at an undisclosed location, between the hours of 8:30 PM and 2:20 AM.
Are Orange County DUI Checkpoints legal?
If you’re wondering if DUI checkpoints are legal, they are, under California’s case law and decided cases involving DUI. However, they are required to meet certain criteria, including advance publicity.
Under the law, some of those criteria are as follows:
- The location, time and duration of a checkpoint, and other regulations for operation of the checkpoint should be established (preferably in written form) by supervisors or other administrative personnel rather than the field officers implementing the checkpoint;
- Advance warning must be made to the approaching motorist with signs, flares and other indications to warn of the impending stop in a safe manner and to provide notice of its official nature as a police checkpoint;
- Detention of the motorist for a minimal length of time; and
- Use of systematic non-random criteria for stopping motorists.
Under the Ingersoll case here in California, it’s required that police give advance notice of a checkpoint, which is how we get notified of each one ahead of time.
Press releases from Police Agencies exist to let people know about it. This leads to another reason why DUI checkpoints are a bad idea – those that plan ahead and are the most dangerous serial drunk drivers, or alcoholics, are the least likely to be caught in a DUI checkpoint for that reason.
Why are there Orange County DUI Checkpoints?
DUI Checkpoints are less effective than other means of removing drunk drivers from the road. Police officers even admit that. Although DUI checkpoints don’t work, police departments hope that they prevent people from driving with alcohol or drugs in the first place. The truth is that funding from grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), MADD, and the Federal Government ensure DUI checkpoints are used first before other measures. It’s truly all about the money.
Contact us.
Contact us today. Contact our Orange County DUI Defense Attorneys for questions about any Orange County DUI Checkpoint.