By Max Leone
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In Santa Barbara County Superior Court this week, Judge Thomas Adams presided over a warrant arraignment for a woman accused of DUI and vehicular manslaughter. The hearing followed her arrest after a SCRAM alcohol monitor registered a 0.03 BAC — marking her first reported violation since release. She had already posted her $250,000 bail before the warrant was issued.
Defense Attorney Joshua Webb argued that the low-level reading did not justify custody or an increase in bail. He said the accused had been home cleaning with her mother at the time of the alert and that the incident should not outweigh her record of compliance. Webb proposed alternatives such as mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings rather than a higher bail amount.
Deputy District Attorney Justin Greene countered that the conditions of her release explicitly prohibited any alcohol consumption and that even a small reading represented a violation. He emphasized the gravity of the underlying allegations, in which the accused allegedly crossed a double-yellow line while intoxicated and collided head-on with another vehicle, fatally injuring a 24-year-old victim who remained on life support for two weeks before dying.
Judge Adams sided with the prosecution, citing the seriousness of the pending charges and the need to ensure full compliance with court orders. He raised the accused’s bail from $250,000 to $350,000, noting that the SCRAM reading, though minor, warranted concern given the nature of the alleged offense.
The case remains pending, with the next court date set as the accused remains in custody on increased bail.
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