If you are facing criminal charges for a DUI in Beverly Hills, 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 attorney. DUI criminal defense attorneys 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 You in Beverly Hills?
The minimum fine for a first-time DUI in California is $390. Once fees and assessments are added on, it becomes a hefty fine, totaling in the thousands. And the costs only go up from there.
The California Office of Traffic Safety, through grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 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 Your DUI Arrest in Beverly Hills?
The Beverly Hills Police Officers may have arrested you, the LA County Sheriff’s Department, or California State Troopers operating out of the West Los Angeles Office. You will likely be booked and processed at the local police station and spend a night in jail.
The Beverly Hills DUI legal process consists of several stages, which include:
The DMV Hearing
This is an important step that many DUI defendants miss. Your driver’s license will be removed upon arrest and automatically suspended for 30 days if you take no action. But you have only ten days to fight for it.
That is when you can request a hearing to object to the suspension. This hearing is with a representative from the California DMV—it is not a criminal hearing. However, your DUI lawyer 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.
Your Arraignment
An arraignment hearing is a legal proceeding before a judge where you hear the charges against you and officially enter your plea. It usually is only a week or two after the arrest.
Pressure to plead guilty may already be significant at this time, but at this difficult time, it is advisable to consult with your reputable attorney before your arraignment.
Trial Preparation
Typically, in California, it takes up to 45 days before you have a trial. This waiting period can feel tense and uncomfortable. However, this is your DUI lawyer’s time to shine.
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.
The Trial
Your trial will be held at the Beverly Hills Courthouse and typically lasts up to five days. Many Beverly Hills DUI cases never even go to trial. You will likely choose between accepting a plea bargain with a light sentence or reduced charge or going to court to fight for an acquittal.
Your lawyer can help you make an informed decision in your case and can represent you in Beverly Hills court.
Criminal Penalties for a DUI Conviction in Beverly Hills, California
The California Vehicle Code establishes strict DUI penalties that 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, often exceeding this amount.
- Most first-time DUI offenders face a minimum of two days in jail, with sentences of up to six months.
- Mandatory suspension of your driver’s license
- Mandatory enrollment in DUI traffic school at your expense.
- Probation and the potential for additional penalties long after your initial sentence
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, as per the law.
Experience Legal Help to Navigate Your DUI Case
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 defense strategy will be permanent.
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, by entering a pretrial diversion program, the district attorney could reduce the charges against you to a 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.
Potential DUI Defenses
Unfortunately, not every person charged with drunk driving will be eligible for pretrial diversion. If you do not qualify, you can rely on your DUI attorney in Beverly Hills, CA, to analyze the specific details of your case and determine which defenses are most likely to result in an acquittal or other favorable outcome.
Some potential defenses frequently used in DUI cases include:
- Being unlawfully stopped by the police
- Police illegally obtaining evidence through an unlawful search and seizure
- Breathalyzer calibration issues
- Mistakes with the handling of the defendant’s chemical blood alcohol test sample or results
- Lack of sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction
- Mistake of fact
The Difference a Beverly Hills DUI Lawyer Makes in Convictions
Do not undervalue the impact that an experienced DUI attorney can have on your case. They understand the legal process and all the strategies that can lead to a good outcome in a DUI case—and they can see which ones are most likely to work in your unique case.
Some of the tactics they can use include:
- Disputing the accuracy of the breath or blood test, if there was any irregularity in how it was carried out.
- Finding flaws in the arrest procedure or violations of your rights. This can lead to suppressing evidence against you.
- Finding errors in police statements, which calls their testimony into question.
- Exploring alternative explanations for a breath test result, such as the use of mouthwash or breath spray that contains alcohol.
Don’t Face a Judge without a DUI Attorney
The 45 days until your trial date may seem like an overwhelming experience, but a Beverly Hills 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 Beverly Hills 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 Beverly Hills DUI attorney will offer you a 100% free initial consultation and discuss your case with you so you can see your odds and what the best way to handle it is. Do not wait until you are sentenced. Please fill out our secured contact form or call our office for your free legal consultation today.
