People v. Murphy

BACKGROUND

In January 2020, Murphy drove into a parked truck, damaging the truck and causing injuries to its driver. A California Highway Patrol officer conducted field sobriety tests — Murphy registered a blood-alcohol concentration of .212 and .211 percent — and arrested her. The district attorney charged her with felony driving under the influence (DUI) causing injury with a prior conviction (count 1); DUI with a blood-alcohol content 0.08 percent or above with a prior conviction (count 2); a special allegation as to counts 1 and 2 of excess blood-alcohol content; and a misdemeanor violation of driving with a suspended or revoked license (count 3). (Veh. Code, §§ 23153, subds. (a)–(b), 23560, 23578, 14601.1, subd. (a).) In July 2021, Murphy pled no contest to a felony DUI causing injury and admitted the prior DUI conviction. She agreed to serve 120 days in jail, three years of probation, and complete an 18-month alcohol program. Per the agreement, her felony conviction could not be reduced to a misdemeanor until the end of probation. The remaining charges were dismissed, and imposition of the sentence was suspended. The trial court also ordered her to pay $78,558.62 in…