Straight Talking on The Law

Oregon Court Agrees - You Can "Attempt" A DUI

By: Robert Harris

In a landmark case this month called State v. Baty the Oregon Court of Appeals found that there is a crime of attempted Driving Under the Influence. This has very big impacts on defendants for several reasons. Here are the facts in the Baty.

"At around 3:00 p.m., Beaverton Community Service Officer McNeel was patrolling a local Fred    Meyer parking lot for illegal use of disabled-only parking spaces.  ORS 811.615.   McNeel saw a red Ford Taurus parked in one such space.   The car was unoccupied and had an Oregon disability parking permit hanging from the rear-view mirror.   McNeel verified that the permit was current and learned that it belonged to a woman born in 1926.   As he was acquiring that information, he saw a white Acura without a disability permit pull into the disabled-only space next to the Taurus.   The driver of the Acura got out and went to a nearby ATM machine.   At that point, McNeel approached the cars and parked his patrol car behind the Acura, completely blocking it and partially blocking the Taurus. "

Ford F-150 Recall - Gas Tank Defect

 

 
By: Robert Harris

The Ford F-150 is one of the best selling trucks on the road today. The F series has been the best selling vehicle in the US for three decades. Regulators are now reporting that they are investigating 2.7 million F-150's, built from 1997 through 2001, for a potential gas tank design flaw.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that the steel straps holding up the truck's gas tank can rust and break, possibly causing a fuel spill and fire. So far, there have been no injuries reported due to the defect.

If you own a 1997-2oo1 Ford F-150, you may be receiving a notice in the mail from Ford regarding a recall of your vehicle. If you have any questions or concerned about the safety of your vehicle, you may want to contact your local Ford dealer to see if they can perform an inspection of the potentially defective parts.

If you're not the original owner, keep your eyes open in the paper for any reported recalls. Even if you're not the original owner, if the vehicle is recalled, you will be able to get it fixed at no cost.