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The short answer: In most cases, no. DUI charges are generally not eligible for judicial diversion in California. However, the issue became legally complicated after a 2021 law created confusion between two statutes. While some early cases allowed DUI diversion, appellate courts have now largely...

California Vehicle Code 23152(f) VC criminalizes driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), defined as being unable to drive sober due to any drug, including legally prescribed or over-the-counter medications. Essentially, in California, you can be charged with DUI even if only legally...

Starting January 2025, California has greatly strengthened its DUI laws by introducing additional penalties and restrictions. These tougher regulations send a clear message from lawmakers: driving under the influence is a serious crime that will be met with strict enforcement, aiming to decrease ...

If you're arrested for DUI in California, your driving privileges are at risk, in addition to criminal charges. California law mandates that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will suspend your driver's license automatically unless you act quickly to prevent it. While defending yourself...

 Vehicular homicide under California Penal Code 192(c) is a felony, with a punishment of two, three, or four years in state prison before any enhancements apply.  The offense could potentially also be charged as assault with a deadly weapon, with the weapon being a car....

In California, a DUI conviction will remain on your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) driving record for 10 years from the date of the arrest. While the DUI will be removed from your driving record after this time, it may still be visible on your criminal record for an extended peri...

I’ve been defending people now for over 30 years in Los Angeles regarding DUI cases, all the way up from the standard DUI where somebody’s pulled over because they don’t have their lights on, for example. They end up with a first-time DUI to a murder case where somebody is driving drunk, and they kill...

I’ve been handling DUI cases in the Tarzana area for 30 years.  Most of those cases will be sent if they are filed to the Van Nuys courthouse.  You’ll end up appearing in Department 103 for your arraignment enter a not-guilty plea, and your attorney will pick up all of the paperwork and continue the case so that we can...

Those getting DUI’s in Canoga Park will appear in the Van Nuys courthouse.  That court controls any DUI that is caught in the Canoga Park jurisdiction.  Usually, I see people getting pulled over by the LAPD and sometimes the Sheriff, and then they have them take the field sobriety test and a blood or breath...

I’ve been handling California Vehicle Code 23152 VC DUI cases for approximately 30 years.  I’ve been all over the place and had much success for my clients, so I think I’m in a pretty good position to at least give you my opinion on the type of attorney you need. I would say you need someone with a lot of experience....

More and more, the district attorney’s offices across California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, are filing Watson murder cases. Suppose you don’t know what a Watson murder is. In that case, it has to do with somebody who is either drinking alcohol...

This whole concept of a per se DUI is something that some people don’t get.  The legislature has determined that .08 is the legal cut-off, where if you’re that high, you cannot safely operate a motor vehicle. So, it’s assumed that you’re DUI if you blow a .08 or greater.  So, that’s the problem you face when....

A new law is coming out because of all of the street racing and dangerous driving in Los Angeles County that says that if you drive recklessly and kill somebody, not only can you be charged with a felony, but you can also be charged with California Penal Code 187 PC murder.  It makes sense when you think...

This question is interesting.  First, if you get arrested for driving under the influence of DUI, you go to jail immediately. They usually keep you for several hours.  But I’m talking about when you go to court, and now you have to deal with your DUI case, and part of your punishment involves jail time... 

We are often asked how much jail time someone faces if involved in a hit and run. If you leave the scene of an accident, you could be charged with hit and run and face huge fines and jail time. In California, there are two primary types of hit-and-run charges. Vehicle Code 20002 VC defines a misdemeanor...

Many people will come into my office saying that they refused to take the DUI test when the police pulled them over, and they somehow think they can now win the case. Somebody gave them bad advice and thought they made a good move.  The bottom line, I rarely see cases where refusing to take...

You're probably scared when you’ve been arrested for a California Vehicle Code 23152 VC DUI.  You’ve lost control, you’re worried about going to jail, and you can’t decide how to handle a case.  Most people don’t want the case and start thinking of ways to escape it.  One way to get out of a DUI is to...

I’ve handled thousands of California DUI cases over the years, and your blood alcohol level is crucial.  The reason it’s vital is that it tells the prosecutors and judges how dangerous you are to the public. Most people familiar with driving under the influence in California recognize a blood alcohol...

I get many questions like this where people ask, do I need an attorney?  What can an attorney do for me? Each California Vehicle Code 23152 VC DUI case is different, and you must look at the facts of the case. Such as what happened; how the arrest was made; what the blood alcohol level was, and a host...

After you were arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles, the arraignment hearing is the next legal step to deal with in the California Vehicle Code 23152 VC DUI court process. You should hire a lawyer before your arraignment. Many people will go to their arraignment believing they can...

he California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hearings and getting arrested for driving under the influence under Vehicle Code 23152 VC are closely related because they have the authority to suspend someone’s driver’s license. Once you are arrested for DUI and have your license taken, you...

This is a big question for many people because they feel like the police pull them over for no reason.  When somebody is driving their car on the street in California and not doing anything unlawful, the police can’t legally pull them over during a traffic stop. Police are required to have “probable cause”...

I've been doing DUI for almost 30 years, defending people all over Los Angeles county -- thousands of cases, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what you should look for. Prosecutors use two main California DUI statutes to charge someone with driving under the influence.  Vehicle Code 23152(a) VC...

These cases are more and more prevalent, especially in busy areas where individuals are not seeing people on the road, are intoxicated, they’re hitting them and killing them, and then they either leave the scene of the accident with their car, or if their vehicle is damaged too severely, they end up just...

There are a lot of death-related accidents throughout many counties in California, especially those with more populations like Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino, and people are being arrested at record numbers for killing bicyclists and pedestrians. So, if you or a loved one is charged with a...