If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI (driving under the influence) a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer at Okabe & Haushalter can help. We have saved many of our clients’ confiscated licenses. We can do the same for you! One of the main areas of our criminal practice is representing those accused, often falsely, of driving under the influence in the Los Angeles area – including cases of underage DUI. As we have considerable experience with the local justice system and have handled hundreds of drunk driving cases, we are often successful in getting cases dismissed based upon illegal stops and arrests. Find out more information about:
Driving under the influence is a crime and is punishable by jail time, fines, community service and more. Additionally, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will suspend your license in conjunction with an intoxicated driving conviction. You will need a lawyer who can assert your rights and defend your charges effectively and efficiently, so you can keep your driving privileges. Your DMV hearing is a key part of your driving under the influence case.
A conviction will have many negative effects, and trying to represent yourself or working with an inexperienced lawyer is how you will receive maximum penalties. A first DUI conviction may result in: license suspension for 6 months, probation for up to 5 years, alcohol education, community service, fines and court fees of up to $1800, and a county jail sentence of 48 hours to 6 months. Additional convictions for driving under the influence, such as a second DUI, will result in enhanced penalties. A fourth conviction, for example, can be charged as a felony DUI – with a state prison sentence of up to 3 years as well as additional penalties.
Being arrested for a drunk driving offense is both an administrative issue and a criminal issue in the state of California. For this reason, DUI arrestees can face administrative penalties as well as criminal penalties. Even if your administrative penalties are dismissed, you could still potentially be found guilty of your criminal DUI and therefore face penalties such as fines and imprisonment. What are some potential administrative DUI penalties in Los Angeles? You could get your license suspended, your vehicle impounded or an ignition interlock device installed. Criminal penalties and consequences would include a mark on your criminal record, imprisonment in county jail and fines up to thousands of dollars. To learn more, please refer to California Vehicle Code § 23152 or speak directly with a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney at our firm.
Our DUI defense attorney in los angeles has the experience and the knowledge of the California Vehicle Code in order to fully understand the charges you face and what defenses will be effective. In conducting our own investigation of your DUI charges, an attorney at our firm will search for particular pieces of evidence or information which will disqualify blood alcohol evidence gathered from field sobriety tests or breath & blood tests, which will prove the officer did not have a reason to pull you over in the first place or other instances where your rights were violated.
