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DUI Arraignment Today for Actor John Stamos

DUI Arraignment Today for Actor John Stamos

At some point today, 52-year-old actor, John Stamos will be in front of a Los Angeles Court Judge today for arraignment of his DUI charge.  He is facing one misdemeanor count of DUI which is a result of his June 12th arrest, when he was allegedly driving erratically and behaving strangely.

It appears that drugs were the culprit of Stamos’s DUI and alcohol was not a factor.  Prosecutors are saying that the hospital records revealed drugs in Stamos’s body but they are not sharing what type of drug.

A DUI involving drugs and a DUI involving alcohol are essential the same charge, “Driving Under the Influence” thus the penalties are the same.

If found guilty of this DUI charge, Stamos, aka “Uncle Jesse” on the 1987-1995 sitcom “Full House” could face up to 6 months in county jail.

What is an arraignment and what happens?

An arraignment is the first appearance in court, which is referred to as the “arraignment hearing.” At this hearing the person accused, called the defendant, is formally told of the crime(s) he or she is accused of and is advised of his or her rights. The judge will want to hear the defendant plead guilty or not guilty. ** The DUI and criminal defense attorneys of David O Defense strongly encourage every defendant to plead not guilty at the arraignment hearing.** After the defendant pleads not guilty the court will consider whether or not to take the defendant into custody while the case is pending or consider conditions of release.

Examples of conditions of release could include but are not limited to:

  1. Bail (monetary collateral to the court to guarantee an individual’s presence in court when scheduled).
  2. Law abiding behavior.
  3. No contact with certain persons.
  4. Installation of an ignition interlock.
  5. No driving under certain conditions.
  6. Required electronic home monitoring with alcohol detection devices.
  7. Random urinalysis test.
  8. Released on personal recognizance (simply agree to return back to court as scheduled).

To learn more about how the courts proceed with DUI or criminal cases see our page Criminal Court Process.

Prescription Drug DUI for Actor Chris Kattan

Prescription Drug DUI for Actor Chris Kattan

Monday mornings can be lame, knowing the entire work week lies ahead.  This past monday morning was especially bad for actor Chris Kattan…15 hour red-eye flight home, crashing his car into a DOT vehicle on the freeway, failing DUI field tests, and then being arrested for DUI.  Bad monday!

California highway patrol officers reported they received a call from a source that saw Kattan’s Mercedes swerving across lanes on highway 101.  Moments later, Kattan crashed into a Department of Transportation vehicle that was coned in on the side of the freeway.  Luckily Kattan didn’t hit any of the DOT crewmen working on the freeway and nobody was inside the parked vehicle.

Chris Kattan, well-known for his skits on Saturday Night Live, admitted to law enforcement that he had taken prescription drugs and it had affected his driving, alcohol was not involved!  The Highway Patrol still required Kattan to perform the DUI (driving under the influence) field sobriety tests, of which he failed.  Kattan was quite surprised saying I thought I “passed all the tests.”   Kattan was arrested and charged with DUI of drugs.  Washington State and the State California have the same outlook on DUIs; a charge of DUI of drugs is considered the same offense as DUI of alcohol, penalties remain the same.

Being arrested and charged with a crime can cause a whirl wind of emotions; fear, frustration, humiliation, anger, etc.  Kattan was obviously wrapped up in emotion when he recently tweeted to media, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”

Bad monday… good luck with the rest of your week, Chris Kattan, be sure to contact a knowledgeable, experienced DUI attorney, it will take a lot of weight off your shoulders.  Here in Washington State, contact Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, David O, if you have received a drug or alcohol related DUI charge or have been in a DUI related accident, 206-459-6392.

 

Written by S.O

Lil Twist, Justin Beiber’s Best Bud – Popped For Marijuana DUI

Lil Twist, Justin Beiber’s Best Bud – Popped For Marijuana DUI

Caught in the act with a lit marijuana blunt, 20-year-old Lil Twist, was arrested by Calabasas police for DUI of drugs.  Police stopped Lil Twist, real name Christopher Lynn Moore, for speeding in BFF Justin Bieber’s stealthy chrome Fisker Karma.  When law enforcement approached the vehicle to question Lil Twist, police allegedly saw a lit joint in the car with additional undisclosed amounts of marijuana.  Lil Twist was arrested and booked on suspicion of DUI of drugs.  The police reported he was not DUI based on alcohol.

Although Lil Twist has been charged with a DUI based on drug consumption the penalties are the same as if he was DUI based on alcohol.  Here in Washington State, the fact you are a minor and have been arrested for DUI does not necessarily mean you would be charged as a minor DUI, y0u would have to qualify.  To qualify as a minor DUI the individual would have to be under the age of 21 years and would have a breath test of at least .o2 but less than .08 or a marijuana THC concentration of above .000 but less than .05.  The penalties for a minor DUI include a fine ranging from $0-$1,000.00 and a maximum of 90 days in jail.

 

Written by S.O