Around 2 a.m. this morning, off-duty Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy Mario Manual Castro was arrested for driving under the influence. Castro was driving to Orange from a bar in Costa Mesa and was pulled over by officers after driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. Castro had a blood alcohol level of .24 percent blood alcohol concentration. He was charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence with a prior offense, one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or more with a prior offense, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for having a blood-alcohol level more than .15 percent. If Castro is convicted of all of these charges, he faces a year in prison or jail.

In California, it is illegal to drive under the influence (DUI) of drugs and alcohol. It is a separate crime to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher. Once you are stopped by officers, they will often administer a Preliminary Alcohol Screening to measure your blood alcohol concentration. This screening test often yields incorrect results, which is a common defense to DUI charges. If you are convicted of driving under the influence, you face jail/prison time, fines, probation, and getting your driver’s license suspended. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs also puts you at risk of hurting or killing yourself or others. Therefore, if you are charged with driving under the influence, please contact an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.