Being charged with driving under the influence can have a huge impact on your life. The State of California is no longer looking the other way when it comes to driving under the influence. DUI penalties are becoming quite severe. You can lose your license (temporarily or permanently) and even do jail time for a DUI offense. I defend a lot of DUI cases and have taken notice of the Court’s treatment of DUI defendants. More often than not, jail time is being recommended. Now, whether this is because the courts are trying to scare the public straight, or just a change in the overall perception of what this offense truly means is anyone’s guess. My advice, however, is that if you are facing a DUI hearing or trial you want an attorney who specializes in presenting DUI defenses.
When we go to trial a number of things happen based on the blood/alcohol content recorded at the time of the arrest. The blood/alcohol content in your body is known as the “BAC”. You’ll hear this term used often in legal or police settings. Recently, the legal limit has been lowered, from 0.10% BAC to 0.08% BAC. That means you have a greater chance of being charged with DUI than ever before. It also means that what was once a “middle range” back has slipped to “upper” and can increase your chances of jail time.
There are mandatory DUI penalties, even for first time offenders. Depending on the severity of the case–if there has been an accident wherein there was damage to property or harm/loss of human life defendants can face from four days in prison to a sentence of six months or more. It won’t matter if it is your first offense or not. Minimum mandatory laws have changed the Court’s ability to grant leniency. However, as a defense attorney specializing in this practice area I do have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to reducing penalties through mitigation of the event.
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. I do what I do each day because I believe in second chances–even third and fourth chances depending on the circumstance. Many of the people I represent punish themselves more severely for their mistakes than the judicial system ever could.
LA defense attorneys–especially Hollywood defense attorneys see a lot of DUI offenses come through their office. Because of the sheer workload of cases we gain insight into how the Courts will perceive a particular individual or event. We are better able to represent you or your loved one than attorney’s whose practice areas are less proliferated.
If you are facing a DUI sentencing–even if you are at the low-end of the BAC you still need a Hollywood DUI lawyer like myself to represent you. Contact us today at: 310.273.9600
