By Dale Gribow
I had planned to write this week’s column on Accidents or Trusts or maybe even Business matters but the amount of arrests (725 arrests in 3 weeks over the holidays) and the large volume of questions I have rec’d from those arrested for the holiday DUI’s is staggering and we have not even had the Super Bowl.
There has never been a worse time to get a Drunk Driving because of all the focus on DUI’s by MADD, Shutdown Drunk Driving, Clinton Health Matters and the CVAG Public Safety Committee. The Coachella Valley Association of Governments Public Safety Ad Hoc Committee comprised of police chiefs and elected officials from each city and me as the sole attorney met on January 13, 2014 they are serious about upping the ante on Drunk Drivers.
Increased penalties will be put into place by using the programs utilized in Redlands and the laws being codified in Indian Wells that will be unified for the entire CV to keep “impaired drivers” off the road. If you are arrested for a DUI and your car is towed (and it will be) the administrative fee for recovery will be $670. But the penalties are not going to stop with the arrest itself. Plans are being discussed to prosecute those who throw parties and allow a Buzzed guest to leave who then causes an accident. These are referred to as Social Host laws.
After your arrest you better get a good DUI attorney because the penalties are becoming more severe with Jail time demanded on all DUI’s usually starting with 10 days and going up from there depending on your reading. A DUI lawyer could cost you up to $15,000 but that too is not the end of your costs.
A driving under the influence arrest/conviction in the Indio Court is more serious today than ever before. Drunk drivers can and do cause catastrophic or fatal injuries to themselves and pedestrians. And AFTER ALL THE DUST SETTLES there will be a number of costs associated with your decision to Drive Under the Influence, not to mention a license suspension, jail time and home arrest. Recovering from a Drunk Driving conviction can be a tedious and drawn out process too. Other consequences may include Bail & Towing fees, ignition interlock installation fees, DMV fees and increased insurance premiums…to name a few. If you fail to contact DMV within 10 days your license will be suspended.
DMV Warning:
CVAG is focusing on penalties and education of CV residents to deter them from drinking and then getting in a car and driving…just in case what I have said herein does not scare you…..and it should. From an educational standpoint the public must understand it is not the number of drinks but the amount of alcohol in each drink. Many restaurants and bars pour generous servings so that when you order one wine it is not the 4 ounces that equals I drink but rather 8 ounces…which is 2 drinks. We will work on educating the CV that you do not have to be drunk but merely buzzed or impaired. A couple of drinks will do that for most people ….and a drink is a little more than 4 oz of wine; 12 ounces of beer or 1 oz of alcohol.
The bottom line is DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI……IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HIRING ME!
Dale Gribow has been “Rated” TOP LAWYER by Palm Springs Life Magazine from 2011-2014 and has a Superb AVVO Peer Reviewed Legal Rating. Dale Gribow has been Man of the Year 7 times including the City of Palm Desert and the City of Hope and Dale Gribow Day has been declared 4 times. He was the only attorney appointed in December 2013 to the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s Public Safety Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Committee. This group consists of the police chiefs from every city and the mayor of each city as well as the Sheriff of Riverside County and the head of the CHP and Border Patrol. In addition Gribow was selected to the Clinton Foundation’s “Clinton Health Matters” committee that is also addressing cutting down DUI’s and working in conjunction with MADD and Shutdown Drunk Driving.
If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow Attorney at Law at his NEW number 760 837 7500 and or his new email: dale@dalegribowlaw.com
