Portland Criminal Defense Law Blog

Recently, the Oregon Department of Transportation has given local communities grant money to help crack down on people driving under the influence of intoxicants. According to police records, this grant money has helped police arrest 28 people for DUII so far this year. This is almost a 17 percent increase in DUII arrests as compared with 2012.

Another new DUII arrest has been made recently. In this case, a Portland man was arrested on Interstate 205 in West Linn after a car chase. According to police, they saw the man driving over 100 miles-per-hour. The police allege that a chase occurred where the man drove erratically between the other cars on the road.

When police are on patrol they are often looking for people who are violating traffic laws. These routine traffic stops can include speeding, running stop signs and other minor infractions. However, once a stop occurs, police can start to look for signs that other crimes are occurring. Police will observe the driver, any passengers and anything in the open to see if there is any evidence that another crime has occurred. In some cases, police may find evidence of drug use or possession. In these cases, drug charges are likely.

Two tourists were recently arrested on drug charges in Oregon following a traffic stop. According to police, the 27-year-old man and the 22-year-old woman were stopped for traffic violations near U.S. 97 in Klamath Falls. While it is unclear why the police officer decided to search the car, the officer claims to have found 71 pounds of marijuana in the car and other criminal evidence.

From time to time everyone suffers from a lapse in judgment. When these mistakes lead to criminal charges, they can have a long lasting effect on people's lives. For example, in Oregon even with misdemeanor charges people can be sentenced to over $6,000 in fines and spend up to a year in jail. With serious consequences like these, people should understand what they have been charged with and how to defend against the charges.

A former OSU football player is likely preparing to defend against misdemeanor theft charges after he pleaded not guilty to first-degree burglary, third-degree robbery, first-degree theft by receiving and second-degree theft.

While no one likes to be pulled over by the police, it happens to almost everyone at some point. When a person is pulled over for suspected drunk driving, the situation becomes even more serious. However, how people react to the police can make a difference in their case. If people cooperate with the police, police may try to take advantage of people and get more evidence then they legally should. On the other hand, if people resist the police they can end up with additional charges.

Take, for example, a recent Portland case. In this case a man was stopped by a police officer after running a red light. The police officer claims that he sideswiped a car as he pulled over and that he smelled of alcohol. After visiting the car once, the officer says that he returned to his car to call back up to perform a field sobriety test. When the officer returned to his patrol car, the man took off. According to witnesses, the man made it five blocks before crashing into another car. He was arrested a short time later.