Downtown Fullerton, California, will be getting more of a police presence in an effort to combat drunk driving according to the Orange County Register. There will be more officers and operations placed in the area in order to check drivers for alcohol consumption.

The police department received two grants from the State Office of Traffic Safety. One grant was for $146,222 “for programs related to drunken-driving suppression” and a second of $50,000 to be used for sobriety checkpoints. The grant was set for sobriety check points by the state Office of Traffic Safety.

According to the O.C. Register the City Council initially declined the $50,000.00 but later the State Office of Traffic Safety indicated the city must take the $50,000.00 if it accepts the $146,222.00. With this grant there has been one check point so far and four more planned by the end of September. More officers were placed in the bar dense area of Fullerton to patrol for drunk drivers.

Criminal Law Updates by the Law Offices of Orange County Defense Attorney William W. Bruzzo (714) 547-4636.

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In en effort to combat delinquency Buena Park Police Department and other agencies conducted a curfew violation sweep. According to the Orange County Register officials arrested 10 minors, two suspected of possession of ecstasy pills, and one convicted of a sex offense. Along with the BPPD, counselors from Community Service Programs Inc. were involved to lend services. The minors were taken to the police station and their parents were called to come pick them up. Then officials from the Probation Department and District Attorney’s office spoke to the parents about the curfew laws. Curfew hours are from 10pm to 5am in Buena Park. See Penal Code Section 602, Health and Safety Code Section 11378.

In Garden Grove, Orange County, taggers will now be fined up to $1,000 for possession of graffiti instruments. The city will even make parents pay, if the tagger is a juvenile. The issuance of these citations will be starting March 1st. According to the Orange County Register, City Manager Matt Fertal said administrative fines are a “tried and tested tactic for Garden Grove.” In the recent past, citations for illegal fireworks proved to be very effective after a city ordinance was passed allowing law enforcement to issue administrative citations to those shooting off illegal fireworks. Fertal also notes that the fines are a quicker more efficient way to handle these less serious offenses. Money collected from these fines will help pay for wiping out all the graffiti that’s already been done. In other Orange County cities, taggers face criminal prosecution (and suspension of their license if convicted) in the court system rather than administrative fines, so Garden Grove taggers should count themselves lucky. (See also Penal Code Section 594, Vandalism and Penal Code Section 594.2, Possession of Vandalism Tools).

Huntington Beach bars and restaurants might have one more rule to adhere to: no Beer Pong allowed. According to the Orange County Register the city is considering banning the popular drinking game from being played at businesses with an alcohol license. The reason for the ban stems from a general attitude shared by council members and residents that it is necessary to control bad behavior by drunken customers of those very popular watering holes in Huntington Beach. Residents dislike discovering urine or vomit on their lawns; meanwhile the city has passed rules designed to “improve downtown’s image”. Those wanting to ban the game explain that a drinking game is not something a business establishment should promote since the city might be negatively affected. Yet the game is so popular there is a championship in Las Vegas and it has caused enough problems that Huntington Beach is not alone in having issues with the drinking game. In New Jersey one city has already passed a law prohibiting Beer Pong and there was a Time Magazine article on the subject of banning the ping pong based alcohol-drinking game. Some Beer Pong participates might find themselves charged with a violation of Penal Code Section 647(f) (Drunk and Disorderly). Commonly, police will stop individuals who appear drunk, usually while they are walking and conduct field sobriety tests at the scene. The tests determine whether they are a risk to themselves and/or others. If so, they can be arrested and face fines and fees as well as a maximum of 90 days in jail. A skillful attorney can get the court to allow first time offenders to take a class and get the case dismissed.