DUI checkpoint near this onramp to the 405 North at Jamboree Road.
Another Orange County DUI Checkpoint, an Irvine DUI Checkpoint announced for June 12, 2015, was announced as an OC DUI Checkpoint. The Irvine Police Department have announced a DUI checkpoint to be conducted tomorrow, Friday, June 12, 2015, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. in the area of Jamboree Road and Michelson Drive. That area is near Houston’s, The Daily Dose, and is near the Daily Grill, The Melting Pot, on one side of the 405, and Andrei’s on the other.
Our Irvine DUI Lawyers learned about the DUI checkpoint from a press release issued by Irvine PD – they stated that they wanted publicity for this DUI checkpoint to deter drunk driving in the City of Irvine.
Are DUI Checkpoints Legal?
As most people know, DUI checkpoints are roadblocks that law enforcement officers set up on roads for the purpose of catching people driving under the influence of alcohol. Some of us also think they are used to generate revenue for police departments and the State, since the stops often result in citizens being slapped with minor (finable) offenses. Of course, civil asset forfeiture laws allow the police to seize vehicles and share impound fees between the police and has been implemented during these stops as well.
In California, the Ingersoll decision sets up the legality of DUI checkpoints in CA, but also the requirements for them to be legal.
Twelve states do not conduct sobriety checkpoints because they prohibit them by state law or their interpretation of state Constitution. If you live in, or are driving through, any of these 12 states, you won’t have to worry about encountering entrapment checkpoints:
- Alaska,
- Idaho,
- Iowa,
- Michigan,
- Minnesota,
- Montana,
- Oregon,
- Rhode Island,
- Texas,
- Washington,
- Wisconsin, and
- Wyoming.
Interestingly, many of the 38 states that DO conduct checkpoints do so under the belief that they are “upheld” under the federal Constitution. Washington, D.C. also allows them for that reason.
And, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that in the case of DUI checkpoints, our Fourth Amendment rights don’t apply. That court found that the state’s interest in reducing drunk driving outweighs the “minor infringement” on a driver’s Constitutional rights.
Certain requirements for “Constitutional” checkpoints do apply, though. In California, the Ingersoll decision applies:
In order for the checkpoints to be Constitutional there must be clear guidelines that are carefully followed by the legal authorities. Additionally, the Court has left it up to each individual state to develop these guidelines. In California, for example, the state supreme court has held that the decisions about where to set up sobriety checkpoints and about which cars to stop (i.e. every car, every sixth car, etc) must be made by supervisors prior to officers setting up the checkpoints. The sites selected should be in areas that have a high incidence of drunk driving and the length of each stop should be minimized. (source)
Contact us Today.
If you have questions about an Irvine DUI checkpoint, or were arrested for DUI in Orange County, contact our DUI Defense Law Firm today. We can help you and give you an honest assessment of your case.
