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Tag Archives: duis

The OCDA received over $1.2M in grants to fight DUIs and related drug cases

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: November 16, 2017

OCDA RECEIVES OVER $1.2 MILLION IN GRANTS TO COMBAT DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND DUI-DRUG RELATED CASES

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) will continue to serve as the statewide traffic safety training agency through its acceptance of two grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a training and Vertical Prosecution Program. OCDA was given $672,500 for the Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driver Vertical Prosecution Program and $594,600 for the California Traffic Safety Resource Program Training Network. OCDA has been working in partnership with OTS on Traffic Safety and driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) prosecutions since 2011. Continue reading→

The OCDA gets a $1M grant to take the lead in fighting driving under the influence of drugs

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Date: November 15, 2016

OCDA DESIGNATED AS LEAD TRAINING AGENCY FOR DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING VERTICAL PROSECUTION WITH $1 MILLION GRANT

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) has been designated the lead training agency in the area of drug-impaired driving through the acceptance of a $1,078,044 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for the Vertical Prosecution Program. The year-long grant will be used to expand the specialized team of prosecutors focused on driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases in all regions of Orange County. OCDA will also serve as the lead agency in the newly established Southern California Traffic Safety Training Network (SoCal Training Net), which involves a training collaboration between the OCDA, Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, and Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Continue reading→

DUI driver facing a murder trial for killing a 5-year-old girl in Santa Ana

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF1907

Date: April 1, 2016

DRUNKEN DRIVER TO FACE TRIAL FOR MURDERING 5-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND INJURING SISTER AND MOTHER BY DRIVING THROUGH RED LIGHT AND CRASHING IN CROSSWALK

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A drunken driver is scheduled to face trial on Monday for murdering a 5-year-old girl and severely injuring the child’s sister and mother by crashing into them in a crosswalk after driving through a red light. Jessicah Louise Cowan, 37, Lake Hughes, is charged with one felony count each of murder, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, hit and run with permanent injury or death, hit and run with injury, two felony counts of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, two felony counts of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more causing bodily injury, and an infraction for possession of marijuana while driving. Cowan also faces allegations and sentencing enhancements for causing bodily injury to Eloisa M. and Grisea M., having a blood alcohol content of .20 % or more, fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter, and causing great bodily injury. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday, April 4, 2016, at 9:15 a.m. in Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Don’t drink and drive on St. Patrick’s Day

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Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

Keep the streets safe this St. Patrick’s Day! Don’t drink and drive

SANTA ANA, Calif. (March 17, 2016) – As one of the country’s most popular holidays, St. Patrick’s Day has long celebrated the roots of 34.2 million Americans with Irish ancestry, and many more who just want to partake in the festivities. This year, if you’ll be drinking alcohol, remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.

Tragically, March 17th has become one of the nation’s deadliest holidays. In fact, from 2010 to 2014, almost three-fourths of the drunk-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who were well above the .08 limit, with 266 drunk-driving fatalities nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s DUI Task Force will be deploying extra officers on overtime targeting problem areas with high numbers of DUI collisions and DUI arrests. These DUI patrols along with routine nightly patrols will be looking for the tell-tale signs of impaired driving. Continue reading→

MADD honors 14 OCDA attorneys for exceptional prosecution of DUI cases

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Todd Spitzer with Julie Schilling and Dave Doucette of the California Office of Traffic Safety at the MADD Luncheon

Todd Spitzer with Julie Schilling and Dave Doucette of the California Office of Traffic Safety at the MADD Luncheon

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: March 25, 2015

MADD HONORS 14 OCDA ATTORNEYS FOR EXCEPTIONAL PROSECUTION OF DRUNKEN DRIVING CASES

SANTA ANA – The Orange County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) honored 14 Orange County deputy district attorneys today for their time and effort in prosecuting driving under the influence (DUI) cases in 2014. MADD hosted the 28th Annual Law Enforcement and Prosecutor Recognition Luncheon today, March 25, 2015, to honor Orange County prosecutors and police officers for their outstanding contributions to the prosecution of DUI cases. The luncheon was held at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda.

