San Diego DUI Lawyer Blog

A DUI arrest was made in San Diego on Sunday morning when a San Diego State University basketball player was caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Twenty- year old Jamal Franklin, a sophomore, was pulled over by police on Campanile Drive and Hardy Avenue around 4:22 in the morning. Information regarding the arrest was made by university police where it was stated that Franklin was “transported to jail” as well as his car being towed. SDSU police refused to publicize Franklin’s blood alcohol level which the California law is that drivers of legal age and over cannot have a blood-alcohol level of .08. For those under twenty-one years, the law is .01.

Coach Fisher of the basketball team is aware of the player’s DUI arrest and is still collecting information regarding the case. Mike May, the San Diego State’s athletic department representative failed to comment on the incident. Franklin’s teammates have recognized how much their teammate has improved with his game as well as envisioned him to do well this season. It was also reported that at a nationally publicized game in July, Franklin knocked out his front tooth while dunking the basketball.

The SDSU basketball team’s first practice of the season is October 14th and the first opening game is scheduled for November 11th. “Franklin is one of the nine scholarship players eligible this season” and one of four players to receive regular minutes.

SDSU Basketball Player Arrested for DUI, Sign on San Diego, September 18, 2011

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In Vista on Tuesday, the testimony trial of a man accused of driving under the influence when he slammed into a sport utility vehicle ultimately killing the driver in Oceanside had finally come to an end.

The drunken driver known as William Vincent Romero could be convicted and have to serve fifteen years to life in prison as well as other charges for killing Oscar Lopez in the DUI crash that occurred in April of 2010. Judge Michael Kirkman of Vista Superior Court scheduled this case’s closing arguments for this coming Wednesday. Forty-four year old Romero is facing murder charges, a DUI resulting in gross vehicular manslaughter, driving with an illegal amount of blood-alcohol in his system, injury stemmed from a DUI as well as a hit and run.

Information provided by the California Highway Patrol, Romero was driving his 1993 Chevrolet Camaro south of the I-5 near Basilone Road around midnight. Then Romero started going into another lane when he crashed into Lopez’s Ford Explorer. Lopez who was in the car sleeping before his early morning work shift at a fish company was ejected from the SUV and killed immediately. Lopez’s five year-old son, Oscar Jr. was thrown from the vehicle as well however escaped any injuries. Romero tried to escape the scene but was arrested not too long after. The San Diego drunken driver blood alcohol level measured at 0.10 percent, which is above the 0.08 legal limit.

According to Matthew Greco, a Deputy District attorney, Romero was convicted of child abuse in 2004 where ultimately went to prison. In addition, Romero has been previously convicted of felonies for bribery and giving false evidence.

Closing Arguments Planned In Fatal Crash Trial , San Diego 10 News, September 6, 2011

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In Santa Ana California, the Long Beach fire captain pleaded guilty for critically injuring a cyclist in a crash while he was driving under the influence of alcohol back in April.

On the first day of April, John Hines, a resident of Huntington Beach, was drinking at a bar in Long Beach before getting behind the wheel of his truck. Hines lost control of his driving in Seal Beach and ultimately hit a cyclist who was in the bike lane. The victim, forty-seven year old Jeffrey Gordon was severely injured. Hines didn’t pull over to stop after hitting Gordon and just kept driving until he reached his home where he was later arrested. The drunken fire captain’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit where he measured at 0.24 percent. Hines pleaded guilty to the charges of a DUI resulting in bodily injury, driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, a hit and run with an injury as well as sentencing for causing an injury while having blood alcohol content above 0.20 percent.

Thirty-eight year old Hines will be serving a ninety day state prison sentence to determine whether or not he is fitting for prison. The second of December is his sentencing date where he could face up to seven years in prison. Andrew Katz, Deputy District attorney said that "It's not your standard DUI...this is a guy who was three times the legal limit at 1 in the afternoon. He knows better. This is a guy who's been sliding for a long time. And for a first responder who treats people at the scene to flee the scene is unconscionable. He should not be dealt with the same. He should be held to a higher standard."

Gordon, the victim, is hospitalized and being treated for a broken back as well as head and spinal injuries.

Long Beach Fire Captain Convicted in DUI Case, Sign on San Diego, September 6, 2011

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In Pacific Beach on Wednesday night during a public hearing, the Pacific Beach advisory panel voted to try and make some changes in the way alcohol licenses are distributed in the local area.

The title of the new fifty-eight pages of guidelines is “Alcohol License Policies and Issues in Pacific Beach” and this report received an 11-5 vote from the Pacific Beach advisory panel. The recommendations proposed in these guidelines have resulted in a conflict between restaurant owners and the Pacific Beach board. The first recommendation that caused quite a stir is that the city should make businesses who serve alcohol attain conditional-use permits first before they can receive an official license. This is irritating to restaurant owners because it will be more of a challenge to obtain a license. The second recommendation is that police officers need to enforce the proposed regulations.

According to the Pacific Beach Planning group member Scott Chipman, he says “We like visitors, and we want more and more and more visitors…I wouldn’t care if 10,000 people came to Pacific Beach, as long as they’re not driving drunk and they’re not committing crime.” The Pacific Beach Planning Group, which is also the Pacific Beach advisory board explains that these new proposed regulations cannot be passed unless City Council adopts news regulations.

The board comprised of twenty members initially sent the report containing these regulations to City Council back in February; however, the guidelines were repealed in May because the report was presented improperly presented on the memo.

PB Board to City: Restrict Alcohol Licensing, Sign On San Diego, September 1, 2011

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