| For Immediate Release Case # 09HM03961
July 10, 2009 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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SHERIFF’S LIEUTENANT CONVICTED OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AFTER
CAUSING FENDER-BENDER IN IRVINE
NEWPORT BEACH – A Lieutenant with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) was convicted today of one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or more. Erin Lorraine Giudice, 48, Santa Ana, pleaded no contest to the court and was sentenced to three years of informal probation, fines and fees, and was ordered to attend an alcohol class and pay restitution.
At approximately 9:00 p.m. on April 14, 2009, Giudice was driving in an unmarked OCSD vehicle northbound on Jamboree Road in Irvine while under the influence of alcohol. At the intersection of Jamboree Road and the Interstate 5, Giudice crashed into the back of another car, which was stopped at a red light. The driver of the other vehicle did not sustain any injuries and there was minor damage to his car.
When officers from the Irvine Police Department responded, Giudice displayed objective signs of intoxication including slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and a lack of balance. She had a blood alcohol level of .14 percent two hours after the collision.
Deputy District Attorney Keith Bogardus of the Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case.
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