 Active Alcohol Monitoring Drivers who are convicted of Electronic monitoring, also known as “house arrest,” involves having the California DUI offender wear an ankle or wrist bracelet that ‘electronically’ monitors the individual’s whereabouts. This option is generally offered as a condition of probation and allows those convicted of a California drunk driving offense to avoid jail by limiting when and where they can go. The device sends a signal to a computer either at the probation office or to a monitoring contractor. The signal indicates whether or not the California DUI offender is in compliance with the terms of the house arrest. California drunk driving offenders who are electronically monitored are generally allowed to continue to go to work, attend school, go grocery shopping, attend court-order alcohol programs, etc., typically during the day, with the requirement that they are at home during the evening when most drunk-driving arrests occur. Some electronic monitoring alternatives require that California DUI offenders respond to periodic phone calls in order to insure that they are in compliance with the house arrest. Other alternatives sometimes involve the use of global positioning systems (GPS) that monitor and record (via satellite) whether or not the individual stays within assigned areas. Courts do require that electronically monitored California DUI defendants adhere to specific rules that include being home by a certain time. If CA DUI defendants deviate from these specific restrictions, then it is a violation of the terms of their probation and most likely they will have to serve jail time. driving under the influence (DUI) may be able to avoid jail time with a sentencing alternative such as electronic monitoring. |
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The electronic monitoring alternative is probably one of the least restrictive for convicted California drunk-driving offenders. However, only certain drunk-driving offenders are eligible for this alternative. Skilled California DUI attorneys will review the various sentencing alternatives to determine which ones their clients are eligible for. |
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Alcohol Monitoring via GPS
California DUI Electronic Monitoring
Parents may want alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelets like Lindsay Lohan’s
Parents may want bracelet like LiLo’s
If an alcohol-monitoring bracelet can keep celebrities like Lindsay Lohan from drinking, some parents might wonder, “Can I get one for my teen?” For now, the ankle bracelets are only sold to law enforcement agencies, but concerned parents “might be a market down the road,” said Kathleen Brown, a spokeswoman for Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc., which makes the only alcohol ankle bracelet. One of its devices was slapped on Lohan’s ankle Monday by a judge angered because the actor didn’t show up for a hearing last week in Beverly Hills. The gadget uses the same technology as a Breathalyzer, but instead of checking the breath for alcohol, it samples skin perspiration. After alcohol is consumed, it enters the bloodstream and a small amount is expelled through the skin. The bracelet tests the skin every half-hour. If there’s alcohol, it causes a chemical reaction in the device’s fuel cell. The information is sent over phone lines to the company, which alerts officials if alcohol is detected at a blood-alcohol level of 0.02 or higher. The device — used in every state but Hawaii — costs about $1,500.
Wake up and drive, or let someone else
If your Memorial Day plans include a long car trip, check your tires, your gas — and your sleep deficit. In a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, 28 percent of American drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel, and 54 percent said they have driven while drowsy. “People don’t realize that ‘drowsy driving’ is a serious danger,” says David Cloud, head of the foundation. “They don’t know that it’s possible to fall into a 3- to 4-second microsleep without realizing it. Traveling at 65 mph, that’s enough time to travel the length of a football field basically unconscious.” Signs it’s time to get off the road or at least switch drivers include: problems focusing, blinking frequently, heavy eyelids; drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating, hitting rumble strips; missing exits or traffic signs. For more tips, go to www.DrowsyDriving.org.
Looking for a place to play outside
Health officials say one reason so many American kids are overweight is that few have a nearby place to play and exercise. Only about one in five homes have parks within a half-mile, and about the same number have a fitness or recreation center within that distance. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week also finds that fewer than one in five U.S. high school students get at least an hour of physical activity a day. Only about half of kids surveyed said it’s easy to get to playgrounds, jogging paths or other places to exercise. Many states, including Florida, don’t require physical education for all grades.
