Law enforcement in North Hollywood has been cracking down as part of a citywide effort to reduce drunk driving. If you have been charged with DUI, you need to defend yourself.
The best way to do that is by having an experienced North Hollywood DUI lawyer on your side. Los Angeles DUI Lawyer can connect you with an attorney who understands how prosecutors approach these cases and what to do to turn the tide in your case.
A strong criminal defense attorney may be able to get you a light sentence, help you keep your driver’s license, or even have the charges against you dropped. In many cases, they will save you thousands of dollars.
Penalties for DUI in North Hollywood
Like most of the state, North Hollywood has seen a stricter stance on DUI in recent years. This is in no small part because DUI carries massive fines and fees. All these arrests and convictions bring in a lot of money to the government.
Local courts see DUI convictions as a source of revenue, and the city now has over 2,000 DUI arrests a year. Prosecutors argue for considerable penalties in most of these cases. The cost of a California DUI can now be around $15,000.
Your penalties depend on whether you have previous DUIs on your record. The California penalties for a DUI are severe: jail time, a suspended driver’s license, and massive fines are just part of standard sentences. Here are the consequences you can expect to experience:
- You will spend at least two days in jail in most cases and up to six months.
- There are about $1,800 in fines and court assessments. This includes a minimum $390 criminal fine. If the judge goes with a higher fine, the total can be many thousands of dollars.
- You will face a license suspension lasting at least several months and often about a year.
- You must attend DUI “school,” which requires three months of classes (minimum) and a cost of at least $500 that you pay out of your own pocket.
Even after your sentence is served, you will remain on probation and may have to pay to install an interlock device on your car.
Penalties Can Get Worse Over Time
Again, these are first-time penalties. Second or third DUIs face much steeper sentences. Jail can last up to a year or be converted to sixteen months in state prison.
Driver’s suspension and DUI treatment can continue for years, and the fines will likely add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Other Consequences You Need to Plan For
Collateral fallout can often be just as devastating, if not more so, than the criminal penalties you face. Unfortunately, completing the terms of your sentencing is not the end of your DUI case.
Although you may be out of jail or prison, there will also be other consequences you need to consider, such as:
- Having community service hours to complete
- Completing DUI school
- Attending regular meetings with court officials, such as probation officers
- Completing a random drug or alcohol test
- Finding safe and affordable housing
- Risking deportation or loss of green card rights
- Suspension or revocation of your professional licenses
- Purchasing SR – 22 insurance
The impact of your DUI conviction can follow you for years to come. You can avoid these hassles by getting the charges against you reduced or dismissed through a pretrial diversion program or successfully defending yourself at trial. You can learn more about which options are most suitable for your case when you contact your North Hollywood DUI attorney for help.
What Happens When You Get a DUI in North Hollywood
It is essential to understand the DUI process you face. The LAPD most likely arrested you out of the North Hollywood station, but North Hollywood is also policed by the Sheriff’s office and the Southern Division of the state Highway Patrol.
You may be required to post bail to be released from jail. If this has happened to a loved one, your North Hollywood DUI lawyer can assist with finding a way to bail them out.
As soon as you are arrested, the legal process begins and will move quickly. Each stage of your case requires you to make fast decisions that may impact the rest of your life. The most crucial steps of your case are:
The DMV Hearing
You may not realize it, but the battle to keep your driver’s license begins immediately. The state DMV will suspend your license automatically unless you file a request for a hearing. This is an administrative suspension, and you have only 10 days to request your hearing.
If you do not, or if you lose at the hearing, you will lose your license before you even go to trial. A DUI lawyer serving North Hollywood can represent you at this hearing.
Your Arraignment
Several weeks after your arrest, you will be given an arraignment, a hearing in front of a judge where you are read the charges and are asked to enter a plea. Sometimes the prosecution will already have offered you a “deal,” but these early deals are seldom better than just taking the standard sentence from the judge.
This is the first point at which your DUI lawyer can begin to bring pressure to bear on the prosecutor.
Trial Preparation
There will be approximately one month between the arraignment and your trial date. In most cases, you will never have to go to trial, but you must use this time carefully. Your DUI attorney serving North Hollywood will probe the prosecution’s evidence, carry out research on your behalf, and move to throw out evidence that has holes.
This is when they are in a position to negotiate the best possible offer for you because the prosecution rarely wants to go to trial.
The Trial Itself
Your trial will likely be held at the Hollywood Courthouse and will be a trial by jury. This is a DUI defense lawyer’s natural element. No lawyer can promise you a victory, but they will draw on years of experience to weaken the evidence against you and persuade the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.
How Does a DUI Lawyer Win a Case?
Many people facing a DUI charge assume the case against them is unbeatable. You may have failed a chemical test, performed poorly on a field sobriety test, or even admitted to drinking. A skilled Los Angeles County criminal defense lawyer knows that no evidence is ironclad and that even the toughest DUI charges can be challenged.
