Chino, CA – There was a prison riot at Chino. Like most prison violence, the riot is thought to be caused by racial tensions.

About 250 inmates injured in riot at Calif. prison – Yahoo! News: “As many as 80 officers responded to the riot Saturday night, which involved some 1,300 inmates in seven dormitory-style barracks at the California Institution for Men in Chino, prison spokesman Lt. Mark Hargrove said.

The riot was likely prompted by tensions between black and Hispanic prisoners, Hargrove said.

Officers used pepper spray, wielded batons and shot foam projectiles to remove inmates who had barricaded themselves inside the medium-security facility during the four-hour uprising. A fire ignited during the chaos caused significant damage to one of the buildings, Hargrove said.”

Many people who are facing prison time for California DUI charges want to know what it is like in prison. Their biggest concern is not case survival, but prison survival.

It looks like one of the ways that California might fix its gaping budget crisis is to cut costs by letting thousands of inmates out of jail early.

California budget deal to free 27,000 inmates – Yahoo! News: "A proposed plan to solve California's budget crisis would reduce the state's prison population by 27,000, it was reported Tuesday, as opposition to the new fiscal deal mounted.

The Los Angeles Times reported on its website that the budget deal, announced by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and bipartisan lawmakers on Monday, would involve the early release of thousands of inmates.

The Times said the reduction would be achieved through a combination of measures including allowing prisoners to finish their sentences on home detention and creating incentives for completion of rehabilitation plans.

The prison inmate proposal would help save the state 1.2 billion dollars in the coming fiscal year, the Times reported.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca meanwhile condemned the proposed state budget, telling the Times that cuts to local government would force authorities across the state to shut down jails or slash officers from street patrol."

This plan makes sense on a lot of levels, as long as they release the good people who made bad mistakes rather than the bad people.

There's no doubt that repeat drunk driving is a problem everywhere, and nowhere more so than in California. The story quoted below talks about some remarkable people who have many DUI convictions.

It's hard to argue that if somebody didn't learn their lesson after a second or third DUI, that they eventually will. The fact is, most of them will continue to drive drunk until they either kill themselves or somebody else, or die of something else.

Roadshow: Toughen California's DUI laws – San Jose Mercury News: “Under California law, a first-time DUI conviction brings a four-month license suspension, a second conviction within 10 years means a one-year suspension and additional convictions within 10 years result in suspensions of up to five years.

Some prosecutors say tougher laws may not be effective, as drunks may continue to drive without a license.”

It's interesting that some California prosecutors say that increasing the California DUI penalties may not be effective. I agree, but the question is, what will be effective?

Here's the results of a San Bernardino DUI check point done last Friday. It has become fashionable to advertise the results of checkpoints both as a justification for their high cost, and as a deterrent to other would-be DUI drivers.

Six arrested, 47 cited during San Bernardino DUI checkpoint – San Bernardino County Sun: "Police arrested six people during a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Friday.

San Bernardino officers conducted the checkpoint from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. in the 300 block of East Base Line Road.

Police wrote 47 tickets, including 37 for motorists who were driving without a license or on a suspended license. Officers impounded 33 vehicles.

The people arrested included five who were suspected of driving while under the influence and one who had an arrest warrant, police said."

Here's a story about a Los Angeles DUI suspect who tried to elude the cops on a flat time. The story proves two things:

1) Yes, you can drive on a flat; and

2) Sometime the police don't shoot to kill in situations that don't warrant it.

DUI Suspect Flees Police On Tattered Tire – cbs2.com: "A woman suspected of drunken driving led police on pursuit from Highland Park to Arlington Heights Saturday, a lieutenant said.

…

A pursuing officer used his patrol car to nudge the vehicle into a spin, and the suspect was arrested, police told RMG News.

What's her story going to be? "I didn't notice the lights and sirens and I didn't notice the flat tire?" Some California DUI lawyer will have an uphill battle with this one.

In California DUI cases, there is a tendency for people who have been arrested and are facing prosecution to feel singled out, and even to feel like they live in a police state, and that justice is impossible to achieve.

When we look at world events, however, it is difficult to make the argument that living in America even comes close to what people experience in other parts of the world. Despite the system seeming unfair at times, we are lucky. In some countries, it would be a severe risk to speak out against leaders and laws.

Here's one example to ponder today:

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iran police clash with protesters: "President Obama said the US stood by all who sought to exercise their right to free speech and assembly.

He added: 'If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.'"

DUI attorneys often hear their clients refer to themselves as "victims." Hopefully these people will have a chance to attend a MADD victim impact panel once so that they can see what a real DUI victim is.

"I'm very thankful for our freedoms, and the fact that, as a criminal defense lawyer, I can speak out in the system and do my part to keep it fair," explained Florida DUI attorney John Musca.

"It's truly a gift to live in the United States," said Oregon attorney Bart Herron.

In California, the public is lucky to have lawyers like the San Diego DUI Lawyers at the Kavinoky Law Firm, Sacramento DUI Attorneys like Joe Valdez, and Los Angeles DUI Lawyers like Randy Longwith.

The fact is, if we are unjustly accused of a crime, we not only have the right to challenge it and a presumption of innocence, we also have access to top-quality DUI defense attorneys.

So next time you feel oppressed by the system, think about how much worse it could be.

It has been reported that Jani Lane was arrested for DUI in Los Angeles following an accident last night. According to recent sources, he was being held on $30,000 bail, which seems strange in an accident where there were no reported injuries.

What a terrible story, as they usually are with DUI accidents. This one ended better than it could have, however, as an innocent family involved in the accident escaped alive.

Interesting that a witness to the crash ran after the fleeing DUI driver.

Man pleads no contest in fatal South County DUI – San Jose Mercury News: "A Los Angeles County man accused of driving drunk and causing a fatal crash on Highway 152 this spring pleaded no contest to charges Thursday morning and will be sentenced to eight years in state prison.

Jose Serrano-Mendoza, 21, of Sepulveda had consumed about six beers and was speeding east on the highway around 6 p.m. April 26, a Sunday, when he tried to zip around a car carrying a Morgan Hill family home from a vacation weekend in Santa Cruz but instead clipped the front of the family's car. The impact caused both vehicles to careen off the road.

The family's Ford Taurus flipped and landed upside down, trapping the parents and their two young boys inside the overturned car. The boys were not injured and the parents escaped with minor injuries.

Serrano-Mendoza had three passengers in his Honda Civic. Esteban Lazcano Billalva, 27, of Watsonville was seriously injured after he was ejected from the car. He was alive at the scene, but died five days later.

Billalva's brother and cousin were also in the car. They and Serrano-Mendoza fled after the crash. A man who witnessed the wreck chased after Serrano-Mendoza, caught him and held him until police arrived, according to prosecutor Barbara Rizzier"

According to DUI Attorney John Musca, it is sometimes better to cut a good plea deal in these types of cases where the facts are impossible or there are sympathetic victims. "In the end, it's always about the best interest of the client.

Los Angeles DUI lawyer Randall Longwith knows this all too well. His high-end DUI/homicide clients have been the subject of much publicity.

California DUI attorneys who take on these unpopular cases have even been the victims of death threats. It takes a special breed of attorney to defend these cases.

For more information on the local courts involved in this case, see Santa Cruz DUI Attorneys or contact the Kavinoky Law Firm.

It is our pleasure to announce the launch of our new California DUI law blog at cadui.org. We will feature discussions about recent CA DUI news, caselaw and other developments.

We will also focus on a few excellent California drunk driving defense firms and follow their trials and victories.

A California DUI arrest is one of the most common and serious "everyman's" crimes, with over 100,000 arrests made every year throughout the state.