Times wires
Alcohol-monitoring devices are an effective tool, Harrisburg-area probation officials say
Twice each day, Margo Blystone of Harrisburg goes to a small device in her home, smiles for the camera and breathes into a Breathalyzer-like device which can detect if she has been drinking. Blystone was assigned to the program after violating parole for her second DUI offense, Blystone says the device is a key part of her efforts to stay sober. CHRISTINE BAKER, The Patriot-News
That new fashion accessory actress Lindsay Lohan has been sporting on her ankle is not widely used in the midstate. But officials in Cumberland County, where the SCRAM alcohol
-detection bracelet is in limited use, and in Dauphin County, where a different type of remote monitoring is used, agree such programs are a help to repeat offenders struggling to kick their booze habit.
“There is a lot of evidence to support the idea that extended (monitoring) helps reinforce sobriety over the long term,” said Paul Polinsky, who supervises Cumberland County’s currently limited monitoring program.
Polinsky uses the SCRAM bracelet to monitor repeat offenders who go through the county’s Treatment Court program. Most of those people have been arrested at least four times for DUI offenses. The program has been in place around 2 1/2 years and has yet to have a violator among the 20-25 people who have been fitted for the device.
Cumberland County hopes to build on that success when the Adult Probation department expands its monitoring to people with repeat DUI offenses, but not enough offenses to be placed in the Treatment Court program
The county plans to begin using the Sobrietor, which is similar to a Breathalyzer. That program will begin in July, probation department spokeswoman Kerry Houser said. If the device works as expected, it will be more widely used.
Houser said the Sobrietor will not replace the SCRAM bracelets for the most serious offenders. But because Sobrietor monitoring is less expensive, it offers the probation department an attractive alternative, especially for violators already wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet for home confinement.
Dauphin County does not use the bracelets. But county adult probation head Michael Potteiger said a Breathalyzer-like device known as Vicap has worked well for his department. People subjected to monitoring blow into a small box, which is equipped with a camera to confirm the identity of the person being tested. Results are transmitted to a monitoring center via the Internet.
At any given time, Dauphin County has 40 to 50 people being monitored, said Michael Potteiger, who heads the county’s Adult Probation department. Around 95 percent of those put into the program complete it without repeat violations.
“It’s not a cure all. It is one tool in the box,” said Kathleen Brown, spokeswoman for Alcohol Monitoring Systems, the company that makes the SCRAM bracelet.
“You still need other tools, like Alcoholics Anonymous and counseling,” said Margo Blystone, 55, of Harrisburg, a two-time DUI offender who is enrolled in Dauphin County’s program. “But I find it most effective for me. It keeps me from wanting to drink.”
Surprise! Lindsay Lohan’s Alcohol-Monitoring Bracelet Goes Off
“Lindsay Lohan’s mother has reportedly denied allegations her daughter was drinking over the weekend and claimed the SCRAM alcohol-monitoring device was set off after someone spilled a drink on the actress.
‘She was at the MTV Awards and somebody spilled a drink on her leg, which must have set off the SCRAM bracelet’ Dina told the New York Post’s Page Six. ‘She has done absolutely nothing wrong and shouldn’t have to wear the bracelet in the first place. She is doing absolutely fine.’
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, however, according to SCRAM expert AJ Gigler, the company’s national sales manager, a spilled drink registers a steep spike, allowing the company to distinguish it from when a device wearer drinks alcohol.” Read More
Lindsay Lohan surrounds herself with yes man and sycophants who cater to her every decadent desire.
Even the troubled starlet’s mother makes excuses for her daughters profligate ways. I have a bridge to sell anyone who believes Dina’s explanation that Lindsay’s SCRAM bracelet sounded when somebody spilled a drink on her leg. A couple of drops may have spilled on her leg, but I bet a couple of shots of Jack Daniels went down her throat.
The judge should have immediately jailed Lohan when her alcohol-monitoring device went off, but instead the bimbo celeb simply had to make a $200,000 bail payment. (Chump change for the pop tart.)
