Get a DUI Attorney Near Me
DUI is a very serious charge in San Dimas. Penalties for drunk driving have gotten steeper and now include jail time, license suspension, mandatory traffic classes, and some of the biggest fines and fees of any misdemeanor crime. A single DUI conviction can alter your life forever. That’s why you need to fight it.
Fighting a DUI charge is not impossible—and it’s far easier with a good San Dimas DUI lawyer on your side. Every week, DUI lawyers win cases for their clients and help them get their lives back on track. A good Los Angeles DUI lawyer may be able to help keep you out of jail, get your DUI knocked down to a lesser charge, or even win your case entirely. They could also save you thousands of dollars.
DUI Consequences in San Dimas
San Dimas is fierce in prosecuting DUI charges. DUI crackdowns have become politically popular, and legislators routinely pass tougher penalties for drunk driving. To the City of San Dimas, DUI is also big money. The fines and fees for a first time DUI can add up to as much as $15,649, and much of that money goes to support the courts. It should come as no surprise that San Dimas holds DUI checkpoints at undisclosed locations to get as many arrests as possible.
But fines are only part of the consequences of a DUI. The charge carries a wide range of sentences, even if you have an otherwise clean record. The penalties include:
- Jail. Any DUI can land you in jail, even if no one was hurt. Jail time for a first time DUI can be anywhere from two days to six months.
- License suspension. You will lose your driver’s license following a DUI conviction. The shortest suspension will last several months. Many last longer.
- DUI school. The judge will order you into a special traffic safety class known as DUI school. This class will last at least three months and cost $500 or more.
- Fines and fees. When convicted of a DUI you don’t just pay the criminal fine. You also pay a slew of court fees on top of it. The minimum amount you’ll owe for a first time DUI is around $1,800 and can be substantially more.
These are just the first time penalties. California State Law establishes even tougher penalties for repeat offenders. If you’ve had previous DUIs, you could face up to a year in jail, hard prison time, up to three years of license suspension or having your license permanently revoked, 30 months of DUI classes and tens of thousands of dollars in costs.
Judges can also choose to impose a variety of other optional penalties, such as forcing you to install an interlock device on your car. Even after serving your time you will be put on probation and see your car insurance rates go up.
What to Expect after a DUI Arrest in San Dimas
San Dimas is policed by the LA County Sheriff and California state troopers out of Baldwin Park. In most cases after you’re arrested you will be processed at the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station and typically spend a night jail. But being released is only the beginning. You now face a legal process that moves quickly and has numerous legal deadlines.
The three biggest deadlines in your DUI case are:
- The arraignment. Your arraignment may happen within a few days of your arrest or several weeks later. It’s a short court hearing where you appear before the judge and enter a plea of Guilty, Not Guilty or No Contest. However, this is also when the prosecutor feels you out. They want to get a sense of whether you’re serious about defending yourself and how easy you will be to convict. If you already have a reputable DUI lawyer with you, they know they will have to fight for a conviction. They may not decide a DUI case is worth it, and could immediately offer you a more generous deal.
- The DMV hearing. If you want to keep your driver’s license you have only 10 days to do so. This is the deadline to request a hearing with the California DMV. If you do not, your license will be suspended even if you haven’t been convicted. This is called “administrative” suspension and is on top of any license suspension you get sentenced with at court. You should avoid it at all costs—get a DUI lawyer to help you with the hearing.
- Your trial date. Your trial will be set at least 30 days out and likely take place at the Pomona Courthouse. But you may never have to stand trial at all. Your lawyer’s goal is to resolve your case in your favor without going to court.
How Do You Beat a DUI Charge?
Without legal training, beating a DUI is not easy. It involves navigating a complicated legal system where virtually everyone is working against you. A DUI attorney is trained to operate in this system and know which tactics work and which don’t. From day one, they will start to research the evidence against you and find holes in it. Even seemingly “scientific” evidence like a breath test or blood test is often weaker than it looks.
As your attorney weakens the evidence, they will attempt to win your case in one of three ways:
- Get the prosecutor to drop it. Prosecutors can pick and choose which cases to pursue. If your lawyer makes their job hard enough, they may simply drop your case. You walk away as if nothing happened.
- Get the judge to dismiss it. If your lawyer can show that the evidence against you is flawed, or that your rights were violated, they could ask the judge to dismiss the case altogether.
- Drive a hard bargain. Even in the toughest cases there’s often room for negotiation. And a good DUI lawyer knows how to find leverage for the bargaining table. They may be able to get your DUI reduced to something less serious, like reckless driving.
Talk to a San Dimas DUI Lawyer for Free
You don’t have to face your DUI charge alone. Let us connect you to a qualified lawyer—at no cost. We have established a network of the most experienced and reputable DUI lawyers in the San Dimas area. Every lawyer we work with focuses exclusively on DUI law and will offer you a FREE consultation.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Fill out the form to the right or call (310) 896-2724 and get your FREE consultation today.
