Los Angeles Metro Court DUI Lawyer
Metropolitan Courthouse
1945 South Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 745-3201
Because of its central location (near Hollywood and the bars in downtown Los Angeles), the Metro Courthouse handles most of the DUI cases filed in Los Angeles County. In handling thousands of DUI cases in the Metro Courthouse over the past twenty-five years.
My experience has shown that the Metro Courthouse is more reasonable when it comes to DUI arrests in LA. The sheer volume of cases that pass through this courthouse daily necessitates a fair approach to prosecuting DUIs. Rest assured, you will be treated justly in this courthouse.
Having handled so many cases in this courthouse, I can usually give you a pretty good idea of what you will see when you meet with me.
I've been practicing in the Metro Court for the past twenty years, handling DUI matters. The cases start in Division 60, the central arraignment court. There is a stack of prosecutors in there, and thousands of patients go through that court every year.
The main downtown courthouse controls the highest percentage of DUIs in Los Angeles County.
There are so many DUIs in this courthouse because of the jurisdiction it covers—for example, Hollywood, West Hollywood, or Downtown Los Angeles—and the fact that there are many bars and clubs in these areas. There used to be a Hollywood Court, but now all of those DUIs are funneling into the Metro Courthouse since that court has closed down.
Therefore, if you're facing a DUI charge in the Metro Courthouse, it's crucial to have an attorney like me on your side. My extensive experience and familiarity with the courthouse's procedures and the way prosecutors handle cases can significantly benefit your defense.
Typically, when you come into my office and meet with me, I can give you a pretty good idea of where you stand with your DUI in the Metro Court. In other words, I'm going to ask some key questions to get information to give you a feel for where you stand.
Developing the Best DUI Defense Strategy
When figuring out how to handle your DUI case, your best strategy is to meet with an attorney who knows the courthouse and the personnel there where your case is pending.
Instead of relying on a salesperson over the phone, you should speak to a skilled DUI lawyer who has traveled the path you are about to take.
After our initial meeting, my clients often express a sense of relief. They gain a clear understanding of their situation and see a path forward, which can be a tremendous source of comfort in such a challenging time.
Having a plan on exactly how your driving under the influence case will be handled and what you can do to help will give you a sense of control back and begin putting the criminal justice system behind you.
During our first meeting, it's crucial that you provide me with all the details surrounding your DUI arrest. This honesty allows me to accurately assess your case, advise you on your chances for success, and guide you on how to best support your defense.
One of the most significant factors in a DUI is your blood alcohol level. The higher your blood alcohol level, the more likely the prosecutors will be unwilling to lower the charge. They will be seeking the severest punishment possible for your particular DUI case.
The lower the blood alcohol level and the closer it is to the legal limit, the more angles and arguments your attorney will have, and this will give you a much higher probability of getting something less than a DUI and some of the lower punishments that are available in the DUI Metro Courthouse.
They will look at the person's prior criminal record, driving record, conduct in the current case, and a host of other factors before deciding how dangerous they are to society. This concept of “dangerousness” is crucial because it will drive how the prosecutors handle your case and your punishment.
The more dangerous you are, the more restrictions and punishments they will try and put on you. If you can be considered not very dangerous and your conduct is considered an aberration, you will be in the best position to receive a favorable outcome!
Successful Drunk Driving Attorney
I have successfully helped my clients deal with DUI cases in the downtown Los Angeles Metro Courthouse. DUI defense is not complicated…but experience in the court where a claim is being prosecuted is invaluable. It has saved my clients from jail time and losing their license privileges over my many years of successful DUI practice in Los Angeles.
Metro Court / 1945 South Hill Street – This courthouse is the central Los Angeles DUI court. Thousands of DUI matters are prosecuted in this courthouse every year. Most people arrested for DUI cases in or around the downtown Los Angeles area are arraigned in the Metro Courthouse. If you are charged with a DUI in Los Angeles County, the best advice I can give you is to find an experienced attorney in the court where your case is being prosecuted.
After Division 60, if you enter a not-guilty plea and set your case for trial, you'll be randomly trialed and moved into one of the trial courts in the Metro Courthouse. Then you're entitled to have a jury anytime you're looking at up to six months in jail for a first-time DUI and up to a year in prison for a second-time DUI.
You certainly are entitled to have a jury trial to show the jury that you're innocent, and of course, the prosecutors have the burden in a DUI case to show that you're guilty. If they can't meet that burden — if they can't prove your DUI matter beyond a reasonable doubt — your case will be dismissed, and you can move on your way.
If you're found guilty, the judge will then have the opportunity to punish you. You will be looking at such punishments as an alcohol program, jail time, probation license restrictions and revocation, and other penalties depending on the circumstances surrounding your case.
Seeking the Best Possible Outcome
I have immersed myself in defending people who make mistakes for almost the past two decades, and I genuinely enjoy what I do! Over my many years of practice, I have learned the obvious: It is not what you know; it is who you know. I have developed professional relationships with many prosecutors, and I encourage you to put my connections and experience to work for you!
So, if you've got a DUI in the Metro Court, you first want to educate yourself on how that courthouse works, and you also want an attorney to talk to you about your specific fact pattern — your particular situation.
Besides the blood alcohol level, the Metro Court prosecutors will look at your prior criminal record and your dangerousness level out on the road while you were being pulled over for your DUI.
In other words, the more dangerous your driving or actions, the more likely they're going to punish you and try to get a full-fledged DUI on your record.
Examples of dangerousness include going very fast, weaving in and out of traffic, becoming involved in an accident, and striking a pedestrian. The prosecutors can point to a list of different things to say that you were dangerous when you were arrested for your DUI.
You could have killed someone, and now we're going to punish you so that, number one, you're held accountable for your actions, and number two, we're going to put some deterrence in place so that you never drink and drive again.
Watson Warning
Another big thing in the Metro Court that they do in every DUI case is given a Watson warning. What that is is a warning telling you that if you drink and drive and you kill someone, you're going to be charged with second-degree murder, and you're going to be facing fifteen to life in prison.
In other words, they're making it very clear to anybody who passes through the doors of the Metro Court that they're not messing around. If you're going to endanger other people, you will be punished for it.
So, pick up the phone today. Call me. We'll talk about your Metro Court-1945 Hill Street DUI. I'll explain how the prosecutors handle cases there and what you're facing in your particular case, and we'll get you on the road to resolving your matter as soon as possible.
Call my office and set up a free face-to-face consultation. I will educate you on DUI laws in California and how the system works and begin the process of getting you back on the road.
The next move will dictate your destiny related to your Los Angeles DUI case. Meet with Ron Hedding, and we will turn things in your favor. The Hedding Law Firm has a track record of success in DUI cases.