According to multiple news sources, police departments in several states – including California, Colorado, Illinois and Utah – are planning special DUI checkpoints on roadways for the Halloween holiday weekend.The Arizona Department of Public Safety reported that Halloween is especially bad for drunken drivers on the roads.

Across the state of Colorado, law enforcement officers will increase patrols for DUI starting at 6:00 p.m. tonight until 3:00 a.m. on Nov. 2.

Utah state troopers warn residents, “If you’re going out to celebrate Halloween, be sure you have a designated driver.

Drunk driving is more common around holidays – and police forces across the nation know it. Lesson to be learned? If you’re going out this Halloween, be careful so you don’t end up with a DUI.

By Erin K

In the state of Montana, some believe that a culture of drunk driving and DUI arrests has become so ingrained in the community that only a community-wide change can lead to a decrease in DUI arrests and accidents.

In a recent DUI court case, a surprising number of those involved in the case had been affected by drunk driving, bringing to light the pervasiveness of DUI in Montana’s culture, even at the highest levels.

Greg Barkus, the defendant in a DUI case in Flathead County, Montana, was accused of operating a speedboat while under the influence of alcohol when he ran it into the shoreline.

According to the prosecution, his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit when the incident occurred. Barkus, a Republican state senator, had been arrested for drunk driving before.

Barkus’ DUI attorney in the case was a man who had himself been arrested for DUI before. The lawyer’s case was dismissed however, because the police officer who would’ve testified in the case was killed by a drunk driver.

In addition, the Barkus case prosecuter’s deputy attorney had a previous arrest for DUI, as did the ex-husband of the case’s original judge.

Across Montana, numerous judges, attorneys, lawmakers and celebrities around the state have faced DUI arrests. Public prominence seems to play no part in the demographic of those impacted by drunk driving.

While certainly many people across America have felt the impact of DUI arrests on friends, family and community, the Barkus case is a microscopic view of a larger problem.

Montana, which ranks among the highest in U.S. states in terms of the rate of alcohol-related vehicle accidents, has a culture of fierce independence, in which citizens are wary of giving up their personal rights.

DUI laws took longer to reach Montana, even as other states adopted them, and a colonel in the Montana Highway Patrol has stated that the prevalent culture in the state is to view drinking and driving as “Montana birthright.”

Advocates of tougher DUI laws in Montana argue that a reduction in DUI-related accidents ensure a more universal right: the right to safer roads. The only way, in their eyes, to solve the problem is to change the culture of drinking and driving in Montana, so that peer pressure and community awareness drive positive change where lawmaking may fall short.

By Erin K

Questions about personal responsibility are prevalent in discussions about DUI arrests and offenses, especially in reference to bars and restaurants serving alcohol to customers who are later arrested for DUI.

Should an establishment that serves alcohol be legally responsible for the actions of someone consuming alcohol at that bar? State DUI laws vary, and Connecticut is one state in which police follow-up investigation of alcohol-serving bars and restaurants is available as a legal option.

Recent reports, however, indicate that following a crackdown on DUIs, police in Connecticut may not have followed up with the establishments where DUI suspects claimed to have been drinking.

In Connecticut, the state Liquor Control Commission has the authority to fine or suspend the liquor license of bars and restaurants based on their connection to DUI suspects. In the course of a DUI arrest, law enforcement officials often record the bar or restaurant that served those arrested for suspicion of a DUI offense.

Recently, journalists in Connecticut investigated the follow-up of these bars and restaurants, finding that police did not submit a single establishments’ information to the Liquor Control Commission in the several months of a crackdown and for weeks afterward.

The crackdown came after a rash of DUI-related accidents and deaths in Northeast Connecticut, as police increased patrols along the interstate highway, in an effort to catch more drunk drivers and to decrease alcohol-related accidents, injuries and fatalities.

Extra patrols dedicated to weekend DUI coverage, in addition to those regularly scheduled, led to more than 80 arrests. As a part of the arrest process, officers routinely asked DUI suspects where they had consumed alcoholic beverages and noted it in a standard form.