At the luncheon, six Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) prosecutors including Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker and Deputy District Attorneys Jim Bilek, Devin Campbell, Stephen Cornwell, Anna McIntire, Devin Campbell, and Nick Miller, received the 2015 Diligent Prosecutor Award to recognize their support to victims and their families and diligent efforts in criminal prosecution of DUI defendants. Each was nominated by their OCDA supervisor or a MADD victim advocate. The recipients were verbally recognized and received a plaque at the luncheon. Continue reading→

2014 Summer/Labor Day Avoid DUI campaign resulted in 793 DUI arrests

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OC DUI Task Force

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

SUMMER/LABOR DAY AVOID DUI CAMPIGN – FINAL REPORT

SANTA ANA, Calif. (September 2, 2014) – The Summer/Labor Day Holiday DUI Campaign crackdown on drunk and/or drugged drivers has ended and resulted in a significant number of DUI arrests countywide over the past 18 days. The enforcement was part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, to save lives and make our roadways safer.

From 12:01 AM Friday, August 15, 2014 through Midnight Monday, September 1, 2014 officers representing 38 county law enforcement agencies have arrested 775 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. In 2013, 793 DUI arrests occurred during the same time period. Tragically, there was a death attributed to an impaired driver on Labor Day in Huntington Beach. Last year there were 4 alcohol and/or drug impaired related deaths during this same time. (**NOTE: These numbers are only provisional with same agencies yet to report**) Continue reading→

Summer/Labor Day avoid DUI campaign update

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OC DUI Task Force

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.704, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

Summer/Labor Day AVOID DUI Campaign Update

DUI Arrests Up & No DUI Fatalities

SANTA ANA, Calif. – (August 22, 2014) – The Summer/Labor Day National drunk driving campaign statistics of DUI arrests from local routine traffic enforcement and special “Avoid the 38” DUI deployments in Orange County have been updated.
From 12:01 a.m., Friday, August 15, 2014 through 11:59 p.m., Thursday, August 21, 2014 officers and deputies representing 38 Orange County law enforcement agencies have arrested 281 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In 2013, 171 DUI arrests occurred during the same seven (7) day period. There were no DUI related deaths during this time (**NOTE: These numbers are only provisional with some agencies yet to report**).

For the second weekend of the campaign, both a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint will be conducted in the city of Stanton (OCSD) and a multi-agency DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint will be conducted tonight in the cities of La Palma, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach. Extra DUI saturation patrols will be deployed in the cities of Los Alamitos and Seal Beach (multi-agency). CSU Fullerton Police and the cities of Garden Grove, Seal Beach and Westminster (multi-agency) will be deploying extra DUI saturation patrols on Saturday night, August 23. All regularly scheduled traffic and patrol officers/deputies will focus efforts on stopping and arresting impaired drivers during their normal shifts. Continue reading→

OC DUI arrests down during this year’s Independence Day Weekend

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dui checks in santa ana

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lt. Jeff Hallock (714) 647-7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg (714) 647-1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND AVOID DUI CAMPAIGN –FINAL REPORT

DUI Arrests & Fatalities Down

SANTA ANA, Calif (July 8, 2014) – The Independence Day Weekend Anti-DUI crackdown is reporting DUI arrests from local routine traffic enforcement and special ‘Avoid the 38’ DUI deployments in Orange County.

From 12:01 AM, Thursday July 3, 2014 through Midnight, Sunday July 6, 2014, officers representing Orange County law enforcement agencies arrested 214 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. There were no DUI related deaths reported during the four-day campaign. Last year, the holiday was a five-day campaign period which resulted in 247 arrests and 2 DUI deaths. (NOTE: These numbers are only provisional with some agencies yet to report) Continue reading→

The OC DUI Task Force is cracking down on DUIs this Cinco de Mayo

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OC DUI Task Force

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lt. Jeff Hallock (714) 904 7042

JHallock@ocsd.org

The “AVOID the 38” DUI Taskforce is Cracking Down on Drunk Driving this Cinco de Mayo

SANTA ANA, California (May 2, 2014) – Cinco de Mayo is a time for many Californians to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage by attending parties, barbecues and festivals with friends and family. With alcohol being such a big part of these festivities, it’s no surprise that drunk driving is especially high on May 5th. In an effort to prevent any roadway tragedies, the Orange County “Avoid the 38” DUI Task Force is joining with others across the state and nation to remind partygoers that drunk driving should never be part of your Cinco de Mayo plans.

