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No DUI charge for John Kerry’s daughter

23 11.09

Prosecutors say John Kerry’s eldest daughter won’t be charged with drunken driving in Los Angeles.

Police arrested Alexandra Kerry in Hollywood last week on suspicion that she was driving under the influence.

Los Angeles city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan says prosecutors declined to pursue a case due to insufficient evidence. He says they didn’t offer further details.

A spokeswoman for John Kerry said last week that the Massachusetts senator’s daughter was pulled over for an expired registration and released after a breathalyzer test showed her blood-alcohol level was under the legal limit.

Mateljan says Alexandra Kerry isn’t facing any other charges. The 36-year-old has produced documentaries and has had several small acting roles.

Source

Highway 152 crash turns fatal; driver charged with manslaughter, DUI

10 05.09

A driver who allegedly fled the scene of a two-car drunken-driving rollover crash on Highway 152 late last month was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter this week, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The charges against Jose Serano-Mendoza, 21, of Sepulveda in Los Angeles County, were ramped up after his seriously injured passenger died. Esteban Lazcano Billalva, 27, of Watsonville was taken off life support May 1, prosecutor Barbara Rizzieri said.

Serano-Mendoza pleaded innocent and will have a preliminary hearing June 15.

The California Highway Patrol reported that Mendoza was driving a black 1993 Honda Civic eastbound Highway 152 west of Casserly Road around 6 p.m. April 26. Serano-Mendoza’s car was behind a gray 2008 Ford Taurus, driven by Brandon Pallott, 33, of Morgan Hill. Pallot’s wife and two children were with him.

Serano-Mendoza crossed over the double-yellow line on a straight stretch of the highway in an attempt to pass Pallott, according to the CHP. When Serano-Mendoza swerved right in an attempt to merge back in front of Pallott, there wasn’t enough clearance and he clipped the front end of Pallot’s car, CHP officer Hugh Holden said.

Billalva was ejected from Serano-Mendoza’s car. He suffered major injuries and was flown to Regional Medical Center in San Jose, where he later died, according to the CHP.

Pallot’s children were transported to Watsonville Community Hospital as a precaution, Holden  said.

Serano-Mendoza and two other passengers in the car fled the scene but witnesses detained the driver nearby. Serano-Mendoza faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony drunken driving and felony hit and run, according to the CHP. He is free on bail, according to County Jail records.

Holden said the other two men eventually were located unhurt. Their names have not been released and no charges have been filed against them, but Holden said Friday that CHP officers continued to investigate the crash.

Source

Boston Guard Arrested for California DUI

03 03.09

After his arrest for DUI on Thursday, the Boston Celtics suspended guard Gabe Pruitt for two games.

His California DUI appears to be a misdemeanor.

Pruitt, a 22 year old almunus of USC basketball was stopped in his Mercedes shortly before 3am, after stopping at a green light.

Pruitt has already issued an apology, and publicly admitted that he exercised poor judgment. While a good public relations move, his statement all but ensures that the case will not go to trial.

Since he wasn’t arrested in Massachusetts for DUI he will need to hire a California DUI lawyer.

Khloe Kardashian’s California DUI Sentence

05 10.08

Khloe Kardashian has missed her deadline for completion of a drug and alcohol classes. A Los Angeles judge has ordered her to complete the program in the next six weeks.

Kardashian was sentenced to mandatory attendance in an alcohol awareness program after being convicted of driving under the influence in California last July.
Los Angelos
Kardashian told the court that she did not complete the course because of scheduling conflicts and the closure of the facility during the holidays. The judge has given her until November 17 to attend the missed lessons, and ordered her to spend one day working in the city morgue.

Kardashian, 24, was charged with DUI in LA in 2007 and spent 173 hours in a California jail as part of her sentencing.
Source