Get a DUI Attorney Near Me
DUI is a serious charge in La Cañada Flintridge. Over the years, penalties have become tougher and a single drunk driving conviction can now haunt you for years. Every DUI carries the possibility of jail time, plus mandatory license suspension, driving classes, and massive fines. You need to fight the charge.
The best way to fight a DUI is with a good La Cañada Flintridge DUI lawyer to represent you. Lawyers understand the legal system, and your lawyer will help you take on the charge and maximize your chances of winning. A good Los Angeles DUI lawyer may be able to get a DUI dropped or reduced to reckless driving, or even get you acquitted of all charges. In many cases they could also save you a lot of money.
DUI Penalties in La Cañada Flintridge
Driving under the influence is one of the most expensive crimes on the books. Lawmakers have consistently driven up the fines and fees, to the point where a single first time conviction can cost you over $15,000. The city of La Cañada Flintridge takes full advantage of this. DUI checkpoints are held across the Crescenta Valley area and can stop over 1,000 vehicles in a single evening. You are just one of countless people being prosecuted in this system.
The penalties for DUI depend on whether it’s your first offense, or if you have previous DUI’s in the past 10 years. Penalties for a first time DUI include:
- A jail sentence lasting anywhere from two days to six months
- Losing your driver’s license for anywhere from a few months to a year
- Mandatory “DUI School” safety classes that last three months and cost you $500 or more
- Fines plus special fees from the court, that altogether add up to at least $1,800—and often much more
Repeat offenders face tougher sentences. Jail may be extended up to a year, or you may be sent to prison for a year or longer. Fine rise steeply and may go into the tens of thousands of dollars. License suspension and DUI school both last for years. In some cases, you may lose your license forever.
The Three Deadlines in Your La Cañada Flintridge DUI Case
Every DUI case begins differently. You may have been arrested by the LA County Sheriff or State Troopers from the Altadena division, and may have spent 24 hours or longer in jail at the Sheriff Department’s Crescenta Valley Station. But once you’re arrested, every DUI case follows the same legal process and involves the same crucial deadlines. You must be prepared to meet each deadline head on and know how to prepare for it.
The three deadlines in your DUI case are:
- Your arraignment. You will be given a hearing known as an arraignment within a few days to a few weeks of your arrest. The official purpose of this hearing is to enter your plea of Guilty or Not Guilty. However, the prosecutor will be watching you. They want to size you up and see if you’ll be easy to convict or not. Prosecutors have very busy case loads, and they don’t want to spend time fighting every DUI. If they see a reputable DUI lawyer with you, they’ll know you’re not going to go down easy, and they may offer you a more favorable deal right away.
- Your DMV hearing. The DMV hearing is your one and only chance to keep your driver’s license before the trial—and it’s possible to miss it completely. From your arrest, you have only 10 days to request your hearing with the California DMV. If you don’t, your license will be suspended until trial. Ask your DUI lawyer to arrange your hearing for you.
- Your court date. You will be assigned a trial date within 45 days at the Pasadena Courthouse. But if you have a good lawyer you may never actually have to stand trial. Your lawyer will fight to win your case for you before the trial date, potentially beating the charge without ever seeing a jury.
Do I Need a DUI Lawyer in La Cañada Flintridge?
You are not required to have a lawyer to fight a DUI charge. However, it’s very difficult to beat a DUI charge without professional advice. Your lawyer is your guide, the person who knows the criminal justice system, and the only person in that system who truly has your best interests at heart.
When a DUI lawyer takes on a case, the first thing they do is look at the evidence against you line by line. Most DUI cases have seemingly “irrefutable” evidence like breath tests—but your lawyer knows this evidence is not as strong as it looks. More importantly, they know how to beat it. For example:
- Breath tests, blood tests and urine tests are considered inadmissible if the state’s testing procedures weren’t precisely followed.
- The testimony of arresting officers is often flawed, biased, confused or outright mistaken. Inconsistencies can call their entire story into question.
- Police may have gotten you to say something incriminating during questioning, but if you weren’t fully advised of your rights, your words may not be used against you.
- In many cases even the initial arrest may have been flawed. If your rights were broken, the case against you collapses.
Your lawyer will challenge each piece of evidence, potentially leaving the prosecution with a much weaker case. At this point you’re more likely to get a deal you can live with. A good DUI lawyer may be able to get the charges dropped or reduced to something minor. You could even win your case outright.
You Can Speak to a La Cañada Flintridge DUI Attorney for Free
If you have been accused of DUI, you need a good defense. We can help you get one. We work with top DUI attorneys around the La Cañada Flintridge area and can help connect you with a lawyer with the right experience for your case. Your lawyer will offer you a FREE consultation. This consultation is your chance to get qualified legal help with zero obligation.
Don’t face the judge alone. Get the professional legal help you need. Fill out the form to the right or call (310) 896-2724 and get your FREE consultation today.
