If you are facing criminal charges for a DUI, you must defend yourself. A DUI is treated harshly and can affect your insurance rates, reputation, and future employment. This, in addition to fines and potential jail time, makes it imperative to fight your DUI every step of the way.
The best way to do that is by hiring a Beverly Hills DUI lawyer. DUI criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles know the legal process ahead of you and how to weaken the evidence against you at each stage. They have experience taking cases like yours and achieving.
How Much Will a DUI Cost?
The minimum fine for a first-time DUI in California is $390. Once fees and assessments are added on, the fine becomes hefty, totaling in the thousands. And the costs only go up from there.
Law enforcement hosts multiple sobriety checkpoints each year. These cases are prosecuted aggressively because each represents revenue for the local government. DUI is one of the most expensive misdemeanors you can face.
What Happens After Police Officers Arrest You?
The DUI legal process consists of several stages, which include:
DMV Hearing
Your driver’s license will be removed upon arrest and automatically suspended for 30 days if you do not take action. However, you have only ten days to fight for it.
That is when you can request an administrative hearing to object to the suspension. Your Beverly Hills DUI attorney can represent you at this hearing. If you miss the ten-day deadline, there is no way to keep your driving privileges until the trial.
Arraignment
An arraignment hearing in a DUI case is a legal proceeding before a judge in which you hear the charges against you and officially enter your plea. It usually occurs only a week or two after the arrest.
Trial Preparation
Typically, in California, it takes up to 45 days before you have a trial.
Your legal counsel will look for evidence that the blood or breath test that measured your blood alcohol concentration was flawed and find weaknesses in the evidence against you. If you have an experienced lawyer, a strong defense is presented, and the best plea bargains are usually offered during this time.
Trial
Your trial will be held at the Beverly Hills Courthouse and typically lasts up to five days. Many DUI cases never even go to trial. You will likely choose between accepting a plea deal with a light sentence or reduced charge or going to court to fight for an acquittal.
Criminal Penalties for a DUI Conviction
Penalties for a DUI in Southern California escalate with each subsequent DUI within a decade. Even for first-time offenders, the consequences are substantial but include:
- A minimum of $1,800 in fines and court fees
- Minimum of two days in jail, with sentences of up to six months.
- Mandatory suspension of your driver’s license
- Mandatory DUI traffic school at your expense.
- Probation and the potential for additional penalties
- The stigma of a criminal record
It’s essential to note that these represent minimum penalties, and the total cost of a first-time DUI in Southern California can exceed $15,000. Second or third DUI convictions result in even harsher consequences.
How Can a Lawyer Help?
Your DUI lawyer in Beverly Hills, CA, is responsible for reviewing the various ways you could defend yourself against the allegations against you.
Fortunately, you have multiple options. For some, pretrial diversion programs may be available. For others, preparing a compelling legal defense strategy will be the best course of action:
Pretrial Diversion
Pretrial diversion programs give individuals who are charged with non-violent, first-time offenses the opportunity to avoid jail time and other criminal penalties associated with a conviction. Instead, you must complete the terms of the program, and the district attorney will dismiss or reduce the DUI charges against you.
For example, if you are a registered nurse arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, entering a pretrial diversion program could allow the district attorney to reduce the charges against you to less reckless or drop them entirely, allowing you to protect your professional license to practice.
Failure to fulfill the requirements of a pretrial diversion program is ill-advised. If you do not meet the criteria, you will be formally charged with a DUI, and the state will proceed with your case at trial. A criminal defense attorney can help you understand if you’re eligible.
Potential DUI Defenses
If you don’t qualify for pretrial diversion, some potential defenses frequently used in DUI cases include:
- Being unlawfully stopped by the police
- Unlawful search and seizure
- Breathalyzer calibration issues
- Mistakes with the handling of chemical blood alcohol test samples or results
- Lack of sufficient evidence
- Mistake of fact
The Difference a Beverly Hills DUI Lawyer Makes in Convictions
Do not undervalue the impact that an experienced DUI attorney in Beverly Hills can have on your case.
Some of the tactics they can use include:
- Disputing the accuracy of the breath or blood test
- Finding flaws in the arrest procedure or violations of your rights
- Finding errors in police statements
Contact a Beverly Hills DUI Law Firm for a Free Consultation
The 45 days until your trial date may seem like an overwhelming experience, but a criminal defense lawyer can help throughout the entire process. Every week that you go without representation is a week that a lawyer could have been fighting for your acquittal, your driver’s license, and your freedom.
Our site exists to make it easy and affordable for you to speak to a DUI lawyer. We have a network of experienced attorneys, and we will match you with one with experience with cases like yours—for free.
A dedicated DUI attorney will offer you a free initial consultation and discuss your case with you so you can see your odds and the best way to handle it. Do not wait until you are sentenced. Please fill out our secured contact form or call our office for your free legal consultation today.
