Get a DUI Attorney Near Me
La Mirada does not take DUI cases lightly. DUI has become a serious criminal charge, and the penalties have steadily grown over the years. When you’re charged with drunk driving you face potential jail time, the revocation of your driver’s license, mandatory DUI education classes and fines that often soar into the thousands. One DUI conviction could affect your life for years. You need to defend yourself.
The best way to fight a DUI charge is to have a good La Mirada DUI lawyer helping you. Your Los Angeles DUI lawyer is the one person in the legal system that looks out for your best interests. They will be your counsel as you make difficult choices in a complex legal system. And an experienced lawyer has a high success rate at turning a DUI charge into something more minor, like a traffic violation—or even winning your case.
How Much Does a DUI Cost in La Mirada?
Drunk driving has become one of the most expensive laws on the books. The total fines and fees associated with a single first-time DUI can be as high as $15,000 in southern California. While this is devastating to the person in the driver’s seat, to the City of La Mirada it represents a source of income. The city shows little mercy to drunk driving cases, and uses large scale DUI checkpoints to maximize arrests.
But the penalties aren’t just financial. California law prescribes a range of penalties for even the most minor case. A first time DUI offender will face:
- Jail time. You face a potential minimum of two days in jail, and can easily spend up to six months there instead.
- License suspension. Your license will be suspended for anywhere from several months to a year.
- DUI school. You are required to attend three months of classes to “educate” you about the dangers of drunk driving. You pay for these classes out of pocket at a cost of $500 or more.
- Fines. No one walks away from a DUI conviction without paying heavily. A first time DUI will cost about $1,800 minimum once all fines and fees are added in. It can be much, much higher.
The law also makes tougher penalties for repeat offenders. Second and third DUI’s can bring a year in jail, 16 months of hard prison time, $10,000 or more in fines and fees, a 30 month DUI school program, and three years of license suspension. You could even have your license permanently revoked.
What Happens After a La Mirada DUI Arrest?
Being arrested is frightening, but it’s only the beginning. In La Mirada you were most likely arrested by the LA County Sheriff or State Troopers out of Santa Fe Springs. You’ll then be held up to 24 hours in the nearby Norwalk Sheriff’s Station. Once you’re processed you will likely be released—but you now face three tight legal deadlines. Each of these deadlines will come quickly, and you need to know how to handle each one.
The deadlines in a DUI case are:
- Your DMV hearing. From the time you are arrested you have only 10 days to fight for your driver’s license. That 10 days is the amount of time you have to request a hearing with the state DMV. If you don’t request your hearing, they will initiate what’s known as “administrative suspension” of your license. The hearing is your only chance to prevent this—do not let the date pass! Ask your DUI lawyer to help you file the request. Your lawyer can also appear at the hearing and fight for your license on your behalf.
- Your arraignment. Within several weeks of your arrest you will have an arraignment. This is a short meeting in the courthouse where you enter your plea (Guilty or Not Guilty). The prosecutor will also be there. If you look like an easy target, they may pressure you to plead Guilty in exchange for a “deal” that is no different than being convicted. If you have a good DUI lawyer, however, the prosecutor will worry that you won’t be such an easy win. They’ll start to wonder if they really want to fight the case in court and risk losing. Suddenly, the prosecutor may have a much better deal to offer you—all because you have legal representation.
- Your trial date. You will be given a trial date typically 30 to 45 days from the date of your arrest. La Mirada’s DUI cases are heard at the Norwalk Courthouse. But you may never need to face trial at all. Your DUI lawyer will work to win your case for you before the trial date even arrives. Their goal is to get the case dropped, or the charge reduced, as fast as possible.
Can You Beat a DUI in La Mirada?
It is possible to beat a DUI charge. Attorneys routinely win DUI cases for their clients across California. The key is to have an attorney who devotes their practice 100% to drunk driving cases and related charges.
A good drunk driving lawyer will use a variety of tactics to win your case. They challenge the evidence against you piece by piece, and try to block as much of it as possible. That evidence could include:
- Test results. Blood tests, breath tests and urine tests are frequently wrong. If any part of the testing procedure wasn’t followed, the test may be skewed. Your lawyer will review the data and may be able to get the test results dismissed.
- Officer testimony. Police testimony is key to most DUI cases, but officers are notorious for misremembering. Your lawyer will take every opportunity to cross-check their statements, from the DMV hearing to the courtroom itself. If they find inaccuracies they will know how to respond.
- A “confession.” Being questioned by police is intimidating. You may have said something incriminating without even realizing it. But if police did not follow protocol, your statements may not be admissible in court. Your lawyer will spot any violation of your rights and move to have your statements excluded.
As the evidence is cleared off the table, the prosecution’s case gets weak. Your lawyer can then move to have your case dismissed entirely. Or they can pressure the prosecutor to offer you a way out.
Speak to a La Mirada DUI Lawyer for Free
Don’t face a DUI charge without professional counsel. We can match you with a local DUI lawyer with the right experience for your case. You will get a FREE consultation and learn what your lawyer can do for you—with no obligation. Simply fill out the form to the right or call (310) 896-2724 and you can get your FREE consultation today.
