Citations Issued at DUI Checkpoint

DUI Checkpoint Violations

Although often only stopped for a minute or two, being stopped at a DUI checkpoint can be unnerving even when you are not impaired. The purpose of these checkpoints is to deter impaired driving and encourage safe travels. Checkpoints are often located in a high DUI traffic area with a more noticeable presence during holidays and increased traffic seasons such as spring break. Recently, a DUI checkpoint in Oceanside, California resulted in a dozen citations, making headlines.

It is essential to know that law enforcement will ask for your driver's license and registration during these random stops. During these stops, your vehicle is observed for any other violations, such as a headlight out. Unfortunately, all these violations result in citations and fines.

The police monitor and enforce DUI checkpoints, and they are not a violation of your rights.  Surprisingly, it is not a crime to turn around to avoid a DUI checkpoint. Police may not pull you over for this but be careful not to break the law in your effort to avoid them – this gives law enforcement immediate reason to pull you over.

If you face charges for a DUI checkpoint violation in North San Diego County, Joni Eisenstein is a defense attorney specializing in traffic infractions at the Vista Superior Courthouse and can help navigate your specific case.

Supervising officers must be at all checkpoints, ensuring that stops are unbiased and routine. This protocol is in place to provide randomness. It is not up to the officers who to stop and who to wave through. If they choose every third car, they must stop every third car. Checkpoints must also give drivers as much time as possible to slow down and stop without too much inconvenience. If you believe that the police violated any of these legal requirements for a checkpoint in your case or face DUI charges from the checkpoint stop, call the office of defense lawyer Joni Eisenstein immediately for a free consultation. A zealous and experienced defense attorney can make all the difference in getting on with your life.