Following the crackdown, which occurred in the spring of this year, the investigation revealed that officers were not following up with the establishments in question after making an arrest, even as they gathered the necessary information to do so.

After a DUI arrest, wherein the driver tells the police where he or she drank the alcohol, police can forward that information on to the liquor commission, along with a police report.

In a response to the assertion that police weren’t pursuing this option, a police spokesperson claimed that police do follow up with the restaurants or bars that arise during the course of the arrest, noting that the context and particular details of a given incident determine the implementation and nature of the investigation.

Whatever your opinion about the responsibility of bars and restaurants in DUI cases, it would appear based on these investigations that the police in Northeast Connecticut are not taking that route. Why that may be is another question.

Foreclosure Laws in Arizona

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Art Gib asked:

Driving under the influence (DUI) is illegal throughout the U.S., even if the laws and punishments for driving under the influence vary a little from state to state.

Consequences of DUI

No matter where you live, the consequences for this crime are inconvenient at best and serious at worst. You could have your license suspended, be slapped with some heavy fines or even spend some time in jail. These consequences can make something as vital as getting to work a challenging task.

Speed is of the Essence

If you want to avoid some of all of these consequences, it would probably be wise to hire a DUI lawyer and to hire one quickly after your arrest. In many states, unless you appeal the DMV for a trial, you will automatically lose your license after 10 days or so if you have been caught driving under the influence. So, time is of the essence.

Why You Should Hire a DUI Lawyer

Good DUI lawyers will be able to create considerable doubt in a jury, in spite of unfavorable driving patterns, chemical results and sobriety tests. If your license or your freedom is on the line, their experience is a good ally to have on hand.

Search by City and State

Because the laws vary a little from state to state, you will obviously want to hire a lawyer who knows the laws specific to your state inside and out. Be careful when you illuminate candidate though because one lawyer might service more than one state. You can also search for good DUI lawyers by city.

Know their Credentials

Even though you don’t have a lot of time to find good DUI lawyers, you still want to know the credentials of the people who will be defending your case. You will probably want to ask questions like, have they been successful in the past? Do they have a good reputation in their area? Where were they educated? How much do they charge? You can get specs on several different DUI lawyers if you find a website that provides mini bios for attorneys all over the country. These short bios usually list such credentials because they want to prove their competency to potential clients. Visiting such a website is a fast way to locate and research different lawyers.

Free Consultations

Once you have narrowed your search down, you can also get a feel for how helpful lawyers will be by calling up for a free consultation. It won’t cost anything more than your time and a couple phone calls may be the determining factor in which lawyer you choose.

Julian

State of Arizona Bill of Sale

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Do I Need A DUI Lawyer?

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Nick McConnell asked:

If you have been thinking about buying, selling, leasing, or leasing out a home in Arizona, this is the first place you will want to start. It is extremely important that you are properly represented so that you know what you are getting your self into when discussing Arizona Real Estate. It might be nice to know that there is a Real Estate firm in Arizona that is here to represent your best interests. That company is Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. At any time, please feel free to visit the website associated with this article to get in contact with an experienced Realtor that can help you with all of your Arizona Real Estate needs.

Buying Real Estate may be the biggest, most important investment of your entire life. Put this investment into the right hands. Would you rather have a Realtor that has dealt with countless satisfied clients or a Realtor that just obtained their Real Estate license? Would you rather have a Realtor with a college degree, or a Realtor that is a high school drop out? Would you rather have a Realtor that knows the area because they have lived in Arizona for nearly thirty years, or a Realtor that just moved to Arizona a month ago? Experience goes a very long way in Real Estate. Would you rather have a Realtor that has negotiated countless contracts for his clients, or a Realtor that has done one or two contracts?

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage goes way out of their way to make sure their agents are properly trained. It does not matter if you are a buyer, a seller, an investor, a tenant, a land lord, or a commercial Real Estate buyer or seller, Coldwell Banker is there for you. Coldwell Banker does it all. Looking to purchase land in Arizona? Coldwell Banker will help you.

