Source: https://www.shouselaw.com/cycling-biking-under-influence.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 00:58:38+00:00

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2. How Does the Prosecutor Prove I am Guilty of Cycling Under the Influence?
If after reading this article, you have additional questions, please contact us.
The current statute of cycling under the influence was added to the California Vehicle Code in 1985 and singles out the crime of cycling or bicycling while intoxicated.
Every year, several hundred cyclists are involved in crashes and are injured or killed.5 A significant percentage of the cyclists who died had a measurable blood alcohol level at the time of the accident.6 Therefore, many states outlaw cycling under the influence.
However, under the California Vehicle Code, a "bicycle" does not fall within the definition of a "vehicle" and is not subject to DUI laws.7 Furthermore, the potential damage of cycling under the influence is arguably much less than the damage a person driving a vehicle under the influence could inflict.
Imposing DUI penalties for someone caught cycling under the influence would be unduly harsh.8 Consequently, the California Legislature enacted Vehicle Code section 21200.5 to specifically outlaw and appropriately punish cycling under the influence.
While you were riding the bicycle, he or she was under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both.
Let's examine each of these elements in some further depth.
A motorized bicycle, or moped, on the other hand, is subject to the DUI laws relating to motor vehicles.11 However, a motorized scooter-distinguished from a motorized bicycle or moped-is subject to its own individualized "under the influence" law, California Vehicle Code section 21221.5.
2) Riding upon a highway.
A potential defense is to argue that the defendant was not on a highway when he was riding under the influence. However, this defense has limited application.
3) Under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both.
In addition to Vehicle Code section 21200.5, if you are arrested for cycling under the influence, you may also face additional charges.
Penal Code 647f "Drunk in Public".
Furthermore, a person riding a bicycle on a highway is subject to many regulations while cycling on the road. A violation of one of these regulations is usually why the police officers first stop you and eventually leads to the CUI.
5. How Do I Fight a California Vehicle Code Section 21200.5 Charge of Cycling Under the Influence?
You were cycling erratically, but were not under the influence.
When a prosecutor brings a CUI case, one of the first things they'll try to prove is your cycling pattern. The prosecutor would have the CUI arresting officer testify that you were cycling similar to someone who was under the influence. This could involve a number of observations, including weaving in and out of traffic or falling off your bike.
When a prosecutor brings a CUI case, one of the first things they'll try to prove is your cycling pattern.
Example: Brad was cycling through the streets of downtown Los Angeles after having a drink with a friend at happy hour. Brad enjoys cycling a lot and likes to practice skidding his rear wheel, which appears like he is swerving and sometimes results in him falling off his bicycle. A Los Angeles Police Department officer notices the swerving, pulls Brad over, and arrests him for a CUI.
Brad's Los Angeles CUI defense attorney would have the officer testify about the many things Brad was doing right, such as staying within the bicycle lane, cycling at normal speeds, following traffic devices, and stopping his bicycle without falling. Brad's CUI defense attorney would also have the officer admit that he had not observed Brad for an extensive period of time and that a person could swerve on their bicycle due to reasons that have nothing to do with drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
There are other innocent reasons for your physical appearance.
A knowledgeable and experienced California criminal defense attorney would challenge the officer's conclusion by addressing all of the innocent reasons why you had these physical appearances, including allergies, physical exertion from cycling, frustration for being stopped. Also, you may have had some alcohol, but not enough to put you under the influence.
Example: A Long Beach Police Officer testified that Meagan had red-watery eyes, a flushed face, and smelled of alcohol when she was pulled over at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night.
On cross-examination, Meagan's Long Beach CUI defense attorney would have the police officer admit he never questioned Meagan about her physical appearance. In fact, she was cycling as fast as she could to her home because her friend was waiting there (which explains her flushed face and read eyes), and had been drinking hours ago, but had switched to sodas (which explains the odor of alcohol on her breath, even though she was not still intoxicated).
Another component of a CUI case is the field sobriety tests the arresting officer uses while investigating whether you were cycling under the influence. The officer will testify that you "performed poorly" or failed to follow her instructions - leading to the conclusion that you were under the influence.
Your CUI defense lawyer will explain that many factors impact performance on the FSTs, including natural physical coordination, nerves, slope of the ground, and distractions. An experienced CUI defense attorney would also have the officer admit the many parts of the test you passed as compared to the parts you did poorly on.
Example: A San Francisco Police Officer testifies that Jason performed poorly on his FSTs.
On cross-examination, Jason's San Francisco CUI defense attorney draws out testimony that the officer had Jason perform the FSTs on the side of Mission Street where there was a lot of foot and car traffic, the ground was uneven, and Jason had disclosed his legs were tired because he had just biked a long distance.
California Vehicle Code Section 21200.5 gives a person who is arrested for cycling under the influence the right to request a breath test to show he or she is not under the influence. When a request is made, the arresting officer must comply.
California DUI law requires a police officer to observe you for 15 minutes before he may administer a "breath test."28 During this time, the officer is supposed to ensure that you do not eat, drink, vomit, belch, burp, or smoke because any of these can cause a falsely high reading.29 When any of these events occur, alcohol moves from your stomach to your mouth, which skews the measurement of your blood alcohol content.
