Two drivers were arrested recently in the area of Bend, Oregon, as a result of two separate crashes that police said were the result of drinking and driving. Although the accidents happened in the same week and relatively the same area, the outcomes of the drivers' criminal cases are likely to be radically different.
Should drug users who report overdoses be immune to charges?
Although Oregon's medical marijuana laws leave some with the impression that the state is lax when it comes to drug law enforcement, people suspected of using, possessing or distributing illegal drugs are subject to heavy fines and significant jail time. As the laws stand, there are few exceptions made for people caught with these substances. But Oregon and other states are being pushed to consider adopting laws that offer immunity in cases where a person's health and safety are at risk.
Driver cited for DUII in crash that killed Oregon highway worker
It probably goes without saying that driving while intoxicated presents a serious danger to other people on the road. And when drivers take risks that directly affect other people, they affect their own future, as well. Aside from all of the personal ramifications of hurting or killing someone else, people who cause death or great bodily injury while driving drunk face much higher criminal penalties than those who are simply pulled over for driving erratically. They also may be ruled ineligible for diversion programs that allow them to keep a drunk-driving conviction off their criminal records.
Man found not guilty of violation for naked protest at PDX
A man who turned heads around the world for stripping naked during an airport security screening has been found not guilty of indecent exposure in a Multnomah County, Oregon, court. Originally charging him with a misdemeanor, prosecutors eventually stripped down the offense to a violation, essentially the equivalent of a traffic ticket, after the man refused to plead guilty and instead demanded a jury trial.
Oregon Measure 11 suspect out on bail faces work restrictions
You don't have to be an attorney to know that in Oregon and everywhere else in the nation, criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. But that doesn't mean that if you're charged with a crime, you won't face certain restrictions before you go to trial. You also may face premature conviction in the court of public opinion, which doesn't always play by the same rules.
Both drivers cited for DUII in Portland head-on collision
We've all heard the expression "two wrongs don't make a right." Nor do two people accused of driving drunk before a head-on collision cancel out each other's criminal charges. Instead, that scenario can make prosecution more complicated.
Man convicted, sentenced for Portland-area DUII crash
Most people who make the choice to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs are primarily concerned about getting where they need to go next. If they have any concerns about their level of intoxication, they usually have to do with being pulled over by a police officer and arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants. It's less common for a driver who's been drinking to worry about causing harm to another driver or winding up in the hospital. But these are fairly regular consequences of drinking and driving as well.
Reduced sentences for drug, DUII convictions come with conditions
Very often in cases involving drunk-driving or drug charges, defendants are able to avoid the full weight of a conviction and its maximum penalties by agreeing to participate in a diversion program. Oregon's diversion programs, which may require substance abuse treatment, attendance of a victims impact panel and community service, are designed to prevent defendants from committing the same crime again. In exchange for successful completion of the program, a defendant's conviction will be dismissed.