Because Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and the final three-day weekend of the season, it’s a popular day to hold parties, barbeques and other get-togethers. Labor Day festivities often involve drinking alcohol, which law enforcement in San Diego knows all too well. Which is why sheriff’s deputies, CHP officers and local police will be out in force to arrest as many motorists on DUI charges as they can.
If last year is anything to go on, hundreds of Californians will be facing possible drinking and driving or impaired driving charges by Sept. 5. In 2022, CHP reported making 607 DUI and impaired driving arrests during its Labor Day special enforcement period, which is called “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over.” It always runs from the evening of the Friday before the holiday and ends at midnight on Monday. That was actually a light year for CHP; in 2021, CHP officers compiled 985 arrests over the Labor Day weekend.
A DUI arrest does not automatically mean a conviction
Of course, arrests and convictions are not the same thing. This data comes from a news article published in September 2022. So we don’t know how many of those 607 DUI and drugged driving suspects were actually convicted or pleaded guilty to anything. It’s possible that several of the charges later got dismissed or reduced to lower-level crimes like reckless driving. It’s also possible that in their eagerness to pile up the arrests, law enforcement violated some drivers’ rights.
Talk to a lawyer before deciding what to do
If you get arrested on suspicion of drunk or drugged driving over Labor Day, don’t automatically assume that pleading guilty is your only option. Speak with a defense attorney first. They might notice a weakness in the prosecution’s case that can be used in your favor. And having a lawyer represent you is almost always a good idea in any criminal proceedings.
