On Monday, numerous law enforcement agencies conducted a DUI court sting operation at the Walnut Creek Superior Court on Ygnacio Valley Road in the City of Walnut Creek.
The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office sent out the following information to Claycord:
The agencies included the Office of the Sheriff, County Probation Department and police departments from Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Pleasant Hill and Danville.
Nearly all of the 97 defendants who appeared for DUI arraignment had suspended licenses and were told specifically by a judge not to drive. Most didn’t but some did so anyway. The operation used a number of undercover officers who observed the defendants drive off in a vehicle. The information was relayed to motorcycle officers who stopped the cars and arrested the suspects.
A total of 12 were arrested during yesterday’s operation. Four were remanded by a judge while the rest were stopped when they drove off in a vehicle. They were brought back to court to face the same judge. This time however, the defendants were all taken into custody.
Their probation was revoked and they were not eligible for bail or cite/release. Their vehicles were also impounded. “They should have had someone drive them to court or taken public transportation,” said Sgt. Don Tetzloff of the Walnut Creek Police Department.
“If someone is unlicensed or has a suspended license, they should not be driving. We want to send a strong message that law enforcement is watching and similar operations are planned.” Funding for the Avoid program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
{ 46 comments }
Oh great… more dirty DUIs. Has anyone in this county heard of ‘entrapment’?
Hahahahahahaha. This one gave me a laugh. That’s pretty awesome! Sadly, until we actually instate a real punishment for DUI’s, people are still going to risk my life and others without thought. Oh well.
It just blows my mind that these stings still work. I would have someone drive me there.
I would probably still drive though, just not from the courthouse.
I’m not into putting poison in my body – there’s enough stuff to deal with to stay healthy, so the whole DUI thing would never happen to me.
This is AWESOME! Way to go CC Sheriff and WCPD and all of the other agencies. I know a couple young people who have licenses that are suspended, yet they continue to drive – with no fear of getting caught…… people like that deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law! Losers…..
Yeah!!! Glad to see the DUI industry is alive and well! Go get ‘em!
The stupidity of people never fails to amaze me
For first offenders the suspension lasts a month. After that there’s a 6 month restricted license that restricts driving to work or to perform duties for the court. My guess the number of people driving illegally on restricted licenses is worse.
Oh, I can’t wait to tell my wife about this…She hates people who drive on a suspended/revoke licenses, and she really hates when people drive in an UNREGISTERED vehicle. That one really bugs the crap out of her. See the difference here between Walnut Creek and Concord. Concord cracks down on cigarette smoke and WC goes after DUI offenders!!! And people wonder why WC seems to have its shit together and Concord doesn’t.
12 out of 97 defendants arrested? That is great!
Compare this with the DUI checkpoints where 700 or 800 INNOCENT people are stopped and inconvenienced so they can catch 3 or 4 drunk drivers?
Which is a better use of resources? Which strategy is more likely to bust people who shouldn’t be driving and inconvenience fewer innocent people?
@ Rusty T….How is this entrapment? They “were told specifically by a judge not to drive.” First they made a decision to drive drunk, and then they made a decision to disregard the judges sentence and blatant warning. We need to hold people accountable for their actions a lot more than we do now, and not make excuses for them such as “Dirty DUI” or “entrapment”. Guess what? If you follow the rules you don’t have to worry about these things. Just imagine if people did that!
Actually Anon2you, Concord has it’s shit to gather………….
at Todo Santos Park
Yeah….it’s entrapment when the judge just specifically warned them not to drive! Do you even know the meaning of entrapment?
@Rusty
I love it when people claim “that’s entrapment!” Here’s the definition of entrapment:
“in criminal law, the act of law enforcement officers or government agents inducing or encouraging a person to commit a crime when the potential criminal expresses a desire not to go ahead. The key to entrapment is whether the idea for the commission or encouragement of the criminal act originated with the police or government agents instead of with the “criminal.”
So Rusty, unless these undercover officers were walking these asshats to their cars and telling them to drive away in spite of the objections by the drivers, there is no entrapment. Thanks for playing.
Hey RUSTY T,
That seems such a waste of manpower for law enforcement for just a few unlucky fools. Instead, why not pull over the hundreds of drivers I see every day with a phone to their ears!!! Easy and plentiful money to be made there I would think?
Nail those a**wholes!
Wow, I knew someone would claim “entrapment” but I didnt think it would be the first idiot to post. Instead of me explaining how it isnt entrapment, I would love to hear from someone on how it is entrapment. I can’t wait to see the creative “blame someone else” wheels turn.
@Anon2you, Concord regularly has DUI check points, so your point about Concord not cracking down on DUI offenders really doesn’t carry water. Additionally, patrol officers stop people regularly if they suspect that they are driving while impaired. It remains to be seen how aggressively Concord officers will crack down on smokers.
@palermo #6, I agree!
“My guess the number of people driving illegally on restricted licenses is worse”
You are right..this is like shooting fish in a barrell
These people are the worst of the worst. Their cars need to be crushed and sent to Korea, with them in the cars.
I see how it’s a violation of law but that’s just a dirty move. They could have just not showed up to court.
From the Concord DUI stats, it appears that 3-5% of drivers in Concord are driving on suspended licenses or no license at all. Look around you, 1 out of 20 or so drivers should not be on the road.
You can get a lot more than 12 at MDUSD high schools. Students drive everyday with suspended or no license at all.
You should see the process that goes into this! My son had a ticket for alcohol possession as a minor, so I have seen the process. The judge specifically tells you not to drive home when you talk to him individually. Then you go to a person next to the judge and they tell you also. If you have your license with you, they take it. Then, they send you to the clerk and they tell you again and ask if you have any questions. On top of all of this, the paperwork is stamped in front of you stating that you may not drive. If they still drive away from court, they deserve to be arrested!
