Blog

I see now more and more, with the legalization of marijuana, that police are pulling people over for marijuana-related DUIs at a record number. The way they prove a marijuana DUI is first, obviously, by getting your blood so they can measure your THC level, and they can do that now, depending on what...

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has been blocked from suspending driver’s licenses for DUIs in some circumstances. A California judge has ruled that the DMV’s administrative practice of suspending licenses in DUI cases violates people’s civil rights. They’re not given the right... 

If you’ve been arrested anywhere in the San Fernando Valley, you’re typically going to get an appearance slip to appear in the Van Nuys criminal court.  If you’re charged with a misdemeanor DUI, they’ll have you appearing in Division 103. You want to get an attorney before you go in there.  Let the attorney...

Prosecutors in California use two primary DUI laws to file charges against somebody for driving under the Influence.  Vehicle Code 23152(a) VC makes it a crime to drive under the influence of alcohol. Vehicle Code 23152(b) VC makes it a crime to drive with a BAC of .08% or higher. Most people are...

I’ve been doing this for 30 years, defending people for California Vehicle Code 23152 VC DUI cases in Los Angeles and surrounding cities. I thought it would be nice to give you a breakdown of what is supposed to happen if you were pulled over for a DUI. I do this knowing that most people will be coming...

Many people are worried about their reputation if they get arrested for a California Vehicle Code 23152 VC DUI and ultimately get a conviction. This is certainly a legitimate concern. I can tell you right now that if you get arrested, there’s no reason your employer will find out right away. There’s no...

I can’t tell you how many people call me because they have a warrant for a California DUI, and that warrant has been in the system for months and even years. I asked them why they didn’t take care of this earlier, and there were various reasons.  Sometimes people procrastinate.  Sometimes...

One thing that constantly flashes in people’s minds when police pull them over and ultimately arrest them for a DUI is whether or not they may do any jail time? Other people don’t even realize that a DUI is a misdemeanor crime, and a first offense could get you up to six months in jail, and a second...

When you’re looking for the best, look no further.  I’ve been doing this for 30 years, representing those charged with DUIs in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. The two main courts in the Valley are Van Nuys and San Fernando, and there are hundreds of DUIs prosecuted every month there...

DUIs in California, and in particular, Los Angeles, have become more and more prevalent and severe. Today, we cannot afford to lose our driver’s licenses. We’ve got to work. We have a family.  We have jobs and bills.  My law firm certainly understands that.  So, when somebody comes in and has a DUI and...

It is common in criminal defense that people involved in DUI accidents are also involved in hit-and-run cases. They end up getting in some accident. They realize they’re intoxicated, and then they leave the scene. Sometimes they leave the scene on foot; other times, they leave the scene in the vehicle... 

Van Nuys court pretty much controls the whole San Fernando Valley in California.  So, if you get a DUI and you’ve been sent to Van Nuys court, you’ve got one of those little tickets and some other paperwork, you either had to bail out or they let you go after a certain amount of hours, and you’re trying...

Driving under the influence cases in California often involves injuries. If somebody is injured in a DUI accident, then the ordinary misdemeanor drunk driving case becomes much more serious, but not all injuries are considered the same under the law. Put simply; there is a difference between regular...

A DUI in California is primarily defined under Vehicle Code 23152(a) driving under the influence, and Vehicle Code 23152(b) driving with blood alcohol content (BAC) at 0.08% or higher, and Vehicle Code 23152(f) driving under the influence of drugs, including any prescription drugs. The crime of DUI causing...

I’ve handled thousands of DUI cases throughout the last nearly 30 years and there’s a lot of things at stake.  Your freedom is at stake depending on what happened. You could do typically up to a year in jail if it’s a misdemeanor case and up to three years in prison if it’s a felony case. If you cause great bodily injury...

California Vehicle Code 23152(f) VC criminalizes driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), which means the driver of the vehicle can no longer drive like someone sober due to any type of drug, including legal prescription medications or marijuana. Vehicle Code 23152(g) makes it a crime to drive under...

There's a number of factors that if they're present in a DUI prosecution, the prosecutors will be seeking jail time in Los Angeles County. That includes all of the 38 courts that are now operating in Downtown LA, the west side, the San Fernando Valley and it is pretty uniform that level of speeding is probably...

Every California DUI case is decided based on the strength of the evidence. Many defendants believe the evidence against them is solid, but in many cases, the DUI evidence is often weak. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were either over the legal limit...

Most of the time in Los Angeles county, if a Vehicle Code 23152 VC driving under the influence case is a first offense, you can avoid jail time. However, there are circumstances where you're looking at jail time.  If you get into some sort of an accident and there's an injury, they're typically...

A Watson DUI murder in the state of California is the crime of implied malice murder while someone was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It’s a Penal Code 187 PC second-degree murder charge in cases where somebody was killed due to another person’s intoxicated driving of a vehicle... 

Learn Whether You Will be Taken to Jail When You Appear in Court for DUI Charges Under California Vehicle Code 23152. This is a good question and I get a lot of people who are obviously concerned that although the police may have let them go or they posted a bail, they will be taken to jail when a...

Will the Great Bodily Injury Allegation under California Penal Code 12022.7 PC Apply to a DUI in Los Angeles County? The new head prosecutor in Los Angeles has struck all special allegations.  Meaning, he has instructed his filing deputies not to file those allegations.  So, the answer to the que...

I Don't Think the Police Officers Read My Miranda Rights When I Was Arrested For DUI In Los Angeles County. Does That Mean They Have To Drop the Charges Against Me? A common misconception that most people have is that the officers have to read or recite the Miranda Rights when they are arresting ...

Learn Whether You Will Go To Jail If Arrested for a DUI Under California Vehicle Code 23152 in Los Angeles. If you were arrested and the police took you to the police station, you've already been to jail and it's just a matter of how long they held you for. Sometimes they'll hold you for a number ...

I have a lot of people contacting me who are pretty much thrown into a tizzy and don't know what to do because they've been arrested for a DUI under California Vehicle Code 23152. They've been given a ticket by the police and they have a court date coming up and are not really sure what to do. A ...