Don’t drive, court tells people at DUI hearings; 4 did anyway and got nabbed

Orange County sheriff’s deputies cited four people Monday as authorities staked out the Newport Beach courthouse looking for drivers who got behind the wheel without a license or with a license that was suspended because of a driving under the influence case.

Deputies followed 15 suspects from their hearings in Orange County Superior Court to the parking lot, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department. Officials said they followed people who had already been warned not to drive.

Five of the 15 got into cars and drove off as soon as they left the courthouse, sheriff’s officials said.

“Those who chose to drive were stopped near the courthouse by waiting deputies,” the news release stated.

Deputies wrote misdemeanor traffic citations for four of the drivers and impounded their cars for 30 days.

The fifth driver apparently had not been notified that his license was suspended, and he was given official notification when the deputy pulled him over, officials said.

The Sheriff’s Department periodically performs such stings at the Newport Beach courthouse to try to deter drivers who shouldn’t be on the road.

The operation is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sheriff’s officials said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck