3 Drivers Arrested at Thousand Oaks DUI Checkpoint

On Saturday, May 25th and Sunday, May 26th, local authorities set up a sobriety checkpoint in Thousand Oaks which subsequently led to three DUI arrests.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies set up a sobriety checkpoint on westbound Hillcrest Drive west of Lynn Road, according to authorities. The deputies conducted the checkpoint from 9 p.m. on Saturday to 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.

During this checkpoint, sheriff’s deputies contact 349 drivers and conducted eight DUI investigations. Of those eight investigations, three of the drivers were arrested. One person was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license for a prior DUI conviction and two were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Of the 31 citations given, 25 of them were for driving without a license. Deputies also said that six vehicles were towed away during the checkpoint.

The sobriety checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Sobriety checkpoints involve law enforcement officials who stop vehicles on a public roadway for the purpose of investigating the possibility that a person is driving under the influence of alcohol. Sobriety checkpoints are often set up in the late evenings or in the early morning hours and on weekends, at a time when people are more inclined to be drinking and driving.

Sobriety checkpoints often times catch more than just drunk drivers, they often catch drivers who are driving on a suspended or revoked license and they catch vehicles with expired registration and other violations.

Sobriety checkpoints cannot be simply set up whenever a police officer so chooses. In general, the decision to set up a sobriety checkpoint must be made on a supervisory level, a formula must be selected for stopping vehicles such as every third vehicle, the site should be selected based on areas having a high incidence of drunk driving, warning lights and signs must be clearly visible, and advance public notice is necessary.

If you have been arrested for DUI at a sobriety checkpoint or anywhere else, it’s important to ensure that your legal rights against unlawful searches and seizure were not violated. To discuss your DUI charges and your possible defenses, contact a Ventura County DUI attorney from Ridley Defense today!