Tony La Russa was arrested on May 22, 2008 for drunk driving. Police have said officers found La Russa asleep inside his SUV stopped at a traffic signal with the engine running. This DUI arrest occurred only 10 days before the baseball team he manages, the St. Louis Cardinals, began defending their World Series title.

Police disclosed that La Russa provided two breath samples, in accordance with the state's DUI law, indicating he had a blood alcohol level of 0.093 percent. The legal limit in Florida is .08%.

Undercover officers involved in investigating unrelated criminal activity saw La Russa's sports utility vehicle partially blocking an intersection at midnight. La Russa's SUV failed to clear the intersection despite two cycles of green lights, a spokesperson for police said. The undercover officers knocked on the car's window and La Russa did not respond.

Police also have claimed that the SUV was in drive and running, with La Russa's foot on the brake. When La Russa awoke, the police officers asked him to get out of the car. Police said that La Russa was cooperative during his arrest.

At the time of La Russa's arrest he was 62 years old. The arresting officers booked La Russa into the Palm Beach County jail on the misdemeanor charge about four hours later, according to jail records. La Russa was released about 8:30 a.m. after posting $500 cash bail a Palm Beach County sheriff's office spokesperson disclosed.

Please take some time to visit our websites:

San Francisco DUI Attorney
San Mateo DUI Lawyer
Marin County DUI Defense
Northern California DUI Defense Lawyers
San Francisco County DUI Defense Lawyers

Although DUI arrests were down throughout the state of California, the San Francisco Bay Area experienced an increase in drunk driving arrests over the number of arrests during the 2007 Memorial Day Holiday according to law enforcement officials.

Santa Clara County law enforcement agencies also noted an increase in drunk driving arrests over the 2007 Memorial Day Holiday. California Highway Patrol officials believe one of the reasons a larger number of DUI arrests occurred was that law enforcement officers were able to commit greater resources to DUI investigation and enforcement.

The increased presence of law enforcement patrol in the Bay Area resulted in more DUI arrests in the first three days of the Memorial Day holiday weekend than for the entire holiday arrest total for 2006.

Please take some time to visit our websites:

San Francisco DUI Attorney
San Mateo DUI Lawyer
Marin County DUI Defense
Northern California DUI Defense Lawyers
San Francisco County DUI Defense Lawyers

According to the California Highway Patrol, fewer driving under the influence arrests were made this past Memorial Day weekend than in recent years. The CHP congratulated the public on a safer Memorial Day holiday.

CHP Officer Mike Davis reports that across the state this Memorial holiday, 1,301 drivers were arrested for drunk driving, compared to 1,449 last year. These numbers were based on reports of DUI arrests between 6:00pm on Friday May 23, 2008 and 6:00am on Monday May 26, 2008.

In the Bay Area, however, total drunk driving arrests reported in 12 Bay Area CHP offices rose from 171 last year to 209 this year.

Also this Memorial Day weekend in the Bay Area, two fatal collisions occurred on the evening of Saturday May 24, 2008, the same number of fatal collision as took place during Memorial Day weekend last year. One accident, involving a motorcyclist, occurred in Oakland; the other took place in Dublin. Law enforcement found no evidence of alcohol in either of these accidents.

Please take some time to visit our websites:

San Francisco DUI Attorney
San Mateo DUI Lawyer
Marin County DUI Defense
Northern California DUI Defense Lawyers
San Francisco County DUI Defense Lawyers