I've been handling DUI cases in the San Fernando courthouse since 1994. There was a big earthquake and a lot of the cases had to be moved to another building while they actually fixed the San Fernando courthouse and these guys have handled hundreds of DUI cases since I've been practicing there. ...
I've been doing DUI cases for twenty-five years now in the Van Nuys criminal court and I think I have a pretty good idea about how they handle cases. First off, the DUI law across California has changed over many years for the worst as far as people who are actually getting DUI's. It has become ...
Understanding The Role Your DUI Breath Level Will Have On A Criminal Prosecution in Los Angeles When it comes to how high your blood alcohol level is — either by way of breath or blood — it's probably the single most important factor related to a DUI case. The reason for this is, because the hig...
This is probably the biggest question on people's minds when they've been arrested by the police, thrown in the back of a police car, taken to the police station, held for a period of time and then let go with a citation. Facing the Reality of Your DUI Case They want to know if they can get their...
There are sobriety checkpoints all over Los Angeles County. Believe it or not, you can actually look up sobriety checkpoints on the internet and see at any given time where they're going to be. The police don't hide that information. In fact, they have certain rules to even be able to set up t...
Right now in California, people are still being arrested for DUI's at a record pace. Thousands of people are arrested every single month. I've been practicing criminal defense now for twenty-five years and I still see, just based on my own business, that most of the crimes that people are arres...
In assessing whether your DUI case should go to trial you want to make sure that you have reviewed all available evidence and discussed that evidence with a seasoned DUI defense attorney. No attorney should be telling a client that they should go to trial unless and until they know what the gover...
When it comes to driving under the influence (DUI) in Los Angeles County and the loss of your drivers license, your best strategy is to consult a seasoned DUI defense attorney right away. There are many different factors that go into what will happen with your driver's license as it relates to a ...
The question as to whether a person will go to jail related to a DUI arrest is certainly one on most people's minds. This is especially true if you spent anytime in one of the local jails following your arrest. No one likes there freedom taken away and the local jails are no fun to say the least!...
There are a number of scenarios that can cause a person to be charged with a felony DUI in Los Angeles County. One of the most common is when the person who is drinking alcohol and driving becomes involved in an accident and someone in their car or another car sustains a “serious injury”. What qu...
If you refuse to take a blood or breath test in Los Angeles related to a DUI pull over, when asked to do so by law enforcement, you will lose your drivers license for one year (with no restricted license) and you will be charged with an extra enhancement in criminal court associated with your DUI...
An Ignition Interlock Device is a concept / device that most people do not know about unless they have been arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles. The L.A. area is part of a test pilot program that requires first time DUI offenders to install one of these devices in their car in order to comply with ...
In short, an arraignment is the initial appearance that a person makes in a criminal case. This is where you are given the charges in your case, you enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest, and (in appropriate cases) your bail is set. In some of the courts, I will go in and continue the ...
The law in California regarding underage (someone less than the age of twenty one) individuals, is that they are not permitted to drink any alcohol and therefore they can not drive a motor vehicle with alcohol in their system. This law, know as the “Zero Tolerance Law” is designed to deter and pu...
A plea bargain, as it relates to a DUI case, in Los Angeles means that you and your attorney agree to settle the case with the prosecutor or judge, in order to take advantage of a deal that has been offered to you. Usually when the prosecutors offer to settle a DUI case, they tell the attorney th...
The Preliminary Alcohol Screening Device (PAS) is a mini breath machine that is used by some law enforcement officers out in the field in order to determine if a person they suspect of being under the influence of alcohol is over the legal limit. Typically, if the police smell alcohol on your bre...
For those people who are facing a DMV hearing related to a DUI arrest in Los Angeles County, it can be confusing and a down right scary proposition. When the Department of Motor vehicles wants to take some sort of an action to suspend your driver's license administratively, they must give you the...
If a death occurs related to a DUI in Los Angeles then the prosecutor will have to make a decision on how they want to file the case. In some circumstances they determine that it is appropriate to file the case as a vehicular manslaughter case. While in other cases, they decide that the conduct o...
Urine tests are not required any longer when the police believe that a person was driving under the influence of alcohol and can not safely operate a motor vehicle. For those of use old enough to have practiced back when these tests where required, I can remember some of the controversies surroun...
When you pick up a second time DUI while you are on probation for you first DUI, you violate your probation and will be subject to punishment for the probation violation and the new case. In every criminal case, when someone is placed on probation, part of the terms and conditions of the probatio...
The answer as to whether to plead guilty in a DUI case is one that should be answered after consulting with your attorney, reviewing all available evidence and figuring out what is best for you under the circumstances of your particular case. This is where honesty and straight forwardness should ...
The first thing you want to do if you find yourself thrust into the DUI court process in Los Angeles is to not panic. You are going to get through the process and if you keep your wits about you, your DUI can be handled professionally, discreetly and without that much pain. Get your paperwork together...
When it comes to DUI cases, cost is certainly a factor that clients will consider when hiring an attorney. Attorneys can charge whatever they deem appropriate when it comes to the defense of a DUI case. In my opinion, you want to find an attorney who knows what they are doing first and foremost (...
Obtaining a restricted drivers license through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) can be done in person or over the phone. Also, you are usually best served in permitting your DUI defense attorney to assist you with this process or at least guide you on where to go and what to say. Most of th...
In order to convince the prosecutors to give you a lessor charge in a DUI case, your attorney will have to convince them that you were not a danger to others on the road at the time of driving. The more dangerous a person was, related to a DUI arrest, the more unlikely the prosecutors and judge w...
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