NBC Sports Announcer Al Michaels Arrested for Suspicion of DUI in California
By Randy Collins May 07, 2013
Al Michaels, a well know sports announcer with NBC was arrested on April 19 on suspicion of drunk driving. The Santa Monica Police Department had set up a sobriety checkpoint in downtown Santa Monica. Around 9:30 p.m. the police officers manning the sobriety checkpoint noticed a car make an illegal U-turn. The officers followed the car and ordered the driver to pull over.
Criminal Charges Resulting from LA DUI Checkpoints
For quite some time, police departments throughout California and Los Angeles have used sobriety checkpoints as part of their overall DUI enforcement strategy. The primary objective of stopping drivers for a sobriety check is not to make arrests of drunken drivers, but to ensure public safety by deterring drunken individuals from driving in the first place.
The Los Angeles County officers suspected that Michaels was under the influence as they could smell alcohol as they went near him and his speech was slurred. They asked him to perform the field sobriety tests. Evidence gathered at the scene led them to take him to the police station. At the station, they asked him to undergo a breath analyzer test which he willingly accepted to do. The breath analyzer result showed his blood alcohol concentration as 0.08 percent. In California and across the United States, the legal blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 percent.
Michaels was arrested on suspicion of DUI and kept at the Santa Monica City Jail for about five hours. For a defendant, the criminal process usually begins at the time of arrest. An arrest indicates that the police have probable cause to believe that the person being arrested has committed a crime. Thus, the officer doesn't have to be certain that the suspect committed a crime in order to make an arrest. Probable cause usually means that the police officer believes that there is a "fair probability" that the suspect has engaged in criminal activity.
Michaels was subsequently released on his own recognizance. Depending upon the nature of the crime and the risk of flight, the suspect may either be detained without bail, detained pending the posting of a specific bail amount or released on his own recognizance, which means that the suspect simply promises to return to court for further proceedings in the case.
Legal Repercussions
Michaels' case will come up on June 26 at the Los Angeles Municipal Court when the charges are likely to be read out to him and he will be asked whether he pleads guilty or not guilty. If he does plead not guilty, the court may schedule the case for trial. If he pleads guilty, he will be sentenced. A first time DUI offense is a misdemeanor offense. Generally first time DUI offenders are not sent to jail but asked to pay a fine if convicted.
If you or someone you know has been arrested or charged for a DUI in LA, speaking with one of our experienced California DUI lawyers may be in your best interest. Call 949-250-6097 to take advantage of our free LA County DUI case evaluations for up to one hour.
Written by Randy Collins
