If you are arrested for DUI in Los Angeles or anywhere in California, it can be one of the scariest moments in a person’s life, especially a student or professional, who has no criminal record, is being stopped and arrested for a DUI. Such an arrest can be even more traumatizing when it is your second or even third arrest for a DUI. Most DUI arrests across the country including Los Angeles and Southern California involve persons who have no serious criminal background. In fact, most experienced criminal defense attorneys will tell that the majority of their DUI clients are students, professionals and/or hard working individuals who were arrested after a night out with friends for dinner and/or a party. The good news is that after dealing with the shock of being arrested, persons can consult an experienced DUI defense attorney to deal with a DUI arrest which often times can lead to a reduction in charges, reduced sentence or even a dismissal of the DUI charges.
A mainstay of successful defenses in Drunk Driving cases and DMV hearings is the employment by your attorney of a highly respected forensic toxicologist who has succeeded in providing expert testimony to discredit and challenge all technical issues involved in the successful defense of a DUI case. Along with employing an expert toxicologist to assist in uncovering defenses in DUI matters, an attorney can successfully defended drunk driving cases by challenging the treatment of persons arrested in such matters on constitutional grounds. A person accused of such offenses should always seek advice of a competent defense attorney in order to obtain the best possible result in a DUI/Drunk Driving case.
If you have had multiple DUI arrests or convictions, it is best to get help for any alcohol issues including voluntarily going to AA meetings even while your case is pending. This will show a good faith attempt on your part to address an alcohol addiction.
As you may know, a DUI conviction in Los Angeles and California in general, carries a number of penalties, including a license suspension, fine and potential jail sentence. With a first time DUI conviction, the court may impose a fine ranging from $390 to $1,000, as well as suspend your driver’s license for up to four months. Depending on the circumstances, you may also have to spend anywhere from four days to six months behind bars, attend DUI school, perform community service or CALTRANS, and/or have a vehicle ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle.
A second DUI conviction within 10 years of your first conviction carries up to a one-year jail sentence, $1,000 fine, one-year license suspension, and three to five years of probation. Subsequent convictions increase with penalties DUI conviction. A Court can impose additional punishment if you had an extremely high blood alcohol content (“BAC”) (above 0.15%), were traveling with a passenger under the age of 14, or were driving 20 miles or more above the speed limit at the time of your arrest.
Simply put, whether you are a celebrity or athlete like Lamar Odom or just a professional dealing with an unfortunate DUI issue, you should first consult with a competent DUI criminal defense attorney to have the best chance of successfully dealing with these criminal charges. For every problem, there is a solution and a resolution. It all starts with getting good, quality legal advice from an experienced California DUI lawyer that can examine the facts that lead up to the arrest, examine and employ experts to analyze the evidence related to blood alcohol testing and argue for reductions or dismissals of the charges to the prosecutor and judge or, in the alternative, to negotiate on your behalf with the District Attorney or City Attorney’s office for a sentence that will give you your best chance of moving on with your life!
