A DUI checkpoint in Chula Vista, California, has resulted in 33 citations and 25 vehicle impounds according to local police.
The checkpoint was in place from 6PM to 2AM Monday on the Eastlake Parkway. The checkpoint was part of the national DUI crackdown, "Over the Limit. Under Arrest." This national effort has granted funds through state departments of traffic safety for increased enforcement of DUI and vehicle-safety violations surrounding the Labor Day holiday.
California is one of nearly 40 states that allows DUI checkpoints. Other states, such as Texas, have determined they are violations of arrest procedures. In the Labor Day crackdown campaign, local law enforcement agencies are choosing whether to implement checkpoints or increase patrols on the road in order to step up enforcement.
Despite the high number of tickets, the checkpoint only ended in 1 arrest for drunk driving. The 25 vehicle impounds were for those drivers on the road without a valid license. Three drivers were arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
The majority of the DUI checkpoints initiated throughout the country have resulted in a high number of citations but a relatively low number of DUI arrests. Police did not issue a statement regarding the total number of vehicles checked on Sunday night, but 1 DUI arrest is likely less than 2% of the total vehicles stopped. The checkpoints are generally well-publicized, which can often lead to their lower success rate.
Chula Vista is the second-largest city in San Diego. DUI checkpoints are typically placed in high-traffic areas around bars, restaurants and other attractions. They are not typically placed directly in city centers to reduce the hassle that would put on both traffic flow and local businesses. However, it is common for 200-500 cars to be stopped on an average DUI checkpoint.
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Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
San Diego Jury: Police are Above the Law
After three days of deliberations, a jury San Diego — a militaristic community thoroughly besotted with people in state-issued costumes — acquitted police officer Frank White of felony gross negligent discharge of a firearm and a misdemeanor count of displaying a firearm in an “angry manner.”
The charges arose from a March 2008 “road rage” incident in which White shot Rachel Silva and her eight-year-old son. Silva had cut off White and backed into his car. She was shot twice in the arm and her son was hit once in the knee.
White, who was off-duty at the time and accompanied by his wife, initially claimed that he fired in “self-defense.” He later claimed that he fired his gun when Silva refused his demands to get out of her car. White never displayed a badge or identified himself as a police officer; witnesses to the shooting didn’t recognize the incident as a traffic stop or other enforcement action, but thought it was a domestic squabble.
Larry Ludlow, who has covered this case in the past, informs me: “During the trial, [White] lied several times and was caught in these lies, but the military-worshiping jurors didn’t care. They even swallowed the `fear of death’ excuse despite the difference in the size of the two vehicles — with [White's] vehicle being much larger.”
The case was also distorted by a grotesquely lenient charge: White should have been prosecuted for felonious assault with a deadly weapon, rather than “negligence.” In any case, owing to the fact that White was one of the state’s sanctified armed enforcers, he was acquitted of all charges and reinstated on the force.
Rachel Silva, on the other hand, admitted to being intoxicated and had the book thrown at her. She pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor DUI charges. The only potentially positive aspect of this case is that Silva’s son will grow up with a usefully cynical attitude toward our tax-devouring “protectors.”
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The charges arose from a March 2008 “road rage” incident in which White shot Rachel Silva and her eight-year-old son. Silva had cut off White and backed into his car. She was shot twice in the arm and her son was hit once in the knee.
White, who was off-duty at the time and accompanied by his wife, initially claimed that he fired in “self-defense.” He later claimed that he fired his gun when Silva refused his demands to get out of her car. White never displayed a badge or identified himself as a police officer; witnesses to the shooting didn’t recognize the incident as a traffic stop or other enforcement action, but thought it was a domestic squabble.
Larry Ludlow, who has covered this case in the past, informs me: “During the trial, [White] lied several times and was caught in these lies, but the military-worshiping jurors didn’t care. They even swallowed the `fear of death’ excuse despite the difference in the size of the two vehicles — with [White's] vehicle being much larger.”
The case was also distorted by a grotesquely lenient charge: White should have been prosecuted for felonious assault with a deadly weapon, rather than “negligence.” In any case, owing to the fact that White was one of the state’s sanctified armed enforcers, he was acquitted of all charges and reinstated on the force.
Rachel Silva, on the other hand, admitted to being intoxicated and had the book thrown at her. She pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor DUI charges. The only potentially positive aspect of this case is that Silva’s son will grow up with a usefully cynical attitude toward our tax-devouring “protectors.”
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