45 Drivers Arrested over Labor Day Weekend in Sonoma County

The Avoid the 13 - Sonoma County DUI Task Force announced the final results of the 18 day anti-DUI campaign that began Friday, Aug. 17 and continued through  Monday night at midnight.

Sonoma County law enforcement officers arrested a total of 169 DUI drivers, 35 DUI warrant suspects, and 5 DUI probationers during the campaign bringing the total number of arrests to 209.

This past Labor Day Holiday weekend was busy with a total of 45 drivers being arrested for DUI between Friday and midnight Monday night.

Four of the DUI arrests resulted from three checkpoints; one in Santa Rosa and two in Cotati. The remaining 41 DUI arrests were made by Sonoma County law enforcement officers out on patrol this holiday weekend trying to keep the roads safe for everyone.

During the campaign, known as the Summer Mobilization Period, a total of 10 injury DUI collisions occurred injuring 16 people. No fatal DUI collisions occurred during the campaign. The two weeks leading up to Labor Day are statistically high for alcohol involved fatal and injury collisions.

The DUI Task Force continues its efforts to arrest DUI warrant suspects who failed to appear in court or who violated the terms of their DUI probation. During the campaign officers attempted to serve 140 DUI warrants resulting in 35 arrests. Anyone with an outstanding DUI warrant is advised to self surrender at the courthouse before the DUI Task Force arrives at their front door or place of employment.

If you have an outstanding warrant, you must appear in person at 8:00 AM at the Criminal Division Court Clerk’s Office to request that your matter be placed on calendar. The Clerk’s Office is located on the first floor of the Hall of Justice, 600 Administration Drive, Room #105, Santa Rosa, CA. Clear warrant calendars are heard Monday through Friday.

Your case will be placed on calendar the same day after 8:30 AM. The decision to recall the warrant is entirely up to the judge. If you were released from jail on a bail bond and the bond has been forfeited, you must bring a Letter of Reassumption of Liability from the bonding agency. Your matter will not be placed on the clear warrant calendar without the letter.

The Anti-DUI Campaigns are working. During the last four years there have been no fatal alcohol involved collisions during the time of year that they are usually at their highest levels across the country.

While DUI arrests in 2012 were at their second highest level in four years, injury collisions more than doubled from last year from five to 10 in 2012. The number of people injured also increased last year from six to 16 in 2012.