Facing a DUI charge in Pico Rivera is hard. Prosecutors aim for the heaviest sentence possible, including jail time, a suspended driver’s license, mandatory traffic safety classes, and thousands of dollars in fines. If you’ve been arrested on a DUI charge, you need to fight it.
The best way to do that is with the help of a Pico Rivera DUI attorney. Your Los Angeles DUI lawyer will help you navigate the complex legal system and pressure the prosecutor to offer you a way out. They may even be able to win your case without going to trial.
Look no further than the DUI attorney at our firm to take a strong stance on your behalf so you do not have to worry about your life drastically changing.
How Much does a DUI Cost in Pico Rivera?
Getting a DUI is no longer cheap. Fines and fees have risen statewide, and the City of Pico Rivera views DUI arrests as a source of revenue. The Sheriff’s office routinely conducts DUI checkpoints that can net dozens of people simultaneously. Each driver arrested can end up paying over $15,000 in penalties.
Fines are not the only penalty you face. California state law sets DUI sentences based on how many previous DUIs you have on your record. Even for a first offense, however, they are not lenient. The penalties for a first DUI include
- Jail time. The minimum jail sentence for a first DUI is two days, but it can be up to six months at the discretion of the judge. This is based on how intoxicated you were and whether you hurt anyone or caused damage, among other things.
- Losing your license. You cannot keep your license after a DUI conviction. It will be suspended for several months and up to a year.
- DUI School/Alcohol Treatment. All DUI convicts in California are ordered into an education or treatment program. For a first offense, it is typically a three-month traffic safety class, which you pay for out of pocket.
- Fines and fees. DUIs come with an official fine and a slew of special “fees” paid to the court. The lowest you will pay for a first DUI is about $1,800. It can be far more.
In addition, DUI sentences include at least three years of probation and the possibility of an interlock device. A DUI attorney in Pico Rivera, CA, can answer all of your questions about the charges and how you can fight them in court.
Prior DUIs
Your penalties will be higher if you have had prior DUIs in the past ten years. Jail time can be up to a year, fines go into the tens of thousands of dollars, and you could lose your license for years.
You could sometimes be sentenced to 16 months of state prison time or even tried as a felon. This is why facing your DUI case head-on is so important, and you should do everything you can to defend yourself. Talk to a Pico Rivera DUI attorney today about your case.
Three Crucial Deadlines in Your DUI Case
Every DUI case starts differently. In Pico Rivera, you may have been arrested by the county Sheriff or the state police out of the Santa Fe office. You will usually be booked in Pico Rivera Sheriff station.
After the initial processing, however, every DUI case follows a similar path. There are crucial deadlines in every case, and you must be prepared for each. The main deadlines in your case include the following:
Your Hearing with the DMV
If you want to keep your driver’s license until the trial, you have only ten days to request a hearing. The California DMV will automatically suspend your license if you miss this step.
A DUI lawyer can help you file this request properly so you don’t miss it. They can also represent you at the hearing. Your lawyer will know what the DMV is looking for to believe you deserve to drive.
Your Arraignment
The arraignment is your first court date. It is not a trial. It’s a short hearing before a judge, where you are asked to plead Guilty or Not Guilty.
However, the arraignment is your first chance to stand in court against the prosecutor. They will be eyeing you to see if you will be easy to convict.
If you have a lawyer whose reputation they respect, they will be worried. They will start thinking about offering you a deal—usually better than what they initially offered you. The arraignment is normally only 14 days or less from your arrest, and you should have a lawyer before this date.
Your Trial Date
Your trial will most likely be scheduled at the Downey Courthouse. But in most cases, you will never have to go to trial. Your DUI lawyer will work to resolve your case in your favor before the trial ever happens.
Does Having a DUI Attorney Make a Difference?
The best thing you can do for your case is to hire a DUI lawyer in Pico Rivera, CA, with a strong reputation. Your lawyer does more than just file papers and speak to the judge. They are trained in the techniques that turn around DUI cases. For example:
- Challenging the validity of the breath test/blood test and having the results thrown out
- Questioning the arresting officer in a way that shows their biases, assumptions, or errors
- Investigate whether your rights were violated and prove it to the court
- Negotiating with the prosecutor
This last one may be the most important skill a DUI lawyer brings. Prosecutors do not want to fight every DUI case. If it’s not an easy conviction, they have bigger cases to pursue and are willing to bargain. In some cases, your lawyer may be able to get your charge reduced to something less than DUI or dropped entirely.
The Long-Term Implications of a DUI Conviction in Pico Rivera
A DUI conviction brings with it a lot more than just jail time and hefty fines. You can experience long-term consequences that have an impact on multiple aspects of your life if convicted. Your personal life, employment, and education can all be impacted negatively if you are convicted of a DUI in Pico Rivera.
For these reasons, you should talk to an experienced Pico Rivera DUI lawyer. The consequences of a DUI conviction might also include the following:
- The inability to enroll in a college or university
- The inability to find employment
- Difficulty maintaining relationships with friends and family members
- Trouble getting to and from work, school, the doctor’s office and the store
- Increased auto insurance rates once you are permitted to hold a driver’s license again
Speak to a Pico Rivera DUI Lawyer for Free
There are many ways a lawyer can tackle your case. All of them require acting fast. Legal deadlines come quickly; a good defense requires careful, knowledgeable legal work.
We can connect you to a lawyer with the right skills for your case—and we charge absolutely nothing. Our site exists to help drivers like you get help from the most experienced DUI Lawyers in the Pico Rivera area. Every lawyer we work with offers a 100% FREE case evaluation.
This is your chance to learn how they would approach your case and your odds. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Fill out the form to the right or call our office and get your free consultation today.