Special DUI saturations patrols will be deployed this weekend in numerous cities within Orange County looking to identify and stop suspected drunk drivers. Additionally, every routine traffic and patrol officer assigned to duty will be on heightened alert to prevent another senseless tragedy. Continue reading→

The OC DUI Task Force will be looking for drunk drivers on St. Patrick’s Day

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OC DUI Task Force

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock (714) 904-7042, Gail Krause, (714) 623-8940

Designate a Sober Driver on St. Patrick’s Day

SANTA ANA, Calif. – (March 15, 2014) — With St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and the Orange County “Avoid the 38” DUI Task Force are reminding drivers not to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 269 people were senselessly killed nationwide in crashes involving drunk drivers during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday from 2007 to 2011. Those fatalities were preventable. Continue reading→

MADD honors 11 OCDA attorneys for doing a great job of busting drunk drivers

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MADD

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2014

MADD HONORS 11 OCDA ATTORNEYS FOR EXCEPTIONAL PROSECUTION OF DRUNKEN DRIVING CASES

SANTA ANA – The Orange County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) honored 11 Orange County deputy district attorneys today for their time and effort in prosecuting driving under the influence (DUI) cases in 2013. MADD hosted the 27th Annual Law Enforcement and Prosecutor Recognition Luncheon today, March 13, 2014, to honor Orange County prosecutors and police officers for their outstanding contributions to the prosecution of DUI cases. The luncheon was held at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. Continue reading→

Winter Holiday DUI Campaign – final report

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OC DUI Task Force

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, (714) 904-7042/Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840

Winter Holiday DUI Campaign – Final Report

SANTA ANA, California (January 2, 1014) – The Winter Holiday Anti-DUI crackdown on drinking or drugged drivers has ended and resulted in a significant number of DUI arrests from the sobriety checkpoints, special saturation patrols and routine patrols in the Orange County “Avoid the 38 ” DUI Campaign for the past 20 days.

From 12:01 AM Friday December 13, 2013 through midnight on Wednesday January 1, 2014 officers representing 38 county law enforcement agencies have arrested 862 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Last year, 971 DUI arrests occurred during the holiday campaign. Tragically, there was one death attributed to a drunk driver in our area. Last year, there were no DUI deaths reported. (NOTE: These numbers are only provisional with some agencies yet to report and/or Coroner reports pending). Continue reading→

OC Crime Lab discovers errors in blood-alcohol tests

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OCSD Badge

Orange County Sheriff’s Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, (714) 904-7042/Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840

OC Crime Lab Discovers Errors in Blood-Alcohol Tests

SANTA ANA, CA – (November 21, 2013) – Earlier this month, the Orange County Crime Lab (OCCL) discovered a clerical error in calibrating one of two machines used to analyze blood alcohol concentration. The error affects cases from the end of May 2013 to the beginning of October 2013. Continue reading→

OC Sheriff’s Department receives $100K grant to fight alcohol-related crimes

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OCSD Badge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, (714) 904-7042/Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840

OC Sheriff’s Department Receives $100,000 grant to fight alcohol-related crimes

SANTA ANA, CA – (October 22, 2013) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol related crime. The Sheriff’s Department will use the funds to expand its enforcement efforts towards licensed establishments that operate in a disorderly manner, create an undue burden on law enforcement, and/or affect the quality of life in the surrounding communities. Continue reading→

793 O.C. DUI arrests during the Summer/Labor Day DUI Crackdown

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SAPD DUI Checkpoint

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock (714) 647 7042/Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840

Summer / Labor Day Holiday Avoid DUI Campaign – Final Report

SANTA ANA, California – (September 3, 2013) – The Summer/Labor Day Holiday DUI crackdown on drinking drivers has ended and resulted in a significant number of DUI arrests from sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and routine patrols in Orange County during the past 18 days. Continue reading→