MADERA - Former Madera County Judge Eric Wyatt passed away Saturday at the age of 45 after a three year battle with brain cancer. Judge Wyatt was born in Visalia and raised in Salinas with his younger brother Keith. He graduated from Salinas High School and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.

He earned his law degree from Santa Clara University and began his law practice in the early 1990’s with the firm of Mortimer and Oakley. He would later become a partner in that firm before leaving to begin his career with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office.

SACRAMENTO – Danger lurks behind the wheel when a driver redirects their attention from the road to some other distracting behavior, like talking on a cellular telephone or text messaging. During the month of April, law enforcement agencies throughout California will be especially focused on taking enforcement action on these inattentive, “zombie” drivers.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) along with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), Impact Teen Drivers, and law enforcement agencies statewide are preparing to launch the second annual National Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign, “It’s Not Worth It!” During the campaign kickoff month in April 2011, more than 52,000 citations were issued by law enforcement statewide, four times the monthly average. A first time citation will cost a minimum of $159, with a second violation at least $279.