As a follow up to one of the blogs last week, I’d like to update everyone on the Los Angeles County Deputy who crashed his motorcycle while riding with another. The accident caused injury, which is an aggravating factor in all DUI cases. When the circumstances permit, a prosecutor will increase the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony. If the aggravating factors of the DUI add up to a felony, the prosecutor has the ability to change the charge by the time you show up for your arraignment.
Here is the full text from the article at the Orange County Register.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty and was sentenced Thursday for a freeway drunken-driving motorcycle crash that injured him and his wife, prosecutors said.
In a plea negotiated with prosecutors, Richard J. Patterson, 38, of West Covina, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood alcohol 0.08 percent or more causing injury.
He was sentenced at the West Justice Center to 45 days in jail, three years of probation, nine months of a first offender alcohol program, and completion of a Mother’s Against Drunk Driving Victim’s Impact Panel, according to a District Attorney’s Office news release.
Two hours after the crash, Patterson had a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit, prosecutors said.
At the time of the July 5 crash, Patterson was off duty and driving his motorcycle with his wife on the back when he rear-ended another vehicle on the 405 freeway near Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley, prosecutors said.
Patterson was treated for injuries to his hip and his wife suffered a knee injury and abrasions to her arms and hand, the release said. The occupants of the other vehicle were not injured.
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