Over the past twenty-five years of defending DUI cases in the Los Angeles area, I have seen many developments in this area of law, for good and bad (of course, it all depends on your perspective). Prescription drugs/medications are beginning to play a more prominent role in DUI cases in courthouses across Los Angeles and California.
The number of arrests I see related to prescription medications has risen to a dramatic level, and people need to start becoming aware of the position they put themselves in when they get behind the wheel of a car with anything in their system that alters their ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.
This is a complex area, and if you have a DUI case pending related to this subject matter, you should come in for a consultation. We can discuss your specific circumstances and begin the process of devising solutions tailored to your situation. The goal is to leave my office with a personalized plan for how the case will be defended and what you can do to assist.
Suppose someone abuses prescription medications or takes medication they do not have a prescription for and is pulled over and arrested for a DUI. In that case, most people can see and understand the problem with this scenario.
However, when someone takes their prescribed medication in the right amount and is later arrested for a DUI, then it becomes less clear whether the DUI arrest is valid and the person can be successfully prosecuted.
The critical thing to remember in this area of law is that the police, prosecutors, and judges who dispense justice in this area of law are looking out for the community at large and will assess your actions based on a standard that protects that community and uses common sense to evaluate whether you did anything wrong.
Like most things in life, whether a person can be prosecuted for taking prescription medication and driving depends on several factors. The judge and prosecutor will consider, but are not limited to, what the warning label says on the subject medication, whether the medication was mixed with anything else (like other prescription medications or alcohol), and, most importantly, how the person was driving when they were pulled over.
Where are they swerving all over the road? Did they end up in an accident? Was their speech slurred when the officer talked to them? Where are they staggering when they exited their vehicle? Could they successfully pass the field sobriety tests given by the police?
Lawful Use of Prescription Medication
In my experience, the dividing line between when it is OK to drive with prescription medication in your system and when it is not related to reasonableness and common sense. Take a pill and later crash into the center divider on the freeway. You will have a tough road to convince anyone that the medication did not affect you and that you could safely operate a motor vehicle.
If, on the other hand, you take your medication and someone crashes into you, and it is clear that the accident was their fault, then your DUI defense attorney will have a strong argument that you did not do anything wrong or criminal. In such cases, we have successfully argued that the medication did not impair the client's ability to drive, and they were not at fault for the accident.
When we talk about reasonableness, we discuss what the average reasonable person would do under the circumstances. For example, it is not OK to take an Ambien before you get home so you can fall right to sleep when you get home.
This is an unreasonable risk to you and the other people on the road who might be affected if the Ambien kicks in before you arrive home. Hence, when I am in court arguing these cases to a judge or jury, they evaluate my arguments and the client's fate based on whether what they did was reasonable under the circumstances. Sometimes, it is not completely clear whether it was good or not. Of course, this is where a skilled DUI defense attorney comes in. A skilled attorney can navigate the complex, political, and complicated system, making the right moves for you and guiding you through the process.
In my opinion, your first move should be to set up a face-to-face consultation. This will allow us to clarify your situation, identify actions you can take to help yourself, and finally, devise a plan that is most beneficial for you and your future. Remember, you're not alone in this.
