The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that alcohol related fatalities in the state have dropped 16%. The totals reflect the change from 2007 and 2008, the last two complete statistical periods.

Transportation officials contribute the drop in highway deaths to law enforcement cracking down on driving under the influence in Illinois and more motorists using their seatbelts.

Currently the IDOT and the Illinois State Police are conducting a two week Labor Day campaign against Illinois DUI. Titled ‘You Drink & Drive. You Lose’, the initiative includes sobriety checkpoints, roadside safety checks and specialized patrols.

Have you been charged with an Illinois DUI and are needing assistance from a qualified IL DUI attorney?

On Monday, the California General Assembly passed legislation calling for increased penalties for those convicted of multiple CA DUI offenses. Bill AB1601 gives authority to the courts to revoke a driver’s license for ten years when the offender has been convicted of three or more times for drunk driving within ten years.

Under current California drunk driving laws, a motorist can lose his/her license for two to five years.

The bill has been passed by the Assembly and now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk for consideration.

Are you needing legal help from a qualified California DUI lawyer?

A Bellevue woman was arrested for driving under the influence in Washington just hours before her wedding. The unidentified 31-year old was reportedly returning from a bachelorette party around 6:00 am Saturday morning when she was spotted weaving in and out of her lane and traveling in excess of 90 miles per hour on I-405.

A Washington State Patrol trooper said the woman admitted to a prior Washington DUI arrest and said she knew the routine. She apparently was anxious to get the booking under way because she was to get married in an early-afternoon ceremony. Upon her release, she took a taxi home.

The bride registered a blood alcohol content of .146%. The threshold for intoxication in Washington is .08%. After her honeymoon, she will face charges of drunk driving in King County Washington District Court.

Are you needing legal assistance from a qualified Washington DUI attorney?

A 25-year old woman called 911 to report her own drinking and driving. Nancy Murcia of Vallejo contacted the police around 10:35 pm last Saturday night. When officers stopped her, they found, “she had been telling the truth about herself”.

Murcia was charged with driving under the influence in California.

Have you have been charged with a CA DUI and are needing legal help with a California DUI?

Wadena County Police clocked a Corvette going 178 miles per hour on a county road. They were able to eventually overtake the speeding car after it was slowed by traffic and a stop sign. The Corvette driver, Michael Johnson, was determined to be intoxicated and he was arrested for Minnesota DWI.

When asked why he was speeding, Johnson replied that he and his passenger were just out for a cruise.

Do you need legal help with a Minnesota DWI?

Deputies with the Gennesee County Sheriff’s Office stopped a man in Bethany after a tip from another motorist. Reportedly Duane Bush was weaving on a road in his van when the right rear tire fell off. Bush continued to drive for eleven miles.

A breath test showed that Bush, 61, had a blood alcohol content three times the legal limit. He was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated in New York and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Bush’s driver’s license had expired 33 years ago.

Are you needing legal assistance with an New York DWI?

A special Arizona DUI task force sought suspected drunk drivers over the weekend with targeted patrols and checkpoints. Officers from the Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Scottsdale police departments conducted 405 traffic stops over two nights between 8:00 pm and 4:00 am. A total of 67 motorists were charged with suspicion of misdemeanor DUI in Arizona and another was arrested for aggravated DUI.

The average blood alcohol content of those arrested was .145%. The legal threshold for intoxication in Arizona is .08%.

The penalties for driving under the influence in Arizona can include court costs, fines, mandatory jail sentence, loss of driver’s license, mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device and vehicle impoundment. During 2008, there were 937 traffic deaths in Arizona, and about 28% involved alcohol.

The combined task force will be conducting additional patrols this coming Friday.

Click here if you are needing legal assistance with an Arizona DUI?

Around 1:00 am early Monday morning, Charleston police officers were dispatched to a disturbance at the 935 Club. They found Shawneda Jill Pennington sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle with several other people standing nearby. Police were determining which groups were involved in the disturbance and were talking with Pennington when an officer asked her to turn off her car. When the officer reached inside the vehicle to turn off the ignition, Pennington put the car in gear and accelerated, dragging the officer a short distance.

Police initiated a pursuit and observed Pennington running several red lights and stop signs, while reaching speeds of 60 miles per hour. Pennington briefly lost control of her vehicle at one intersection but managed to back up and continue her flight. She eventually pulled off the roadway in front of her house, jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards an officer with her fists clenched. Another officer hit her with pepper spray, and, after a brief struggle, Pennington was restrained on the trunk of her car.

Pennington was taken to the Charleston Police Station, where she submitted to a breath test and registered a blood alcohol content of .083%. She was booked on charges of driving under the influence in WV, fleeing while under the influence, driving with a suspended license from a prior West Virginia DUI, battery on an peace officer and obstruction. She was held on $2500 bond.

Are you needing help from an attorney with a West Virginia DUI?

A 37-year old man suspected of driving under the influence in Seattle, crashed into nine parked cars and a motorcycle around 11:00 pm Monday. The man was driving northbound in the southbound lanes in the 3400 block of California Street.

The suspect hit the last vehicle hard enough to push it onto the sidewalk. Police say the man was arrested for Washington DUI, reckless driving and negligent driving. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries, mainly glass lacerations.

Are you needing help from an Washington DUI attorney?

The Diamonds Gentleman’s Club in West Chicago has reached a $1 million settlement in a law suit for its role in a deadly drunk driving accident. In January 2006, John Homatas and John Chiariello had gotten drunk at the club, and bouncers ejected the two after Homatas was found vomiting in the restroom. Club employees placed an intoxicated Homatas in his vehicle, and 15 minutes later he struck an SUV head-on. The crash killed 27-year old April Simmons, who was 8-months pregnant. Homatas’ passenger Chiariello, 25, was also killed.

The million dollars is the maximum of the club’s insurance policy. $800,000 of the settlement will be given to Simmons’ widow. The remainder will go to the Chiariello’s family. In a separate civil case, Homatas settled a $200,000 suit against him. The amount was the maximum of his insurance policy.

Diamonds does not serve alcohol so they contended that they were not responsible for Homatas’ actions and did not play a role in the accident. Patrons of the club, however, are allowed to bring in their own liquor, leading the Illinois State Supreme Court to rule last March that the club did have accountability in the Illinois DUI incident. That decision led to negotiations between the parties in the suit and the final settlement.

Homatas, 29, was convicted of aggravated driving under the influence in Illinois and reckless homicide in 2007. He is serving a 12-year prison sentence.

Have you been arrested for an Illinois DUI and are needing assistance from an Illinois DUI attorney?