Visalia Criminal Defense Law Blog

When you're under the influence of alcohol, it's easy to believe you can safely get behind the wheel of your car. Not only is this a bad idea from a safety perspective, but doing so can also land you in serious legal trouble.

There are many simple steps you can take to stop yourself from driving drunk:

• Choose a designated driver early in the night: Don't look for a ride after you're drunk. Instead, work this out with a friend or family member before your fun begins.
• Pay for a ride home: It's inconvenient to leave your car where you are, but paying for a ride home is a safer option. You can call a traditional cab, Uber or Lyft. Regardless of your choice, you're safer when you're not driving.
• Take a minute to think: Alcohol impairs your judgment, which often results in rash decisions. Rather than think things through, you grab your keys, jump in the driver's seat and hit the road. If you simply give yourself a few minutes to consider what you're doing, you're likely to realize that driving at this time is a poor decision.

In the 1990s, it seemed like a meth bust was featured nearly every night on the evening news. But, then you stopped hearing so much about methamphetamine because all the media outlets began focusing on the heroin problem.

To some extent, the opioid epidemic that has taken over the United States diverted media attention away from the methamphetamine problem here in our country. In reality, California has a long history with methamphetamine production dating back to the early 1970s.

For many years, the United States has been seeking ways to cut back on the use of addictive drugs. While there's no way to completely do this, the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) goes a long way in helping everyone better understand what is legal and illegal in regard to drug use.

This federal drug policy has been in place since 1970 and is designed to regulate the manufacturing and distribution of all types of controlled substances. Furthermore, it categorizes drugs into five classifications.

• Schedule 1: These are the most harmful substances with examples including LSD, heroin and ecstasy.
• Schedule 2: Examples include morphine and cocaine.
• Schedule 3: Examples include Vicodin and all forms of anabolic steroids.
• Schedule 4: Examples include Valium, Xanax, and Ambien.
• Schedule 5: Examples include cough suppressants and other drugs that have medical benefits.

A spokesperson for the Visalia Police Department reports that a 72-year-old area resident apparently decided to drive around striking people with his car on Halloween night. He fled the crash scene each and every time. Once he was tracked down, police determined that he was likely drunk at the time he caused the collisions.

The first incident occurred just before 7 p.m. on Oct. 31. A concerned motorist reported having seen the driver of Chevrolet Silverado crash into a mailbox along the 1700 block of South Garden Street. The motorist apparently didn't get out of his truck to survey the damage, but instead, kept driving.