By the way, I now know that if you are under 21 and you are in possession of alcohol, they take away your license for a year. Even if you were not drinking it. Even if you were in a private residence. Even if you don’t have your license yet. Even if you did not drive or have any intention of driving, or even have a vehicle with you to drive. Hopefully this saves some hassle for others out there, as I did not realize that possession of alcohol was correlated with driving priveleges when you aren’t driving during the infraction.
@hmm… #19
there would have been a very good chance that if they did NOT show up to court, that the judge would have issued a warrant for their arrest, and depending on the severity of their DUI case, it could be a no cite/release warrant.
IF the defendants were told specifically NOT TO DRIVE, and then those same defendants were observed DRIVING…. then it would be justifiable for them to be pulled over/arrested. That would be a direct violation of a court order.
Kudos to WCPD for the sting.
I like anon post 21 suggestion that PD go to the local high schools and start checking regs and licenses. And while we are at it let’s start enforcing the law and citing and towing all illegal/unregistered cars in Claycord.
Talk about a target rich environment. We could pay for 10 officers salaries on fines and fees if we just enforced the basic vehicle code.
Let’s give the towing company some business and clean up the streets.
I am “VERY” glad to see this happen. I wish there would be more of the same thing in other counties!
These people (And I use the term loosely!) Think the law does not apply to them!
I think I will go donate to the Walnut Creek Police Department so maybe they can do this again!
GREAT JOB!
Now if we can only make it so the “LOOSER’S” do not just sit on there asses in jail and waste tax payer money!
Hey WALNUT CREEK PD WE SUPPORT YOU 10000000000000000000000 % Maybe I could show my appreciation by washing your cars or buying you people lunch. Let us know what we can do to make your job easier!
YOU PEOPLE ARE AWESOME!
Yay, job well done.
Thats messed up! all they were doing was trying to go to court; to get their life back on track and “johnny law” has to screw you over again. You people supporting this operation are a bunch of wet blanket hippies!
Us pros know that you have to park at least a mile away so you’re not observed driving off!
unless DUI related or reckless or bad driving people should have the secured rights of a drivers license,this is 2011 not 1886 people need their cars for transportation.period.–unless they are a danger to other on the road,simple.
“johnny law” has to screw you over again”
Sure– the cops made you drive there & drive home–get real
these guys susally do not have insurance & are on probation, etc.
you play..you pay
good use of our tax dollars
If you’re going to be stupied enough to drive, then at least be smart enough to park down the street from the court house.
I would have shown up on my motorized scooter
the type that you don’t need a license to drive.
I think the Police resources would be better used if they were OUT catching RED Light runners.
This reminds me of an incident back in the 80′s when a couple of jerks started a fistfight in the bar I was working at. Everyone pulled the two apart & when the cops showed up nobody wanted to fess up or press charges, so the cops just told the two trouble makers to leave. As soon as they got into their cars & started to pull out, the cops stopped them & arrested both for DUI. We laughed out loud.
Beautiful!
If this happened in Richmond the lib’s would be claiming they were targeting the illegals. They broke the law they should be arrested. I am sure the judge did not say you can drive just this one time to get home.
#31 Stupied is as Stupied does.
If you don’t like the cops and don’t believe in the importance of law enforcement for public safety, then I suggest that you all move to somewhere else, where you won’t have to be subjected to the law. A nice country like Iran would do. See Ya!
Cool! now do this at the County Welfare Office. That would be interesting. It amazes me there is not a checks and balance system.
There is no excuse for DUI or driving without a license. The frustrating thing is that the courts and DUI class locations are not on convenient bus lines, so it’s either drive illegally or pay for a cab, which is not cheap, especially after you’ve paid the court fines, the attorney’s fee, the DUI school costs, the increased $ in insurance, the money to get your car out of impound…the list goes on. It’s no wonder that people drive without a license…they’re broke! They have no alternative.
I am against the drunk driving checkpoints but I am 100% OK with this.
We do need to keep in mind though that if we beat people down too much (even if they deserve it) you create toxic people. These people can become much worse than just drunk drivers.
Keep this in mind.
the saddest part of all is that these people know better. they are adults. i bet you at least 1-2 of them have kids. if you cant act correctly as an adult, you dont get to bitch about children not acting correctly.
I am pretty sure the Concord PD can’t pull a sting like this because the courthouse is in WALNUT CREEK!
Second, Retired cop, don’t you watch Mythbusters? It is not as easy as you might think to shoot fish in a barrel!
Several years ago I received a seat belt ticket near Todos Santos. I had to attend the court house on Willow Pass and that same day there was a sting set up to catch people driving away after having their license suspended. So yes, CPD has done this before.
Attention #42.
There is, for your information, a court in Concord. Concord PD and CHP did this kind of operation in the early 90′s and it worked well. I was there.
“Second, Retired cop, don’t you watch Mythbusters? It is not as easy as you might think to shoot fish in a barrel!”
I missed that one – LOVE the show
But — in the real world when it comes to folks with no license, cell phone violators, expired registration & the like — way too easy to catch them..it was like butter (insert New York voice)
If you drink and drive, or drive without a license, you are rolling the dice. Chances are you will get caught sooner or later. Hopefully, you don’t hurt someone else when you are doing these activities because chances are you are NOT covered by insurance if you do not have a license or are DUI.
PLEASE be considerate of others, not everyone has uninsured motorist insurance, but I do HIGHLY recommend it. It saved me about $10,000 after a “hit and run” (I was parked) several years ago.
I have no problem with a sting and I have no problem with someone arresting someone who is drunk behind wheel because someone else called it in.
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