Lindsay Lohan needs a triple dose of tough love, but she’s not getting any from her mother, business associates or the wimpy judge in charge of her case.
It’s incumbent upon us to give the troubled actress some tough love, we should boycott all of her projects until she gives up the booze and the drugs.
Follow Robert Paul Reyes on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertpaulreyes
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
Ed Montgomery Urges the Family Court to Adopt Victim Notification GPS
San Bernardino County Superior Court candidate Ed Montgomery attended an in depth technical demonstration of new life saving victim notification GPS devices from Petra Fuhriman the co-owner of GPS Monitoring Solutions.
As an attorney committed to finding practical solutions to complex issues facing our courts Mr. Montgomery was impressed with the versatility and reliability of the GPS unit.
Victim notification GPS allows a potential victim of violence to be instantly notified when a person they have a restraining order against enters within the forbidden perimeter established by that order. When a potential threat enters the area a victim can use that warning to take evasive action and protect themselves. This technology prevents any chance meetings in public places in addition to locations outlined in a court order. Judges have the ability to independently verify the compliance to the restraining orders established in their court.
Mr. Montgomery also had the ability to see a personal demonstration of the Actsoft alcohol monitoring system by GPS Solutions. It is an impressive unit that far exceeds the ability of the current alcohol monitoring system. The technology of the Actsoft system allows for automatic readings every seven minutes with failsafe systems to rule out false readings. “Having used alcohol monitoring devices in the past, to prove or disprove alcohol consumption, this unit is truly the next generation of technogly that Family court needs to embrace.”
“This technology can and will save lives, and I want to do everything I can to bring it to the family court system in San Bernardino County” He adds that “I look forward to using another tool on the bench to protect the children of our community.” As for the budgetary aspect of implementing such technology he will personally work with the county and law enforcement to apply for grants as well as lobby local and state government to bring both a lifesaving and cost cutting tool to the family court. “Hard data from monitoring of both alcohol consumption and violation of protection orders can eliminate the need for many hearings. Freeing up valuable resources available to the court.” Ed encourages other family law attorneys to use both the GPS Monitoring and Actsoft as another tool in protecting our children and bring down the personal financial costs associated with family court.
Ed Montgomery is running for Superior Court Judge seat #29 in the June 8, 2010 election. He is the only judicial candidate to endorse this technology. Ed has extensive specialized training to work on the family law bench and has volunteered his time for the last ten years as a substitute judge on the family court bench. He is proud to be the first in his county to endorse this technology and is ready from day one to serve and begin saving lives with GPS in place.
DUI Offenders Prove Sobriety With Alcohol-Monitoring Ankle Bracelet
By Gerri L. Elder, TotalDUI.com
In Riverside County, Calif., DUI offenders are being given a chance to prove their sobriety through an ankle bracelet program. The country started the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAM) program last year and received press when comedian Andy Dick was fitted with one of the ankle bracelets last year. Dick showed off the device when he appeared on “The View.”
A San-Francisco-based company, Leaders in Community Services administers the program for the county. DUI offenders and others who are on probation wear the SCRAM ankle bracelet, which takes a blood alcohol content reading every half hour, based on the amount of alcohol in a person’s sweat. At least once every 24 hours, the data collected by the SCRAM device is uploaded for review by a case agent.
There are currently 55 people enrolled in the SCRAM program in Riverside County. Linda Connelly, president and CEO of Leaders in Community Services told The Press-Enterprise that approximately 40 percent of those enrolled have been charged with felony DUI.
Program participants must pay a fee for entry into the program. The fee is usually a minimum of $5 per day. Riverside County Superior Court presiding Judge Tom Cahraman says even the minimum fee, based on the participant’s ability to pay, may be too much. Because of the high compliance rate associated with the devices, County Supervisor Jeff Stone plans to seek funding for the SCRAM program for low-income people.
Dick received three years’ probation and was ordered to wear the SCRAM ankle bracelet for one year after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and drug possession. The charges against Dick were in connection with an incident that happened in July 2008 outside a restaurant in Murrieta, Calif. Police were called after an apparently extremely intoxicated Dick yanked down a 17-year-old girl’s tank top.
