You need three characteristics to really give you a fair chance in any courtroom – experience in the courtroom, knowledge of the law, and the training in trial skills to take on the prosecution – just like the DUI attorneys at our Law office.
California DUI Lawyers – Decades of Experience
Our Attorneys have been DUI defense lawyers in Los Angeles County, Orange County DUI Lawyers and Long Beach DUI Lawyers since 1991. We have even imposed knowledge on other attorneys on how to defend DUI charges, and are nationally recognized as leading attorneys. If you are looking for a Los Angeles DUI lawyer you’ve found us. We’ve been around a long time.
DUI in California, or drunk driving, means driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of any amount of alcohol which impairs the driver or a blood alcohol level above 0.08. In the State of California, DUI also includes impairment due to cannabis or marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, other illegal drugs and even sometimes the combination of prescription drugs and alcohol. Impairment is often broadly defined by courts and is often a point of contention for the skilled California DUI lawyer. DUI penalties in Los Angeles are tough, and getting tougher every year.
DUI can also be charged if there is any amount of illegal controlled substance in the breath, blood or urine while driving or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle. Current California DUI cannabis law prohibits the presence of 5ng or more of THC in whole blood or 10 ng of other “bodily fluids” as measured within two hours of actual physical control of a motor vehicle.
DUI attorneys must know how to address not only general criminal defense issues but specific forensic science and special procedures even involving civil procedures that are special to DUI defense in Los Angeles, and the surrounding areas. Additionally, DUI almost always involves a Statutory suspension of your California drivers license. We know that addressing that suspension is almost always a primary concern for clients, and that speed is a paramount issue.
California DUI Defense Overview
California DUI Lawyers
Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge necessary for effective defense of driving under the influence in California, as well as extensive trial experience in Los Angeles County, Orange County and Long Beach DUI courts including jury trials and trial by judge (bench trials). Here is more information related to DUI defense:
Breath and Blood Testing in California DUI Cases
A breathalyzer test may be administered to attempt to estimate blood alcohol levels. If you refuse the test, and the officer has probable cause to believe you operating a vehicle while intoxicated, they can place you under arrest at that time, then requiring you to provide a blood or urine sample, which is a more accurate way of getting positive results if you are in fact under the influence. If you refuse this as well, your license can be suspended.
California DUI Penalties
Penalties for a misdemeanor DUI in California are serious, with up to $2500 in fines and 364 days in jail with mandatory drug and alcohol classes and treatment, costing hundreds of dollars and a permanent criminal record that cannot be expunged. Felony DUI can be even more serious, even with mandatory prison time up to as much as 60 years with extended time. Collateral consequences of a DUI can go beyond the sentence and affect CDL license holders, professionals like nurses or lawyers, military servicemen and women, aircraft pilots and many others.
DUI Drugs in California
Driving under the influence of alcohol is not the only way to find yourself facing a California DUI. Driving or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle with illegal drugs in your blood or urine is also considered a DUI in California. Drugged driving is becoming even more common, and may even include prescription medications and over-the-counter medication when mixed with alcohol that causes impairment. DUI drugs often involve extensive forensic evidence which your California DUI lawyer must know how to address.
Field Sobriety Tests in California
Standardized Field sobriety tests are tools essentially used in the investigation by police officers to assist in the determination of whether a motorist is impaired, and may be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. there is a battery of three tests performed in order to determine if the driver is impaired. The “walk and turn”, a one leg stand, that may be timed, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Since your performance of these tests can and will be, used in Court by prosecutors to prove your guilt, you should hire a lawyer that knows the NHTSA standards for Field Sobriety Tests, like the lawyers at LawRmac.
California Statutory Summary Suspension Law
If you refuse to submit to any breath, blood or urine test after being arrested for DUI, your driving privileges may be suspended for between one and three years. If you submit and the results are above a 0.08 or demonstrate the presence of an illegal drug like cannabis, heroin or ecstasy, you face a statutory summary suspension of your driver’s license between six months and one year. In some cases, a driving permit called an MDDP is available, but if you have committed a prior violation of DUI or a DUI suspension within the past five years, no driving permit is available under current California law.
DUI and Out of State Drivers
If you have been charged with DUI in California, but are from another state, in addition to the penalties applied by California, you face penalties from your home state. California is a member of the Interstate Driver’s License Compact, by which different States agree to share information regarding driving offenses, and DUI in particular. Handling out-of-state motorists require special care, and our attorneys have a great deal of experience in this field and can help address the issue at hand.
Plea Bargain vs DUI Trial
You will always be presented with the choice of whether to proceed with a trial by judge, trial by jury or to engage in a plea bargain negotiation. A plea bargain involves the defendant pleading guilty without a trial in exchange for reducing the risk and consequences you may face at trial. A knowledgeable Los Angeles DUI attorney from our firm can help you make an intelligent decision about your realistic options.
Trained California DUI Trial Lawyers
Most people facing DUI simply decide to plead guilty from the start. Many don’t even consult an experienced California DUI attorney, mistakenly thinking their family attorney or business lawyer will understand the intricacies. Most often they do not and they can miss important details, misunderstand the consequences and effects, miss negotiating opportunities and will be unable to effectively mount a defense at trial. Those mistakes will cost you. A well-trained lawyer specifically focussing on DUI defense won’t make those same mistakes.
There are many defense options available. Failing a chemical test or field sobriety test doesn’t mean you are automatically guilty, or that the prosecution’s evidence is irrefutable.
For instance, did the officer properly administer chemical tests and follow the regulations that are in place ensure reliability? Can the prosecution prove that the chain of custody for the sample was not broken or that your sample was not mixed up with someone else’s? Furthermore, the officer’s compliance with standardized field sobriety test procedures. Our California DUI lawyers can thoroughly examine the evidence brought against you and the circumstances of your arrest to create a strong and detailed defense. Give yourself the best chance of success with lawyers that know what to look for and address the potentially harmful evidence.
We’ve successfully defended countless clients against DUI charges throughout the Los Angeles area including Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Long Beach courts. We understand the defense strategies that are most effective in court, and how to challenge the evidence offered by the prosecution.
Call us now for a no-cost session with a California DUI lawyer to learn how we can help.