Coldwell Banker is on the cutting edge of technology. This fact is most important when selling your home. Many home buyers are now turning to the internet to find their next home. Since this is now the case, it is very possible that people will be looking at your home online too when Coldwell Banker. When you put your home on the market with Coldwell Banker, you are getting ample exposure in a variety of different ways.

When purchasing, Coldwell Banker makes sure that all of your questions are answered, and makes sure that you are getting the absolute best price possible. An experienced Realtor may get a better price for you on the home you are planning on purchasing versus a new agent. If you could get a home for twenty thousand dollars less when buying a home with an experienced agent versus a new agent, would that be important to you? It does not matter who you are, twenty thousand dollars is a great deal of money.

This is not to say that a new Realtor can not represent your best interests because they can. If you were on trial for murder in a court of law, would you rather have an experienced lawyer that has never lost a case represent you, or a lawyer that just got out of law school? The answer to most is obvious. This is not to say that the lawyer that just got out of law school will not do a good job for you.

Again, experience goes a very long way in Real Estate. Let Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage be your first choice when selecting a Real Estate firm to represent your best interests. Please visit the website connected to this article to get in contact with a Realtor that will give you the service, quality, education, and experience you deserve.

Henry

A NEW LOW INDEED : 10/9/2009

If anyone knows about desperate campaign tactics, it’s Jeremy Lindaman.

Vote against the Texas slate : 10/9/2009

I say we vote against the Texas slate: choose local candidates only: Thyne, Pritchett, White and House!!!

Preserve our Council

No on Randall Van Wolfswinkel : 10/9/2009

We do not need a Texas developer with questionable (at best) intentions meddling in our election!

BeachGuy

SB’s New Politics : 10/9/2009

Yes, #1:“Why would a billionaire Texas developer want to buy a Santa Barbara election?” and, #2 Why does the Daily Sound support the drunk? How many “ads” has the Texan purchased?

Vigil

passing-by : 10/9/2009

Yesterday I got my “OfficialVoterGuide” in the mail. It featured Francisco, Self, Hotchkiss, McCammon and Yes on B. On the back were large logos and URLs for the L of WV and SBCity Vote (the city election website). In the fine print below we learn that these websites do not endorse the candidate slate in the brochure. In even finer print we are told that the mailer was paid for by candidates designated by an asterisk. None of the named candidates sports an asterisk. So, who paid for this crapola? Money from Texas, I presume.

passing-by

Um, Texas is not voting in California : 10/9/2009

There has been so much coverage of Van Wolsfwinkel that I suspect more people know his name, rather than who’s running for city council. They might be surprised he’s not on the ballot…Dale didn’t accept any money from VanWolfswinkel, and hasn’t consulted with him on his campaign. Dale is running his own campaign, with a mere $52k, including the $20k he lent himself. It’s Steve Cushman that’s running with the big bank account – $135k, and Helene right behind him. If Van Wolfswinkel wants to pass measure B so bad and change the make-up of city council, and he wants to advertise like crazy to do it, let him. This town needs a change. The other council candidates Wolfswinkel is backing aren’t Republicans. Self and McCammon are Democrats, while Hotchkiss is a Libertarian. So much for the ‘right-wing Republican hit squad’ theory.

I don’t see another choice besides Francisco

get your parties right : 10/9/2009

michael self is registered as decline to state, not Democrat. Frank Hotchkiss is the head of the SB County Republican central committee.

LOLOLOL—-”First Time in SB” : 10/9/2009

if I didn’t know better I’d think this was a National Lampoon piece satirizing the subject—Daraka and Lindamann bemoaning negative campaigning? Those guys planted the roots for such tactics–and worse—a few years ago. Josh—-take off your rose-colored glasses

Poor Josh

Helene Schneider or Francisco : 10/9/2009

The mayors race will be won by Schneider or Francisco. The other candidates are wasting time and money. They are in it for their egos. The voters have or will already have seen that. Bob Hansen is odd but at least he has hit the street to try and do something for the homeless

Virginia

Thyne???? : 10/9/2009

Is he still in this thing? I think his family stopped donating to his campaign and the public stopped paying attention when he had to go back to court for violating his dui conviction. His campaign has obviously gone the way of the other looney candidates that were once in but are now out…..

