On June 1, 22-year-old Brandon Alvarez of Anaheim was arrested for suspicion of DUI. However, the DUI charges are the least of his worries.
Police officials say he caused a minor traffic accident in Costa Mesa and fled the scene. While he was fleeing the first accident, he collided with another car which led to the death of a 23-year-old Irvine woman and the injury of her passenger.
If Alvarez had merely stopped after the initial accident, he may have still been arrested for suspicion of DUI. However, a skilled DUI defense attorney may have been able to have his charges reduced or even dropped depending on the details of the case. If he fled the scene of the accident in an attempt to elude police, he made the wrong choice. Though a criminal defense attorney will still be able to protect his rights and minimize the risk of the most severe penalties, Alvarez is now facing a much more serious situation.
Many people who are arrested feel like their situation is hopeless. Being taken into police custody can be intimidating and frightening. But with an experienced and aggressive defense attorney, the suspect's rights can be guaranteed, mistakes by the police can be identified and evidence can be called into question. Though the details of the Alvarez case are still forthcoming, if he fled out of fear for being arrested on suspicion of DUI, his fear may have been alleviated had he obtained a skilled defense attorney to protect his rights. Fleeing the scene of an accident, running from the police or trying to assert your own innocence are never good ideas. Instead, experienced criminal defense attorneys should be trusted to do what they do best.