8 would-be drivers cited outside courthouse after their licenses were suspended

Orange County sheriff’s deputies waiting in disguise outside the Newport Beach courthouse cited eight people who got in their cars to drive despite having suspended licenses after being convicted of driving under the influence, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Monday afternoon’s sting operation was the second in a series that the department is conducting in Newport Beach.

Officials chose the Newport courthouse because people arrested by the Sheriff’s Department in DUI cases tend to be assigned to that location.

The program has been active the past couple of years, three or four times a year.

It is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, though the Sheriff’s Department has creative freedom in how it is implemented.

“It’s just another program to take enforcement against those who drive under the influence,” said sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock.

Hallock suggested that drivers who have had their license suspended because of a DUI conviction use other means of transportation, such as buses, friends or family members.

He also noted that the state Department of Motor Vehicles can issue a restricted driver’s license that will allow driving from home to work or school. However, eligibility for a restricted license is handled case by case.

A misdemeanor DUI conviction in California can bring up to a six-month license suspension, hundreds of dollars or more in fines, possible jail time and other penalties. Driving with a suspended license can bring additional heavy fines and possible jail time.

“At the end of the day, the goal is to make an impact on those who drive under the influence,” Hallock said.