Where are the good candidates?

c’mon, josh, you can do better than this : 10/9/2009

What next, Josh, a piece on how Helene is prettier than all the other candidates? Or that she’s nicer, and because she’s a girl she should get to win because Santa Barbara has to have a female mayor? You forgot to mention the crappy production values of one of the democratic mailers that didn’t even get their website right: sbems.com??? the other one that features a really bad photo of Obama that somehow links him to the local campaign, or how about Helene’s claim in her commercial that she’s “fought for balanced budgets,” uh, yeah–by law the budget has to be balanced–but her visiion for Santa Barbara doesn’t extend past the lower Westside. What about the lies in the No on B radio ads? Cottage hospital can’t modernize? Good Grief. they’re building a brand new billion dollar hospital, what more do they want? If one of the democratic billionaires was ponying up the really big bucks, they’d be all over free speech…this is not about one guy, but this one reporter really has an agenda here.

hello

Do something FOR the homeless? : 10/9/2009

How about we do something ABOUT the homeless? They have countless resources available for rehabilitation which they choose not to use. SB, like San Francisco, attracts these guys by enabling their lifestyle. Hey guys — the homeless in SB are often fat. That should tell you something.

Justin

attack begets attack : 10/9/2009

I agree with Larimore-Hall about the Van Wolfswinkel attack ads — HOWEVER, he should look in the mirror and stop the deceptive, if not lying attacks on Measure B. Two of the candidates the local Dems support, Channing and Measure B founder, White, support B — yet the local Democrats send out the inaccurate, plain wrong Mickey Flacks/Dettie Peikert/Alex Pujo flyer against it. …And where was Larimore-Hall when the National Association of Realtors was funding (maybe still is) the push-pull attack “poll” on Measure B? Silent, that’s what he was. Where was he when Flacks filed the complaint against B for the lack of a FPPC number that is not required? Where is he decrying the lack of complete reporting – eg., no reports of the time/money gone into the attack videos by Peikert et al? Nowhere, except staring enviously at the Van Wolfswinkel flyers, maybe. The kind of campaign the NO’s have been running leads directly to this kind of negative attack campaigning. It’s a great shame for Santa Barbara.

BRC

I dont get it : 10/9/2009

Have any of you seen the information on the demographics of this city?? Democrats far, far outnumber Republicans. Yes, Dale might have a chance at taking a somewhat-larger-than-nominal piece of the voter pie in the finale of this election, but for him to actually receive a greater number of votes than Schneider or Cushman and actually become mayor is so against the reality of the situation that viewing him as an actual viable candidate for the win displays such a mindset of blind ideology at the expense of real practicality that it’s almost comical. Not to say that” third party” candidates don’t have the right to run, contraire, that is the hallmark of our democracy. But nevertheless the implications of this must be realized, because in my opinion all effort on the parts of those seeking fiscal responsibility must be headed at defeating Schneider, lest we enter a spiraling abyss of irresponsible tax-and-spend habits of which her track record promises the city should she win. This reminds me of the 2000 national election when candidate Ralph Nader of the Green party essentialy took potential ideological votes away from Gore, which in and of itself could have given Gore that extra bit of leverage in the voter arena that could have defeated Bush. Ironic the farthest left group tipped the scale in favor of a far-right candidate, isn’t it? I see the same implications for those wanting fiscal responsibility. Endorse Dale in rhetoric and principle, and perhaps even vote for him in a future election where he can actually build a stronger campaign. But please, don’t, in the name of fiscal responsibility, help Schneider out by voting for Dale. This in and of itself, coupled with the fact that this race is razor-close, should expose where you vote most practically belongs. (Except, of course, if you are a city worker who’s unethical values of gaining a higher wage at the expense of your city’s well-being, then you can vote for Schneider, who’s specialty is pandering to just you).

Dont fall for Francisco’s trap

No For Francisco!!!!!!!!!!!! : 10/9/2009

WE Dont NEED Francisco For Mayor OR SELF and Hotchkiss for City council: SO that the city goes DOWN? No, We need HELENE FOR MAYOR and DAVID PRITCHETT, GRANT HOUSE and WHITE for Council so that we could have change in Santa Barbara

Alvin

: 10/9/2009

I read Justin here fulfilling the spirit of his endorsement by the News Press Mess.

