Get a DUI Attorney Near Me
If you were arrested for DUI in Hollywood, you have a difficult case before you. DUI carries extremely stiff penalties that can include jail time, loss of your driver’s license, and thousands of dollars in fines and fees—sometimes more. It also has a longer term effect on your life, raising your insurance rates and potentially affecting your employment. It is not a charge you should take lying down.
The best way to fight your DUI is to speak to an experienced Hollywood DUI lawyer. DUI lawyers know that no case is unwinnable, and they have the legal knowledge and courtroom experience to back it up. Although no lawyer can promise a victory, they will dramatically improve your chances in your DUI case. They may be able to help you get the charge dismissed, reduce it to a lesser charge, or even win outright.
The Cost of a DUI in Hollywood, CA
Hollywood is not good place to be arrested for a DUI charge. It’s a high profile neighborhood and one that serves as an attraction to tourists. The result is that area law enforcement is aggressive in looking for impaired drivers. Los Angeles has nearly 8,000 DUI arrests a year, and they’re prosecuted with a vengeance.
The penalties for DUI are set by California state law. These penalties are steep even for a first offender and get worse for repeat violations. In recent years, the fines and court fees for DUI have risen substantially, making it one of the most expensive misdemeanors on the books. A single first-time DUI can cost up to $15,649.
The minimum penalties for a first offense include:
- Mandatory suspension of your driver’s license.
- Jail time—anywhere from two days to six months.
- A minimum fee of $390, which rises to nearly $2,000 when the mandatory “court assessments” are thrown in.
- Three month traffic school, which you pay for out of pocket.
- Probation long after your sentence is served.
These are minimums. If there are aggravating factors or you have prior DUI convictions, the costs and penalties will soar. Fines can reach tens of thousands of dollars; jail time can become more than a year in state prison; and license suspension and traffic school can drag on for years. You may also be required to install an interlock device in your car. This device, of course, is not free.
These steep penalties mean you need to understand the process before you and fight it from the beginning.
How the DUI Process Works in Hollywood
Most DUI’s begin with either a roadside stop or a car accident. In Hollywood, you may have been arrested by the LAPD, the LA County Sheriff out of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, or the Southern Division of the California Highway Patrol. In most cases you will be booked and processed at the Hollywood Jail Facility and released the next day.
Once you are released, the legal road has only started. You now face multiple hearings and deadlines, each of which has a bearing on your future. You cannot afford to go to them unprepared.
They include:
- Your DMV hearing. When you are arrested for DUI, the California DMV automatically suspends your license. This is called “administrative suspension” and takes place before you get your day in court. The only way to prevent this suspension is to file a request for a hearing—and you must do this within ten days of your arrest. Your DUI lawyer can represent you at this hearing, and will make a case for allowing you to keep your license.
- The arraignment. At your arraignment you will appear before a judge and officially enter your plea—Guilty or Not Guilty. If you’re using a state-appointed attorney, chances are high that they’ll urge you to plead Guilty and take the first deal offered to you. These deals are seldom better than the standard sentence for a DUI charge. If you get a DUI lawyer, they are likely to tell you to plead Not Guilty, knowing that they can pressure the prosecution for a much better offer.
- Preparation for trial. Your court date will be set one or more months out. This is time a DUI lawyer can use to build your case. The prosecution is required to share evidence with them and they will begin to find its weak points. This is when they are most likely to secure a favorable offer for you, or potentially get your case dropped.
- The trial. If you go to trial it will most likely be at the Hollywood Courthouse, but many DUI cases never reach this point. If you do choose to fight your case in court, your lawyer will work to convince the jury that the case against you is weak. If you win in trial, you have no DUI on your record and face absolutely no penalties.
How to Beat a DUI in Hollywood
DUI lawyers use a range of tactics to fight a DUI charge. The goal of all of these tactics is to undermine evidence against you. By weakening the prosecution’s case, they make it more likely that your case will solve favorably before trial.
These tactics include:
- Disputing the blood/breath test. These tests are not as scientific as they look. Breathalyzers can be wrong if they were mis-calibrated or not maintained properly. Blood tests are questionable if lab procedures are not followed exactly. When this is the case, the results can sometimes be thrown out.
- Spotting procedural violations. Police have to follow rules to pull a citizen over, arrest them, search their vehicle, and question them. If your rights were violated than some of the evidence—or your own testimony during interrogation—may not be valid.
- Disputing police testimony. Like all of us, law enforcement officers have their own biases. They have to make snap decisions when approaching a suspected drunk driver. If their statements can be shown to be inaccurate or inconsistent, their testimony may not be credible.
Don’t Face Your DUI Charge Alone
From the day of your arrest, legal deadlines are looming and you have limited time to build a defense. The way to do that is to have an expert at your side who knows how fight for the best possible outcome. A DUI lawyer can change the course of your case.
We believe you deserve a strong defense. That’s why our site will match you with a qualified Hollywood DUI lawyer for free. All you need to do is give a few basic details of your case and we will connect you with an attorney who has the experience to take it on. They will give you an in-depth case evaluation at NO charge.
Don’t go another day without representation. Fill out the form to the right or call (310) 862-0199 and get your FREE consultation today.
