Prosecutors Jackie Lacey and Mike Feurer recommend having fun without risking the lives of others.
Driving under a toxic influence can cause accidents and injuries. / photo: file
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Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and local authorities asked people not to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs (DUI).
“We meet every year on this holiday date with a clear message; If you plan to drink and drive, don't do it! ”Said prosecutor Feuer. "Prosecutor Lacey and I will prosecute them."
Prosecutor Lacey said it is not worth endangering one's life as driving under the influence can cause them to end up in jail or worse even if they hurt or kill another person.
Feuer said that in this year alone the city of Los Angeles had approximately 7,000 cases to prosecute for driving under the influence of some substance, be it alcohol or drugs.
"The DUI for drugs has increased by 66% in the last two years," Feuer added.
In 2017, 433 cases of DUI were presented for drugs at 720 this year in the city of Los Angeles.
Lacey agreed with Feuer's information and said that in Los Angeles County since cannabis became legal, the number of cases to prosecute has quadrupled.
"Of 285 that were reported in 2017 to over a thousand by September 1, 2019," said the prosecutor. "These are nonsense crimes that destroy the lives of everyone involved and are easy to prevent."
In anticipation of the increase in these cases, Lacey established the DUI Training and Prosecution Section in January 2017; The objective is to address this emerging area of criminal law related to cannabis.
Thanks to a $ 1.3 million grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, his office continues to improve training and increase the number of certified drug recognition experts in the County of the Angels.
Meanwhile, the Feuer office received a grant of $ 724,966 from the California Office of Traffic Safety to expand a vertical prosecution team focused on people who drive with problems and advance traffic safety.
The scooters or devil's skates also present danger
For many the scooters They have become a means of vital transportation and within reach of almost anywhere they are. However, authorities said that people who are seen driving a motorized scooter and are under the influence of alcohol or drugs will also be treated the same as if they were driving.
"He will be arrested and charged for operating a motor vehicle under the influence," prosecutor Lacey said.
Feuer stressed that this year his office has already presented 11 cases of people under the influence of some substance driving scooters
“When handling the scooter Drunk, it also endangers the lives of others, ”said the prosecutor.
"We need the help of family, friends and other people who, hopefully, can avoid a possible fatal outcome when they notice that someone may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs," Lacey added.
