Ryan Willis Jones, 30, was headed eastbound in the tunnel just west of Treasure Island around 5 a.m. when he was knocked off his 2004 Harley-Davidson, the CHP said.

Jones was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital and died from his injuries less than one hour later, according to the San Francisco medical examiner.

Daniel Olivera, 31, of Oakland, was the driver of the 1998 Saab that struck Jones’ motorcycle, the CHP said. He was allegedly intoxicated and speeding when he made an “unsafe” lane change, causing the collision, the investigating officer said.

A good DUI lawyer can identify strategies for getting you acquitted or getting your sentence reduced. For instance, an experienced DUI lawyer may call field sobriety tests or chemical tests into question, as both can be unreliable indicators of a person’s state of sobriety. Or, if you are being charged with a first offense DUI, even if you are found guilty, a good DUI lawyer can help the judge and jury see that it was completely out of character for you, and that you are willing to pay society for your punishment via community service or treatment in a rehab facility. This will most likely help reduce the punishment set by the judge.

When you are pulled over for a DUI, the police officers are usually looking for such signs as erratic driving, crossing the center line, weaving, and unusually wide turning radiuses. After stopping the car, they look for additional evidence of intoxication, such as a flushed face, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, instability, disorientation, or an inappropriate attitude (such as being unusually happy, or being argumentative). You may be asked to participate in coordination tests (for example, the “horizontal gaze nystagmus test” where an officer asks you to follow a penlight with your eyes.

Ostensibly, intoxication can be determined by the point at which the eye begins to jerk, but this test can be called into question by an experienced DUI lawyer. It is recommended that, for a first offense, you should not agree to any such hand/eye coordination tests. Do, however, agree to chemical tests (blood, breath, and urine) if it is your first offense. Also, under California law you may choose which type of chemical test to undergo. Blood tests are the most accurate, followed by breath tests, followed by urine tests.

A DUI lawyer is aware of the legal BAC levels, and can help guide a client based on prior history concerning DUIs and their BAC level. If a client is under the legal drinking age, it is important to handle the case with care because there is a “zero tolerance” rule in California stating that with a BAC of even .01 percent, and under-aged drinker can be charged with a DUI. With drinking and driving is not by any means condoned, it is important to get the best legal advice possible if you are looking to get a minimal penalty.

A fine is just the start of what you’ll pay for a drunken-driving conviction. Insurance-rate increases, legal bills, alcohol treatment and licensing fees can push the cost into five figures.

The penalties are intended to be discouraging. Alcohol played a role in nearly 40% of U.S. automobile fatalities in 2005. That’s 16,885 deaths, a figure nearly unchanged over the past decade, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But states are cracking down. The last of the 50 states have lowered their thresholds for DUI to 0.08% blood-alcohol content. Police arrested 1.37 million people last year for driving under alcohol’s grip, about one in every 140 licensed drivers, the FBI says.

But forget the humiliation and hassle for now. Forget the toll on lives. Just look at what a DUI does to your wallet:

Bail. You’ll have to shell out bail to get released after your arrest. Cost: $150-$2,500.

(Costs shown in this article are for first-time DUI offenders. Costs and penalties are often more severe if you’re a repeat offender or your blood-alcohol content is above 0.15%.)

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/DUIThe$10000RideHome.aspx

Instead, San Francisco police officer Christopher Damonte, who weighed about 250 pounds, arrested her for jaywalking, twisted her arm behind her back and broke it with an audible crack.

Although Damonte and the city denied wrongdoing, the city recently mailed Medora a check for $235,000, the largest amount ever to settle a lawsuit claiming San Francisco police used excessive force not involving a weapon.

The Office of Citizen Complaints, meanwhile, has found that Damonte used excessive force in the incident and that another officer failed to investigate Medora’s complaint. Damonte faces a disciplinary hearing at the Police Commission and potential punishment including dismissal. (more…)

The checkpoint was set up on westbound Bernal Avenue at Pleasanton Avenue from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., police said.

Livermore and Dublin police, the California Highway Patrol and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office aided in the effort, screening 1134 vehicles.

A total of 15 vehicles were impounded for either driving under the influence or driving as an unlicensed or suspended driver, police said. Four drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and 14 drivers were given citations for driver’s license violations, according to police.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving handed out information to drivers who were stopped at the checkpoint, which was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Safety Administration, according to police.