Schneider the LAST thing we need! : 10/9/2009

To ‘Alvin’ We “need” Schneider? What exactly does she have to offer that’s better than any other candidate? The only real support I’ve seen of Schneider has been from unions and city workers, which is the case because she keeps their wages unnaturally high. Whats needed about that? Who’s going to pay for it, me, with my tax dollars? Schneider is the last thing we need, why would we, as voting citizens, ‘hire’ a candidate to do public service that has no qualifications to do so. This is exemplified not only in her belief system but in her track record. From surplus to deficit while on city council? Ya, we sure need that alright…

Theodore

Trying to Impersonate Tevis as a Smear. : 10/9/2009

FYI, that Justin above is not Justin Tevis.

Alex Jones, Team Tevis

Texas or Santa Barbara : 10/9/2009

Lets remember that vanWolfswinkel is a native Santa Barbara person. Raised in all the public schools, he went to Texas to establish a large, productive company and is now giving back to the city that he loves and hopes to preserve for himself, his family, the community and generations to come. No more overdevelopment…..keep Santa Barbara beautiful!

Enough slander

Lets get real : 10/9/2009

Lets talk issues and not money. Who has some real answers for real problems in this city. All this animosity is ridiculous. What has been done by those who are in power now? Why do we still have such great problems….budget, homeless, crime, gangs etc. ? Maybe its time for a change.

HELENE , THE QUEEN : 10/9/2009

I’m sorry folks but Helene, the queen of spin, just can’t be trusted. She is a slippery snake if I ever saw one. Vote for Cushman or Francisco–just not for the queen of spin!

Bette

Peter Sperling is from Arizona—-so? : 10/10/2009

check out the donations from out of state marijuana legalization promoter Peter Sperling—-Helene is one of his darlings. He’s lived in SB a few years now. SO? he’s bankrolled Das a couple of times. Lindeman and Larimore-Hall, both students of the Karl Rove school of campaigning really need to be careful about the doors they are opening with their holier-than-though protestations. Man up, boys. Chickens are coming home to roost.

been there

Party Affiliation : 10/10/2009

Everyone, including multiple newspapers in town (mostly the Indy), needs to get the facts straight on party affiliation: Dem Candidates Pritchett McCammon White House Channing Decline to State John Thyne Michael Self Republican Bonnie Raisin Frank Hotchkiss Justin Tevis John Gibbs Unknown Anderson – Dem? Cruz – DTS or Dem?

Fact Checker

: 10/10/2009

I won’t vote for any candidate that is the beneficiary Wofswinkle’s of dirty attack smears. Santa Barbara doesn’t need to have elections likes this.

Freudian Type-O? : 10/12/2009

““We are all about bringing people together,” Nelson said of Cushman, the president of the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Cushman.” LOL!

mmsb

Election gets ugly : 10/12/2009

re: passing-by : 10/9/2009 Yesterday I got my “OfficialVoterGuide” The amount of money poured into our small city’s local elections and the amount of propaganda it produces not only produces misleading propaganda, it misplaces our democratic process. In the case of these elections, it has led to the misplacement of the ballots themselves. Voters should have gotten a notice that many ballots have been delayed due to having been smothered by political junk mail designed to look official and…like ballots! This is not unusual, when large amounts of non preferential mail like the political mail clog storage and malboxes, first class mail sometimes gets lost in the mess. This is especially true when the political season overlaps the Christmas catalog season, which it usually does. The solution would be to reform the rules so that political propaganda has to go out as first class (after all it really does not provide a public service…you don’t get objective information that way!), but that is a matter for the postal service and the federal government. Locally we should continue to increase the public forums and encourage and praise news media that covers the issues without bias. Voters can express their disapproval by voting for candidates that do not flood the porches with litter, the mailboxes with junk mail and the air waves with sound bytes. For more information contact: laneforsb@yahoo.com, andersonlane47@gmail.com or andersonlane47@yahoo.com R. Lane Anderson, Retired Letter Carrier, USPS, former President of National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 290 and candidate for Santa Barbara City Council www.Laneanderson.org

SlowLane

“Official Voter Guide” – NOT! : 10/12/2009

About that so-called “Official Non-Partisan Voter Guide”: The League of Women Voters did not authorize use of our name or logo on this unofficial, partisan campaign piece. The League NEVER EVER endorses or opposes candidates.

