It is no secret that Oklahoma cities have stepped up their efforts to curtail drunk driving in recent years. Part of this effort is setting up sobriety checkpoints. Tulsa in particular has really cracked down on drinking and driving, making news time and again for its highly effective sobriety checkpoint system. While it is clear that these checkpoints have helped police officials net a large amount of alleged drunk drivers, motorists should be advised to protect their rights at all times during these traffic stops.
For the Labor Day weekend, Tulsa officials conducted a four-hour long sobriety checkpoint. This latest checkpoint took place close to the University of Tulsa at 7th and Harvard. News reports indicate that police officers checked over 210 motor vehicles. The results of the checkpoint are as follows:
-- Officers issued 109 citations to motor vehicle operators
-- Officers made 12 arrests on drunk driving charges
-- Officers served 20 misdemeanor warrants
-- Officers made two felony warrant arrests, presumably for felony DUI
The report highlights one incident in which a woman was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI. Reportedly, she had children in the car at the time of the stop and was booked on several drug and alcohol-related charges.
Most Oklahoma residents applaud any effort to keep drunk drivers off of the state's roadways. However, it is important to ensure that no one's rights or freedoms were violated in the attempt. Those who believe they have been erroneously booked on drunk driving charges should not hesitate to take action. An experienced lawyer can tell you more.
Source: NewsOn6.com, "12 DUI Arrests Made In Tulsa Sobriety Checkpoint," Sep. 06, 2015
