Drivers With Suspended Licenses Try to Drive Away From Courthouse

Two people who had their driver's licenses revoked showed up for court dates Monday and then attempted to drive away from Marin County Superior Court while still without valid licenses.

San Rafael police arrested the two people, who had been told by a judge not to drive or had been notified of their licenses being suspended, Lt. Alan Piombo said in a release Tuesday.

The operation was conducted by officers in an undercover court sting that targeted people who were suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Officers staked out courtrooms and then watched the offenders go back to their vehicles.

Two people, who were not named in a police press release, were quickly pulled over after they attempted to drive away. They were brought back to court and had their licenses revoked and their vehicles impounded.

San Rafael police emphasized that the arrested people could face additional jail time, longer license suspensions, attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work and the potential loss of job or job prospects.

"When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation," Piombo said in the release.

Two other people who were followed used alternate means of transportation after they left the courtroom, Piombo said.

Along with regular DUI enforcement, the DUI sting serves as a "proven deterrent with the goal of keeping impaired drivers from the road and heightening public awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol," Piombo wrote. 

The operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

at Marin County Superior Court, targeting drivers who were disobeying their DMV suspension orders. Officers made 15 traffic stops that yielded in 14 citations and one arrest.