Two Public Intoxication Cases, Hermosa Beach, with Priors

Our client, age 40, was arrested twice in Hermosa Beach in two days, both times for public intoxication (Penal Code § 647(f)). It was rather sad.
Hermosa Beach Bar

In the first matter, she was found unconscious and lying down in a parking lot in the northern part of Hermosa Beach at almost midnight. It took the police officer who found her almost 30 seconds to wake up our client. She was wearing no shoes and had the strong odor of alcohol. The Hermosa Beach police officer arrested our client for public intoxication, Penal Code § 647(f)), and took our client to the police station to sober up, have a meal and re-hydrate.

In a Nutshell: Client, age 40, arrested twice within 24 hours for public intoxication in Hermosa Beach. Client, a female, had a significant criminal history. First Hermosa Beach arrest followed police finding her passed out in parking lot; second on a home’s front lawn. While the cases were pending, client arrested twice more for same offense and remanded in Northern California. Cases here resolved with county jail concurrent to Northern California sentences, so no additional punishment.

Our client did sober up, ate quite a bit and drank a lot of water, it was reported. She then signed a promise to appear in the Torrance Courthouse in about two months. She was then allowed to walk out of the station.

In the second matter, less than twenty-four hours later, she was found sleeping on the front lawn of a home. The homeowner called the police, who arrived to find our client sleeping. Police woke her up and noticed the strong odor of alcohol. She was covered in dirt and she was wearing her shirt inside-out. She needed the officer’s help standing up.

The officer arrested our client for public intoxication again and took her to the police station to once again sober up, have a meal and rehydrate. She was once again asked to sign a promise to appear, but this time, the police did not permit our client to simply walk away on her own.

Instead, they held her for a family member to pick her up. This was our client’s mom, who had lost her daughter several days earlier trying to transport her to an alcohol detox center. The client had snuck out of the hotel room while her mom was sleeping.

The mom picked up her daughter and was advised of the two cases upcoming in the Torrance Courthouse.

The mom called the alcohol treatment program and asked if they could still accept her although a few days late. The program agreed to do so. The mom then took her to this residential program.

Torrance Courthouse

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