Were You Arrested for DUI Over the Holidays?
If you or someone close to you was one of the unlucky people who were arrested for DUI this holiday season, then you are in good company. The task forces were out in force and the number of people arrested is quite high. Remember that the best way to deal with a DUI arrest is to deal with it immediately and not ignore it. First, read all the paperwork you got when you were arrested. If you or your loved one is still in jail, call me and we can talk about ways to get them out including bail or bail reductions or other options.
Next, if your court date is more than seven days away, call me so that we can schedule a DMV hearing and preserve your driving privilege. Once we have contacted DMV then we can begin to address your court case. The time to request any DMV hearing is very limited. Don’t wait.
When is court? Where is court? Do you have to be there with me or not? These and many more questions can be answered in just a short phone call. Or, if you prefer, call the office to set a time for a private consultation with a veteran DUI lawyer. Generally, for all felony cases, the client MUST be present in court with the lawyer. For most misdemeanor cases, the lawyer can usually attend court without the client. Please note there are exceptions to both of these rules. In some felonies, the judge can authorize the lawyer to appear without the client after filing a written request in court. Also, in some misdemeanors, usually in aggravated cases, the judge may require the client to either attend in person or other conditions to allow the client to remain out of custody while the case is pending.
What, if anything do you need to do before court? If your case was serious, I may ask you to start attending AA meetings or some other type of substance abuse therapy. Some judges may order to you were a SCRAM (https://www.scramsystems.com/ca/) device for alcohol monitoring while your case is pending. Call me and I will explain what this is and if it can be avoided. For now, remember to stay out of any further trouble and not to speak about the facts of the case when anyone, especially the police.
DUI drugs. Many local prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have recently received grants from various government agencies to prosecute people driving under the influence of drugs. This could be illegal drugs, marijuana, prescription drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol. These prosecutions have become much more common in the last five years. DUI drugs cases also bring up new DMV issues that we rarely saw before. In a DUI drugs case, there is often no DMV administrative per se suspension because there is no alcohol involved. However the drug arrests may cause police to request DMV re-examinations or other drug related or medical suspensions. Read your paperwork carefully after an arrest. Discuss the situation with a competent attorney. I can tell by looking at your paperwork what type of suspension you are facing. You may not just be looking at a three month license suspension, but could be facing a revocation of your driving privilege due to drugs or addition or other medical condition. Don’t wait until it is too late. Once you lose your license, it is much harder to get it back.
If you or someone close to you has been charged DUI, alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two, or if you are facing a DMV license suspension or re-evaluation, call a veteran lawyer who can help.
Call me, attorney Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (888) 764-4340 or
Email me at: vallenslaw@yahoo.com or visit my sites for more information: