SIP AND SWERVE
What do hundreds of Eastside residents have in common? A DUI. At least, that’s what LA-based criminal defense attorney Shepard Kopp will tell you.
“A DUI is probably the single most common crime that cuts across the socioeconomic strata,” Kopp told The Sheet. “I mean, George Bush has three of them.”
A Driving Under the Infuence (DUI) charge is a criminal offense issued when an individual operates a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, or over-the-counter medication. The legal limit for a driver is a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%, though a DUI can be issued if driver’s BAC is lower and they exhibit clear impairment.
How common are DUIs in Inyo and Mono County?
According to Bishop California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Nicholas Vasquez, Inyo County saw 248 DUIs in 2023, 174 in 2024, 131 in 2025, and so far, in 2026, six.
Similarly, according to the Mono County District Attorney’s office, Mono County saw 143 DUI arrests in 2023, 151 in 2024, and 202 in 2025. The Mono CHP claims there have been eight DUI arrests so far in 2026.
“[DUIs] are as common as snow in the Sierras,” said Gerard Harvey, Big Pine based attorney and candidate for Inyo County judge. Harvey has been practicing law on the Eastside since 1995. He estimated he’d seen over 2,000 DUI cases during his time here.
Vasquez pointed to a few different reasons why the numbers for DUIs have fluctuated prominently in Inyo County over the past three years. These included road closures caused by weather events and the amount of higher priority calls the CHP receives, such as those for domestic violence.
“It really depends on how many officers are already on the road enforcing DUIs at the time,” Vasquez said.
A few DUI numbers in the annual Mono County count could be attributed to a switch in case management, Anderson hypothesized.
“Some of it has to do with the reporting and the case management system,” Mono County District Attorney Dave Anderson said. Mono County switched their case management system in 2020, though there were reporting policy changes in 2023.
Harvey had another hypothesis: the age of the CHP officers enforcing DUIs.
“A couple of young officers were overly aggressive … all of a sudden, the kids grew up,” Harvey said.
The Sheet doesn’t have evidence of this. There are currently 26 Bishop CHP officers, though the experience level of these officers is not public information.
Conversely, the numbers of officers in Mono County are constantly in flux.
“They transfer in and out all the time,” Anderson said. “In one particular year, you might have more seasoned officers, in others, you might have more rookies. It really just depends.”
DUIs, though common, are expensive. A DUI in Inyo County costs roughly $1,869 in fines, if the defendant has a public defender and therefore no lawyer fees. In Mono County, fees for a DUI first offense can be up to $1,781.49 and up to $2,215.50 for a second offense.
However, if the client doesn’t qualify for a public defender because they have a higher income, this individual could be subject to a flat rate attorney fee of approximately $2,500. The costs increase when factoring in the $125-$300 three to eighteen month class the defendant must take with the Department of Motor Vehicles in Bishop in order to reinstate their driver’s license, though a license can be suspended anywhere from six months to four years.
Car insurance premiums can also increase by 90% once an individual has been convicted of a DUI.
“Even if you don’t have to pay for a lawyer and you get the minimum fines and fees, by the time you take the insurance hit, it’s going to cost $5,000,” Kopp said.
In some instances, a first time offense for a DUI can result in jail time. In Mono County, if the individual’s BAC level is two times over the legal limit (.16%) or an injury occurs as a result of the DUI, they receive 48 hours of jail time.
“It’s a little different in Mono County than a lot of counties, because that person will serve that jail time,” Anderson said. “The studies have shown that on the first DUI, having even just two days in jail is a significant deterrent from any sort of recidivism that person might have.”
Most counties, including Inyo, have work release programs, Anderson explained. For example, the convicted individual might pick up trash on the weekends instead of sleeping in the county jail for two days straight.
Jail time increases with each subsequent offense. In Mono County, the standard for a second DUI is 20 days in jail, and for a third, is 180 days. By the fourth offense, the DUI is considered a felony, and results in three years in prison. These sentences can be expedited by good behavior and work time when an individual is in jail.
“That’s up to the jail’s discretion,” Anderson said.
In extenuating circumstances, an individual can pay up to $500 per night to spend their jail time in a different county, Anderson added. For example, if a visitor from LA received a DUI in Mono County, they could pay to spend their jail time in LA County.
Meanwhile, in Inyo County, a first time DUI offender can get five days in custody, if their BAC count is twice the legal limit. Custody, meaning either a work release program or time in the county jail. For a second offense, regardless of BAC level, the defendant must spend five to 15 days in custody, and for a third, the jail time increases to a minimum of 120 days. Fourth time offenders are again convicted of a felony, and given a minimum of one year in jail.
“People don’t have to drink and drive,” Inyo County District Attorney Dana Crom and candidate for Inyo County Judge said, “I would like to see people serve time in jail.”
But during the first two DUI sentences, it’s not up to the District Attorney’s office to choose whether a defendant will spend custody in jail or participate in Inyo County’s work release program. The defendant can plead guilty, leaving the judge to decide the individual’s sentence.
DUIs often are dolled out in clusters. Over the holidays, for example, there tends to be an uptick in cases. Kopp hypothesized that perhaps the lack of Ubers in Mammoth and on the Eastside contributes to an increase of DUIs around these times.
“It’s always cheaper to take a cab,” Kopp said.
Harvey echoed his sentiment.
“I think it’s wise to have a designated driver.”
Unfortunately, not all locals agree.
“There are a lot of people that I spend time around who choose drinking and driving over having a designated driver…it’s just easier in a small town than the alternative of planning ahead,” an anonymous party animal said.
