Criminal Law News

It isn’t everyday California DUI lawyers come across the former chief of a city’s Police Department being charged for driving under the influence. That is exactly what has happened in Riverside. Former police chief Russell Leach has been charged with driving under the influence.

On February 8^th, chief Leach crashed his city-issued car in the early hours of the morning. The car struck a curb which damaged his car tires, but he was so intoxicated he didn’t even realize it. By the time officers of his own department reached the scene, Leach was driving with two of the tires missing.

Initial reports had suggested that he might have been driving under the influence of prescription medication. The chief retired recently citing medical reasons. The California Highway Patrol was called in to investigate the incident. The agency completed its report and recommended that the chief be charged with driving under the influence.

According to the California Highway Patrol, on the fateful night, chief Leach had taken prescription medications and a few alcoholic beverages at his home. He then visited the club where he had at least seven more alcoholic drinks. So, the good chief was flying high at the time he jumped the curb and then continued on, unmindful of the fact that his tires had disintegrated.

When Riverside police officers arrived at the scene, they failed to cite him. They actually let him go without a word. He was not even given a field sobriety test. That has placed the Riverside Police Department under the microscope. These, mind you, are officers who ordinarily would not hesitate a second to draw a line on the road for any ordinary motorist. Why the special treatment for a former boss, RPD?

Obviously, you can’t have a separate set of rules for regular motorists and another set for the city’s law-enforcement elite.  The high profile of the person involved here means that this case is likely to invite a lot of media attention.  DUI attorneys in California will watch whatever happens from here on, with a sharp eye.