losangelesdrunkdrivinglawyer: LAPD Changes DUI Checkpoint Rules For Impounded Vehicles

a.stbar.chicklet img {border:0;height:16px;width:16px;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:middle;}a.stbar.chicklet {height:16px;line-height:16px;} LAPD Changes DUI Checkpoint Rules For Impounded Vehicles - DUI Laws - The Los Angeles DUI Blog

LAPD Changes DUI Checkpoint Rules For Impounded Vehicles By Laura Fishman on March 16, 2011 9:00 AM | No TrackBacks

The Los Angeles Police Department regularly conducts DUI checkpoints, but the purpose of these checkpoints is not just to arrest people for driving under the influence; officers are also looking to arrest motorists who are driving without a valid license. Previous protocols called for LAPD officers to impound a vehicle whenever the driver did not have a valid license or was suspected of driving under the influence.

However, The Republic reports that the rules for vehicle impoundment are changing at DUI checkpoints due to concerns that undocumented immigrants were being wrongfully targeted in such operations. Under new the guidelines, Los Angeles police officers will attempt to contact the registered owner of a stopped vehicle if the owner of the vehicle is a licensed driver who can respond to the checkpoint within a reasonable period.

Even with the new guidelines, unlicensed drivers will still be cited and DUI suspects will still have their vehicles impounded. Once a vehicle is impounded, law enforcement agencies usually require that the vehicle remain locked up for a minimum of 30 days. Vehicle owners will then have to pay expensive fees to get their car released from the impound lot.

Some critics of the new policy say that the new guidelines threaten traffic safety and don’t do enough to discourage people from breaking the law. Yet immigration activists say that the old rules disproportionately targeted undocumented immigrants, who are not able to obtain licenses legally in most states. Perhaps the new DUI checkpoint rules will create more fairness on the roads.

Related Resources:

Find a Los Angeles DUI Attorney (FindLaw)Traffic Stops and Roadblocks (FindLaw)The Current State of DUI Checkpoints in California (FindLaw KnowledgeBase)

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Categories: DUI Laws Tags: driver's license checkpoints, DUI checkpoint, DUI checkpoint rules, impounded vehicles, LAPD, undocumented immigrants
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