Linda Phillips, President, LWV Santa Barbara

Schneider=God Help us… : 10/12/2009

God help us if Schneider wins, I swear I’m packing my bags and giving up on this once prosperous city with destroyed potential. It is utter propoganda when the fire and police unions come out to endorse her. So what, are they trying to say that the other candidates are going to disband city services? No, its a way to make you, the common voter, FEEL good about her because of a flimsy endorsement. What does pandering to unions even mean? It means that people like me are working 48 hours a week, which a percentage of gets manifested into the tax dollars that I spend for city funds, are essentially giving away the fruit of my time and effort into incompitent hands, and essentially throwing it around to city workers with no regard of the market. She is a BLACK HOLE of finances, and a BLIND panderer to what she percieves are big enough unified groups to provide a base of voters. So, when you see a group of policemen smiling endorsing Schneider, realize that this means nothing other than it is a technique to manipulate your perception to beleiving that Schneider is the “good guy”, all as a cover up of her utter incompitence!!!!!!!

Miguel

2 way street : 10/13/2009

and then theres the ad on TV with the mysterious Texan walking around with a cowboy hat and a breifcase , now that’s not negative at all! This is weak and biased as usual Josh.

Try to keep it a little objective Josh : 10/13/2009

“the piece suggests Van Wolfswinkel is trying to stop local developers from building downtown in favor of suburban sprawl developments on open space.” No it doesn’t YOU are the one that suggested that – stop interjecting your opinions and subliminal suggestions in your NEWS reporting Josh. Wolfswinkel has no development interests in SB. When are you getting rid of this guy, Jeramy?

: 10/13/2009

Wofswinkel has been very open and above board about why he is interested in the outcome and Cheri Rae interviewed him on that very subject, and none of it has to do with development interests. Stop acting like there is something dark and insidious going on here. It’s just sour grapes for the Dems. Nobody is voting based on how much money is contributed to the campaigns.

Helene has “fought for balanced budgets,” : 10/13/2009

ha ha ha yes, Helene-speak. She’s always fighting for something, but never winning anything (or doing anything). How come the budget is such a mess?. With all of the council except Francisco on your side , why do you never win any of these things you fight for? I understand she also fought against gangs.

Nothing but the facts : 10/13/2009

Just give us the facts Josh, you are so obviously manipulative with your carefully chosen and placed quotes and interwoven personal conclusions. Or get an opinion column. Learn from your peers, Colby and Eric who know how to simply report news.

BOOT THEM ALL! : 10/13/2009

I say vote for any candidate that will get rid of the pesty homeless….go after the gangs….and end the pot smoking free-for-all! who cares how tall the buildings are?? and for god sakes…rbing back drive thru fast food joints and GIVE ME A DAMN WALMART!

WOWO MAN

have to check that Peter Sperling angle : 10/13/2009

If that’s true, that explains why Das is not manning up on the ordinance committee to crack down on dispensaries, while Francisco is. Josh Molina is not a professional journalist. The articles on the candidates he’s written leave little doubt about who he backs. So, infotainment and opinion as fact are all you can expect from him. Indy’s slightly worse, though. But this is pretty bad.

googling peter sperling

lindeman and channing : 10/14/2009

“Jeremy Lindaman, the political consultant and campaign manager for Schneider, White and House….” and channing- or why is he not claiming this campaign

whoever

Re: Whoever : 10/16/2009

Diane Channing hasn’t been attacked by that Wolf. The story wasn’t about her. Diane Channing IS the only City Council candidate to be supported by BOTH Police and Fire. As well as the Democratic Party AND Sierra Club.