Some of the ways they do this include:
- Excluding breath or blood tests: Police and labs must follow strict evidence collection procedures set by the state. If any protocol was violated during the court process, those results could be thrown out.
- Reviewing the arrest: If your rights were not read to you or other procedures were broken, key evidence may be excluded, including statements where you admitted drinking.
- Finding alternative explanations: A conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. If other factors were present, such as mouthwash containing alcohol, a jury may doubt whether you were truly intoxicated.
- Spotting errors in officer testimony: Police make mistakes. Reviewing other evidence or comparing witness statements can expose inconsistencies that weaken the case against you.
The stakes in a DUI case are serious. Consequences can include prison terms and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device. Having the right criminal defense attorney review every detail of your case can make a significant difference.
Talk to a North Hollywood DUI Lawyer
We believe that you deserve the best defense possible in your DUI case. That is why we want to connect you with an experienced DUI lawyer. We work with only the most reputable lawyers, and we can match you with someone with experience with cases like yours.
You will receive a free consultation and be able to make an informed decision about whether a lawyer’s services could help you.
Do not let a run-in with the Los Angeles police department and a DUI conviction ruin your life. Please fill out our convenient contact form or call Los Angeles DUI Lawyer to get your free consultation today.
Serving Drivers Across North Hollywood and the Surrounding Area
We defend drivers arrested across North Hollywood and the surrounding central San Fernando Valley, including the NoHo Arts District, Valley Village, and the neighborhoods around Lankershim and Magnolia Boulevards, as well as neighboring Studio City, Burbank, and Van Nuys. Whether you were stopped on the 170 (Hollywood Freeway), the 134, or the 101, pulled over along Lankershim Boulevard or Victory Boulevard, or arrested near the NoHo Arts District after a night out, we handle DUI cases throughout the 91601, 91602, 91605, and 91606 ZIP codes and the rest of the central Valley.
A North Hollywood DUI moves on two tracks at once. Misdemeanor DUIs from North Hollywood and the surrounding San Fernando Valley are filed at the Van Nuys Courthouse (14400 Erwin Street). At the same time, the DMV opens a separate Administrative Per Se (APS) action through the Van Nuys Driver Safety Office — and you have only 10 days from your arrest to request a hearing before your license is automatically suspended. We handle both the courtroom case and the DMV hearing from day one.
Most North Hollywood DUI charges are filed under California Vehicle Code 23152(a) and 23152(b) — the standard 0.08% BAC offenses — with felony exposure under VC 23153 when someone is injured. We challenge the basis for the traffic stop, the calibration and 15-minute observation period behind the preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) breath device, the chain of custody on any blood draw, and the reliability of field sobriety tests. For repeat cases, we address prior convictions, ignition interlock device (IID) requirements, SR-22 insurance filings, and DUI-school terms — and on injury cases, the Watson advisement.
North Hollywood DUI cases are handled by trial attorney Michael A. Simmrin (California State Bar No. 238092), a University of Miami School of Law graduate who has tried more than 100 jury trials. Consultations are free and available 24/7 — call (310) 906-4672 to speak with an attorney directly. Learn more about Michael Simmrin →
North Hollywood DUI FAQs
What is the best defense for a North Hollywood DUI?
There is no single best defense—the right strategy depends on the facts of your stop and arrest. In North Hollywood DUI cases, common defenses include challenging the reason for the traffic stop, questioning the calibration and 15-minute observation period behind the breath (PAS) test, scrutinizing the blood-draw chain of custody, and disputing field sobriety test results. A defense attorney reviews the police report, body-camera footage, and chemical evidence to find the weakness that fits your case under California Vehicle Code 23152.
Do you really need a lawyer for a DUI in North Hollywood?
You are not legally required to hire one, but a DUI triggers two separate cases at once: the criminal case, prosecuted at the Van Nuys Courthouse, and a DMV Administrative Per Se action that can suspend your license within 10 days of arrest. A lawyer handles both, requests the DMV hearing on time, and can spot defenses most people would miss. For a charge that affects your record, your license, and your job, experienced representation usually makes a meaningful difference.
How long do DUI hearings last at the Van Nuys Courthouse?
It depends on the type of hearing. Early appearances such as an arraignment at the Van Nuys Courthouse are usually brief—often just a few minutes before the judge. The separate DMV Administrative Per Se hearing is also short and can be held by phone. If your case goes to trial, it can last from a day to several days depending on the evidence and witnesses. Most North Hollywood DUI cases are resolved well before trial, during the pre-trial phase.
Is it worth it to fight a North Hollywood DUI?
In most cases, yes—even when the evidence looks strong. Breath and blood results do not always hold up, and fighting the charge can lead to a dismissal, an acquittal, or a reduction to a lesser offense with lighter penalties. At minimum, a thorough review of your case gives you the information to make an informed decision instead of simply accepting the first offer. Consultations are free—call (310) 906-4672 to discuss your options 24/7.
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