According to the Orange County Register, Costa Mesa Police Department in Orange County arrested five people on suspicion of drunken driving a violation of Vehicle Code Section 23152, and issued eight citations during checkpoint stops. Orange County DUI attorneys of our office are quite familiar with cases involving checkpoints.
The checkpoint in question was funded by a grant from the California office of the Traffic Safety, through National Highway Traffic Administration. The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that DUI (sobriety) checkpoints are legal and not a violation of the drivers’ Fourth Amendment protections. In its ruling the Court acknowledged that DUI roadblocks violate a fundamental constitutional right; however, the court reasoned that they were justified because the state’s interest in reducing drunk driving and preventing death or injury was outweighed the individual’s right. An experienced Riverside DUI attorney can still help those accused of violating the law by making sure that there compliance with not only 4th amendment rights, but also with rules related to the testing of blood, urine or breath and DMV proceedings.