A motorist drinks a beer while police lights flash on him. Learn how a DUI attorney in Yorba Linda can reduce or drop your charge if you’re arrested and prosecuted for a DUI offense.
In California, a DUI is treated as a serious criminal act. If you’re convicted, penalties include losing your driver’s license, fines and fees totaling up to thousands of dollars, mandatory DUI school, and jail time – even if it’s your first DUI. As soon as you’re arrested, take appropriate actions to protect and defend yourself.
A good DUI lawyer in Yorba Linda can help you navigate the complicated process surrounding a DUI arrest and conviction. They know how to examine the evidence against you, challenge areas that are questionable or may have even violated your rights, and give you the best chance at a lighter sentence or dropped charges.
How Much Does a Yorba Linda DUI Attorney Cost?
Most attorneys charge by the hour, and ours don’t charge anything up front. At your free initial consultation, your lawyer will talk your case over with you and tell you a rough amount that you may have to pay. That amount depends on a few factors surrounding your case.
Your Yorba Linda DUI lawyer’s price will be decided by the difficulty of your case, the extra expenses involved, and your attorney’s experience level. A harder case will take more time, which means more hours worked. There are also some extra costs you might have to deal with, including medical tests, subpoena fees, and rides to and from the courthouse.
There’s also the fact that better lawyers simply cost more. Some attorneys may try to entice you with low fees, but that could mean they won’t work as hard and don’t know as much as a skilled DUI attorney. Find a DUI lawyer with a fair price who will know how to get you the best deal possible.
Is It Worth It to Hire a DUI Attorney in Yorba Linda?
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI, you may be tempted to just let the court tell you what fine to pay, what classes to take, or even how long you have to stay in jail. Even though that might seem cheaper than hiring a lawyer, in the long run, it isn’t. On top of hefty fines, a DUI on your criminal record can mean fewer job prospects and less chances at loans.
A DUI lawyer in Yorba Linda can help you regain your chances at a normal life. Even though you will have to pay them their fee, that cost ends up paying for itself. With the help of a skilled lawyer, you could avoid years of trouble and stress.
How Can a DUI Lawyer in Yorba Linda Help My Case?
In most drunk driving cases, speaking to a great Yorba Linda DUI attorney is the best thing you can do. Look for a lawyer who:
- Primarily devotes their law practice to DUI cases
- Can show you other cases like yours where they’ve won the best outcome for their clients
- And offers a free consultation/case evaluation
A good DUI lawyer will use certain tactics like the following to help your case.
Questioning the Chemical Test Validity
After being arrested for a DUI, you’ll usually have to take a breath test, blood test, or sometimes a urine test for officers to get the blood alcohol content (BAC) of your body. These might seem scientific and valid, but their results can easily be flawed.
Your lawyer will review the test data as well as testing procedures, such as proper maintenance and calibration of breath machines or how blood samples were handled when sent to the lab. If there are grounds to challenge the test results, they’ll find them.
Ensuring Your Rights Are Protected
After your arrest and during questioning, police must read your Miranda rights to you and follow a specific protocol. They’ll also need a valid reason to pull you over and search your vehicle before they can arrest you.
If the arresting officer failed to follow the proper procedures or made an error on your arrest report that violated your rights, your lawyer may be able to get significant evidence against you suppressed. And if your lawyer finds your arrest was illegal, you could even get your case dismissed completely and walk away without any charges.
Negotiating and Bargaining
DUI lawyers are expert negotiators. They know that sometimes bargaining is the best way to win. Your DUI attorney in Yorba Linda will challenge a lot of the evidence against you so they can have strong negotiating power against the prosecution. They’ll fight for a bargain that could get you a less extreme charge or have the case dropped completely.
These are just a few big examples. Your lawyer will use the specific details of your case to decide the best tactics when looking for weak spots in the prosecution’s evidence. This type of expertise can make a huge difference in your outcome and is unmatched without a DUI defense lawyer.
What if I Was Arrested for a DUI While Driving a Commercial Vehicle?
If you carry a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and are arrested for DUI, you will face the same penalties of a “normal” DUI along with:
- a one-year CDL suspension if it’s a first offense
- Permanent revocation of your CDL if it’s your second offense within 10 years
In addition, you are treated slightly differently than other drivers. If your BAC is at 0.04% or above (versus 0.08% or above or other drivers), you’re considered to be under the influence. This applies even if you weren’t driving your commercial vehicle at the time of the arrest.
These consequences will cause you to lose your job and can greatly affect your future career, so you definitely need a Yorba Linda DUI lawyer on your side.
What if My DUI Involved Someone Dying?
California has the most drunk driving deaths than any other state. DUIs involving the death of someone else are extremely emotional and hard. And when someone’s death is related to a DUI in California, the case is treated even more seriously with extreme consequences.
You might naturally blame yourself for the accident, but it’s important to remember that you did not intentionally plan to hurt anyone. You shouldn’t have to go to prison for an event that really was an accident. The prosecution will be ready to blame everything about the accident on you, so you need a very strong legal defense.
For a DUI where someone lost their life, you could be tried on one of the following charges:
Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated
This is the most common charge resulting from loss of life from a DUI. It refers to doing something illegal that causes a death, but without meaning to kill anyone. It can either be considered a misdemeanor or a felony.
Gross Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated
This means someone was killed because of something reckless you did while driving under the influence. Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is a felony. This charge is more extreme than vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
DUI Murder
A DUI murder charge is rare, but still possible, and it’s one of the most serious DUI charges. You can be charged with DUI murder if the prosecution can prove the death was intentionally a murder. If you are facing this type of charge, you definitely need to protect yourself.
Talk to a Yorba Linda DUI Lawyer Today
Don’t try to handle a DUI charge without an experienced DUI defense lawyer. You NEED the law on your side during this complicated and overwhelming process. A DUI lawyer who specializes in these cases will know how to best approach the prosecution and their evidence with your well-being in mind.
We can get you a FREE case evaluation with a leading DUI lawyer in the Yorba Linda area. For a free consultation to discuss your case and your best defense options, contact us today or fill out the form to the right.