California Vehicle Code Section 21200.5 gives a person who is arrested for cycling under the influence the right to request a breath test to show he or she is not under the influence.
An experienced CUI defense lawyer knows that most officers conduct this observation period when they're distracted by filling out paperwork or when they are setting up the breath test machine. By eliciting this information, the defense attorney may negate any incriminating results.
Example: A Santa Ana Police Department officer testifies that he observed Sarah for 15 minutes and that nothing occurred during that time.
On cross-examination, Sarah's Santa Ana criminal defense attorney brings out the fact that during the 15-minute period, the officer was talking to a fellow officer. Sarah's lawyer had shown that during the observation period, the SAPD officer would not have been able to see if Sarah burped, belched, hiccupped, or slightly vomited, which could have triggered a falsely high BAC result.
the blood sample must be properly stored.
When an officer fails to follow these procedures, the resulting BAC may be falsely high.
Example: A Pasadena blood test technician testifies that George's blood test showed his blood alcohol content was .12%.
However, on cross-examination, George's lawyer gets the technician to admit the vial did not have enough anticoagulants and preservatives. George's lawyer convinces the jury that because of the technician's error, the BAC .12% result is inaccurate.
There are many procedural safeguards that an officer must follow in order to convict you of a CUI. For instance, before an officer may approach and stop you, he must have probable cause to initiate a traffic stop. The officer must also inform you of your Miranda rights before questioning you. And the officer must follow California's Title 17 regulations for all blood and breath tests.
A savvy CUI criminal defense attorney knows all of these procedures and will know how to exclude evidence or dismiss charges when the arresting officer fails to follow them. If the officer failed to have probable cause to stop you, the California CUI lawyer will conduct a suppression hearing, otherwise known as a Penal Code 1538.5 hearing."
Example: A police officer is out on patrol when he notices Joe who is cycling in the bike lane. The police officer conducts a traffic stop because he believes Joe looks mischievous and he wants to question him.
Joe's Riverside CUI attorney knows that the police officer did not have probable cause to stop Joe because Joe was following all of the rules of the road. Joe's attorney thus can convince a judge to exclude any incriminating evidence found as a result of the stop. Without the evidence, Joe's attorney convinces the Riverside D.A. to dismiss the charges.
If you or loved one is charged with Vehicle Code 21200.5 VC cycling under the influence and you are looking to hire an attorney for representation, we invite you to contact us at Shouse Law Group. We can provide a free consultation in office or by phone. We have local offices in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, Long Beach, Orange County, Ventura, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose and throughout California.
You may also find helpful information in our related articles on California DUI Defenses , California DUI Blood Testing, and California DUI Breath Testing, and Vehicle Code 21200 - Rights and duties of bicycle riders in California. And we invite you to watch our video on Vehicle Code 21200.5 - Cycling Under the Influence.
For information about the Nevada crime of cycling under the influence, read our article on the Nevada crime of cycling under the influence.
5 According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 630 cyclists were killed and 51,000 were injured in the United States in 2009. Ninety-nine of those cyclist fatalities occurred in California. "Traffic Safety Facts 2009 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists" U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2009).
7 Although Vehicle Code Section 21200 states that a person riding a bicycle "has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle . . . including . . . provisions concerning driving under the influence," California Vehicle Code section 231 defines a bicycle as a device that is propelled exclusively by human power and thus is excluded by Vehicle Code Section 23152.
10 Cal. Veh. Code § 231 states, "A bicycle is . . . propelled exclusively by human power . . . ."
11See People v. Jordan, 75 Cal. App.3d Supp. 1 (1977) (holding that a moped is a motor vehicle and subject to drunk driving laws because it is equipped with a motor).
12 Cal. Veh. Code § 360.
13 76 Op.Atty.Gen. 214, 9-29-93.
16 Cal. Veh. Code § 21200 (stating every person riding a bicycle upon the highway has all the rights and responsibilities as a driver of a vehicle, including the provisions of law dealing with driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both); Cal. Veh. Code § 23152(b).
17 Vehicle Code § 21200.5.
19 Cal. Veh. Code §§ 21200.5, 40000.13.
20 Cal. Veh. Code § 40000.13.
21 Cal. Veh. Code § 21200.5 (stating that violations under this section are subject to Vehicle Code Section 13202.5, which lists potential additional punishments for minors driving under the influence); see also Cal. Veh. Code § 21200 ("A person riding a bicycle . . . upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division, including . . . provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs . . . .").
23 Cal. Veh. Code § 21201.
25 Cal. Veh. Code § 21201 ["Equipment requirements - (a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. (b) No person shall operate on the highway a bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area. (c) No person shall operate upon a highway a bicycle that is of a size that prevents the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner. (d) A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be equipped with all of the following: (1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle. (2) A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. (3) A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet. (4) A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors. The reflectors and reflectorized tires shall be of a type meeting requirements established by the department. (e) A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in lieu of the lamp required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d)." Sell also Vehicle Code 21663 VC, operating a motor vehicle on the sidewalk.
27 "Traffic Safety Facts 2009 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists" U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2009).

References: § 231
 v. 
 § 360
 § 21200
 § 23152
 § 21200
 § 40000
 § 21200
 § 21200
 § 21201
 § 21201