Several weeks ago, TMZ reported an arrest warrant was issued for Dick for violating the terms of his probation. Dick allegedly reported to his case agent that he had been at a comedy club, but drank only water when his ankle bracelet detected alcohol. The warrant was rescinded.
Connelly says that most people have no alcohol alerts from their SCRAM ankle bracelets. Dick reportedly claimed that someone had spilled alcohol on the floor at the club, and that was the reason for the false alarm on his ankle bracelet. Approximately 60 people participated in the SCRAM program in Riverside County in 2008 and 87 percent of those had no alcohol alerts. Those who had alerts were mostly the product of new users attempting to tamper with the device.
Last year the program had a 90 percent success rate, with the average participant wearing the device for 122 days.
Alcohol Monitoring Systems manufactures the SCRAM ankle bracelets and there are currently active programs in 46 states.
More information on California DUI.
Are they serious? Alcohol monitoring in the dark ages.
This can’t be real…can it?
What happens with a false/positive reading? I guess those probationers better watch what they eat etc.
With this type of dark age’s technology, we would have more man hours spent due to possible false readings.
For example:
I received a phone call from a lady who is being monitored by one of these types of devices.
She was really upset as she was facing her probation officer with a positive alcohol reading.
She stated that she had been sober for over 4 month, since being on probation.
With that knowledge, I asked her what she ate the day of the positive testing. After going through her entire day, she stated she ate
Sauerkraut for dinner, approx. an hour before having to blow into the machine.
Sauerkraut has high alcohol content due to the fermenting process. I prepared a statement on her behalf to her probation officer, hoping it would help her case.
The dinasaur technology these people are using can’t tell between true and false readings….it’s time to crawl out from under the rock and see the light.
Lake Elsinore Councilman Thomas Buckley pleads guilty to DUI
By SARAH BURGE
The Press-Enterprise
Lake Elsinore Councilman Thomas Buckley, who survived a recall election in February, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning through his attorney to misdemeanor DUI charges.
Buckley, 44, was not present for the resolution of the case at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley. His attorney, Richard T. Nixon, entered guilty pleas on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher.
Commissioner Bradley O. Snell sentenced Buckley to three years summary probation and six days in jail or a work-release program with credit for one day served. Buckley also must pay a fine and fees and enroll in a first-time drinking driver program. Nixon said Buckley already has enrolled.
“It was a standard resolution to a first-time DUI,” Nixon said. “He will do all the things that are expected of him in resolving the matter.”
Reached by phone Tuesday, Buckley again apologized for the incident.
“I made a mistake and I have taken responsibility for my actions,” he said.
Buckley said he anticipates serving his jail sentence by wearing a GPS-monitoring ankle bracelet while under house arrest.
Buckley was pulled over Nov. 6 by Lake Elsinore police near a DUI checkpoint because he had no front license plate on his vehicle, police said at the time. A breath test showed blood-alcohol levels of .13 and .12 percent, according to a declaration in support of an arrest warrant.
Buckley, a two-term councilman, is up for re-election in November. He said Tuesday that he will “most likely” run for re-election.
Reach Sarah Burge at 951-375-3736 or sburge@PE.com
Jayson Williams ordered to wear alcohol monitoring device
Disgraced NBA star Jayson Williams was formally charged with misdemeanor drunk driving this morning at Bellevue Hospital, still wearing the plastic neck brace that’s part of his treatment for a fractured vertebra and a bandage above his right eye.
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson set bail at $10,000 and ordered Williams wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet while awaiting the disposition of his charges, which carry a maximum jail term of one year.
Williams, who did not enter a plea and flanked by his wife, cut across four lanes of oncoming traffic along the FDR Drive before crashing his Mercedes into a tree, according to court papers.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/jayson_williams_cut_across_oncoming_r3hfYoTKxlFDoy3MvW5LfL#ixzz0df5nwk7P