How to Defend a DUI in the Van Nuys Court
The Van Nuys court pretty much controls the San Fernando Valley, middle and west end, and there are a lot of DUIs. They have a lot of checkpoints and a lot of CHP and LAPD looking to pull people over to check to see if they're driving under the influence.
You defend these cases by looking at the reason for the pullover. For example, they can't pull people over for any reason, even though we all know they do it.
We have to show they pull the person over for an unlawful reason. Maybe they were waiting outside a bar, or they just pulled them over for no reason.
A lot of these cars are equipped with dashcam videos, so sometimes we can catch them lying, claiming they pulled somebody over for a specific reason, and the proof that, in reality, the reason was that they were pulling people around randomly, trying to catch people driving under the influence.
I defended it first to see if it was a lawful pullover. Then, we'll look to see your blood alcohol level and how they got the blood alcohol level. Did they use blood? Did they take your breath?
After that, we're looking at every angle. I see cases in the San Fernando Valley getting moved to the Van Nuys court where something unlawful has been done.
Whether it's the blood test, breathalyzer, pullover procedure, or field sobriety test, we leave no stone unturned in our defense strategy. You can rest assured that we're looking at every possible angle when defending a DUI.
Negotiation with Prosecutor for Reduced DUI Charges
You also have to be realistic and realize that part of defending a DUI is sometimes the prosecutors have the evidence. If they've got the proof, part of my job as a defense attorney is to see if we can get a different charge than a DUI.
For example, there's a dry reckless, a wet reckless, speed contest, moving violations — all sorts of charges can be substituted for a full-fledged DUI.
There are even charges that the prosecutors can substitute to make the case more severe in the Van Nuys court. So, you have to look at everything. I'm always looking to try to dismiss a case, but if I can't ignore it, the next thing is, I'm looking at getting a different charge than a DUI.
Then, you start considering the punishment. Will the person be sentenced to jail time, a huge fine, or community service, or will they lose their driver's license with the DMV?
You have to look at another aspect because if you're pulled over in the San Fernando Valley and arrested and charged with a DUI, the police will send your information to the DMV.
The next thing that's going to happen is you're going to have to defend yourself, or they're going to take your driver's license away automatically. You have to call them within ten days. We usually do it for our clients.
Then, we have to figure out whether you have any defenses and whether the DMV can prove what it needs to try to take your driver's license away.
So, if you've got a DUI in the Van Nuys courthouse, you've come to the right place. With 26 years of experience, I've defended thousands of DUIs there. You can trust that you're in capable hands.
Having worked extensively in the Van Nuys court, I'm familiar with the judges, the prosecutors, and the strategies that work. I know when to fight and when to negotiate for the best outcome.
So, pick up the phone. Ask for a face-to-face meeting with Ron Hedding. I will do everything I can to help you.