“Drivers who are operate vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance put lives in danger.  Thank you to the California Department of Justice criminalists who process evidence in these types of cases that either lead to the exoneration or conviction of defendants.” – CSLEA President Alan Barcelona 

UKIAH – On August 2, 2022, a Mendocino County Superior Court jury found Sydney Christine Shackman, 54, of Ukiah guilty of misdemeanor driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, misdemeanor driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol .08 or greater, and failure to provide proof of motor vehicle insurance, an infraction.

In January 2021, when questioned by the CHP, Shackman admitted to being the driver of a vehicle that, she claimed, had slid off the roadway and down an embankment on South State Street near Norgard Lane. She was administered a test and blew a blood alcohol result of .11/.10.

After the jury was excused, the defendant also plead guilty in a separate case to misdemeanor failing to appear in court after signing a promise to appear.

The law enforcement agencies that developed the evidence underlying the DUI convictions were the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Justice crime laboratory in Eureka.