Have a Safe & Happy St. Patrick's Day, Everyone!!

Drinking is very much a large part of St. Patrick Day celebrations and often leads to incidents of drinking and driving, which should be avoided. 

So if you are going to be celebrating this St. Patrick’s Day, or even over this St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, be mindful of the dangers associated with drinking and driving. If you have consumed too much alcohol, call a taxi, Uber or Lyft, or even a good sober friend, to drive you home from wherever you may be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!

Illinois Driver Charged With DUI After Driving With Tree Still In Vehicle's Grille

As most of you may have already heard, (or seen), Police Officers in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, recently stopped a woman they say was driving with a 15-foot tree wedged into the grille of her car. After stopping the driver, the police officers also noticed the airbags had been deployed, apparently from hitting the tree; thus prompting an Illinois DUI Charge.

If this case occurred in Orange County, California, the driver would want to retain Orange County the "Best" or "Top-Rated" DUI Defense Attorney in Orange County, California.

Attorney Peter F. Iocona Again Recognized as a "Super Lawyer's Rising Star"

Peter F. Iocona is pleased to announce that the 2016 edition of “Super Lawyers”, published by Thomas Reuters, will once again include Orange County DUI Lawyers Peter F. Iocona as a “Super Lawyer’s Rising Star”.

If you are charged with a criminal offense in Orange County, California, specifically DUI, contact Attorney Peter F. Iocona today for a free consultation

DUI Hit And Run Charges - DUI Enhancements

There was a story in the Chicago Tribune about a young man named Matthew Lucchini, who at only 26 years of age was charged with misdemeanor DUI, misdemeanor leaving the scene among other things, and it caused me to post this blog about the charge of Hit & Run in California.

California Vehicle Code Section 20002 makes it a misdemeanor to fail to stop at the scene of an accident with property damage only and requires, like California Vehicle Code Section 16025, that the driver supply his or her name and address and that of the owner of the vehicle if different from that of the driver involved in the accident. 

In addition, CVC § 20002 requires that: “[u]pon locating the driver of any other vehicle involved, if requested,” presentation of:

1. Driver’s license.
2. Vehicle registration.
3. Vehicle owner’s driver’s license or other identification, if present.

A failure to comply with the above-referenced requirement will expose the driver to a Hit and Run Charge or, if done in connection with a DUI Charge, a DUI Hit and Run Enhancement.

The Push for Harsher DUI Penalties - Is This the Answer to Reducing DUI Offenses?

Recently there has been a flurry of activity about the issue of whether lowering the legal limit from 0.08% to 0.05% is the answer to the question of whether this will reduce the number of DUI offenses or whether pushing for harsher DUI Penalties is the answer.

Both positions have merit. This post examines the pros and cons of each perspective.

To learn more, visit: "The Push for Stronger DUI Laws & Harsher DUI Penalties - Washington, Tennessee and Florida - The Huffman & Beall Cases Considered"

DUI – Is It Increasing or Decreasing?

Some would argue the declining numbers are as a result of more educated drivers avoiding DUI by not consuming alcohol before driving; however, there is contrary argument, which is that there is little to no DUI enforcement these days and this explains the reduction in the number of DUI arrests not the educational components.

What are your thoughts?

To learn more, visit: “DUI – Is ItIncreasing or Decreasing?”

The 2015 DUI Statistics – What They Reveal

We have been receiving a lot of conflicting statistical data recently regarding the question of whether DUI offenses are up or down as we enter the second month of 2016. Here's what we learned from the 2015 statistical data and what can be expected in 2016 to reduce the number of driving under the influence cases.

To learn more, visit: “The 2015 DUI Statistics – What They Reveal”