The second time you face accusations of driving under the influence (DUI), you may find yourself at serious risk for prolonged jail time and fines. If you want to avoid having a second conviction on your criminal record, we encourage you to connect with a skilled Pasadena second offense DUI lawyer.
Fortunately, you can connect with Los Angeles DUI Lawyers immediately after your arrest. Our team can then put you in touch with one of the Pasadena DUI lawyers in our network. That representation can protect your right to retain your license, avoid unwieldy fines, and circumvent jail time.
Don’t Let Arresting Officers Compromise Your Rights
California’s civil courts most often charge parties accused of their second DUIs with misdemeanor crimes, barring extenuating circumstances. You have every right to challenge those charges and can do so with assistance from a second offense DUI lawyer in Pasadena, CA.
It’s not usually in your best interest to speak with arresting officers or other parties on your own. If you want to preserve your right to legal action and prevent officers from using your words against you, you can invoke your right to a lawyer and your right to remain silent immediately after your arrest.
Los Angeles DUI Lawyers can put you in touch with an attorney shortly upon your arrest, ensuring that you can benefit from legal support almost as soon as a criminal investigation into your behavior begins.
What Can a Pasadena Second Offense DUI Lawyer Do for You?
Working with a Pasadena second offense DUI attorney allows you to do more than protect your right to a fair defense. An experienced attorney, like the ones in our professional network, can systemically challenge the validity of the evidence brought against you by police officers. In doing so, your attorney can fight to have the charges brought against you reduced.
A lawyer can even help you pursue a plea bargain. However, the attorneys in our network will never pursue a plea bargain without discussing that bargain with you first.
In the fight to reduce the charges brought against you, you can count on your attorney to speak for you in court, preventing the prosecution and other parties from taking your words out of context. You may even have the chance to get the charges brought against you dropped, especially if officers engaged in bias during your arrest.
Second DUIs Mean More Fines and More Jail Time
What happens if you don’t challenge your second round of DUI charges? Because California takes these charges so seriously, you run the risk of increased jail time (CA Vehicle Code 23540), significant fines, and more involvement in second-offender alcohol treatment programs.
We fight to prevent our clients from experiencing:
- A mandatory minimum of 96 hours up to 1 year in jail
- Fines of up to $1,000, not including restitution paid to any victims of drunk driving accidents
- Mandatory attendance at an alcohol education class for up to 18 months, and all of the expenses associated with that program
- DUI probation of up to five years
- License restrictions
You may also lose your personal driver’s license for up to two years during a DMV hearing. If you have a commercial driver’s license, a second DUI conviction tends to serve as the death knell for your career. A conviction can also impact your right to housing and hold certain jobs, meaning your security and income may be on the line.
California criminal courts may also require you to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in your car upon your conviction. Unfortunately, your insurance will not cover the cost of your alcohol education classes, IID installation, or other expenses. You’ll be expected to pay any fines or expenses you incur out of pocket.
Insurance Consequences
Insurance providers may also require you to invest in SR-22 coverage until you are off DUI probation. That investment increases your rates, meaning you’ll be on the hook for even more money when it comes time to pay for your policy.
Your Attorney Can Help With Your DMV Hearing
In addition to your criminal trial, you’ll have to consider a DMV hearing after your second DUI arrest. The Department of Motor Vehicles dictates whether or not you get to keep your license after a DUI. Fortunately, the second offense DUI lawyers in Pasadena know how to tackle DMV hearings.
The attorneys in our network can make sure you file the necessary paperwork to kickstart a hearing within 10 days of your arrest. An attorney can then represent you throughout discovery, at which point they can identify any evidence that misrepresents the facts of your case or that stems from a place of bias. They can also point out rights violations and invalidate certain data.
You can then expect your attorney to stand with you during your hearing, at which point they can contest the DMV’s assertions that you need to have your license suspended or revoked. Notably, this process is separate from California’s criminal proceedings. Even if you retain your license after a hearing, you’ll still have to challenge the criminal charges brought against you.
You’re Not Alone in the Wake of a Second DUI
You don’t have to challenge accusations of drinking and driving alone, especially if you already have similar incidents on your criminal record. You can work with Los Angeles DUI Lawyers to connect with a second offense DUI attorney in Pasadena, CA. Representation from an experienced attorney in our network allows you to:
- Challenge assumptions that you were intoxicated behind the wheel
- Question the evidence the police officers used to charge you
- Represent you in and out of court, preserving your rights
- Discuss the pros and cons of a plea deal as appropriate
Your defense consultation comes free of charge. Don’t let police officers deny you your right to an attorney. The sooner you can connect with Los Angeles DUI Lawyers, the sooner you can fight back against accusations of driving under the influence.
