LOS ANGELES – DUI is short for Driving under the Influence – meaning driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. DUI has been directly propionate to impairment in the driving of people. In case of a DUI suspect, the police do his job and confirm any doubts with either a breath test or a blood test.
The breath test is easy to carry out and requires no assistance as compared to the blood test that is time-consuming and require drawing of blood. It’s usually done in police station and the results take time to come out, however, blood test is preferred more due to legal reasons.
DUI can be charged with a penalty on the basis of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) which is different for different people:
- A motorist with BAC up to 0.08%
- Underage (below 21 years) with BAC 0.01% or higher
- A commercial driver’s license holder with a BAC of 0.04% or higher
In California, you will receive a total of fees and fines that is equivalent to as much as $2000. In addition, you will be required to stay in jail for a period of two days.
A person with a previous conviction of DUI, if found with a BAC of 0.01% or higher, are liable to get another charge of drunk driving. This can further lead to at least 1 or 2 years of suspension from the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) although if some person is caught with BAC up to 0.08% or above then he is charged with double conviction and will have to suffer the consequences of both of them. Other situations that make you liable to DUI charge include:
- Having mental or physical disabilities (no BAC is required in this case)
- Driving with someone who has a BAC of 0.04% or above
- Driving a vehicle when you’re a drug addict
- Operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or drugs and alcohol both.
Apart from BAC, there are two further evidence required to prove that the driver was under the influence which includes driver evidence and field evidence. Field evidence is performed by the officer during the arrest and may be evaluated by sobriety test, appearance of driver, photos, tapes or films made on crime scene.
Getting a DUI charge can be terrifying since your driving license, driving record, and driving privilege all can be on stake. Plus the worst part is the criminal record that can affect your reputation for a long time. It can cause difficulty in your current job and will create problems in any future job. Also, there is the embarrassment in front of friends and families can be too.
As mentioned, getting a DUI charge means a lot of problems and people who have been previously issued a DUI charge must be well aware of these troublesome consequences and therefore it is very important to have proper legal representation for yourself in situations like this. Someone who is professional and is familiar with the laws of the state.
A lot of people just assume that there is no way out and they give up on their fate when in reality there are a lot of good lawyers who can help you out and assure that one mistake doesn’t cost you your entire life. Understandably getting a DUI charge can be difficult to win but there are many defense attorneys in LA that can help you with the best possible outcome.
Failing a sobriety test or getting unexpected blood report or getting a police report with “irregular driving patterns” written may feel like the case is out of the hands but the right Los Angeles DUI Lawyer will know his way around LA laws and can work out a way to turn is near impossible case into a win and most of them are well-trained since they do this job almost every day.
Things to Consider When Hiring a Los Angeles Lawyer
If it’s your first thing looking for a DUI lawyer, here is any to everything you’d need to make the best choice.
· Experts in their Job
An excellent lawyer is very important as whatever the result of the case is, the consequences will be faced by you. A great lawyer is not just due to his qualifications but also due to his training. Los Angeles DUI Lawyer is not just graduated from good national universities, they are also well trained in their jobs and ensure good quality services to their clients
· Familiarity with the law
Detailed knowledge of the law is the most important tool for lawyers to win a case. Even in a difficult scenario where it feels like there is no way out, a person well aware of laws can work his way through it. Similarly, get familiarity with the courts of surrounding areas and their procedure also plays an impactful effect on the case. Los Angeles DUI Lawyers have familiarized themselves with LA laws and use this intelligently to win you cases
· Work Ethic
Handing your case to a lawyer can be scary. You chose a person to represent you in front of the law and their representation decides your future. It’s terrifying and thus Los Angeles DUI Lawyers maintain a strict work ethic. They work full days to build a good case for you, they read your situation thoroughly and make a detailed plan to help you win. No short cuts or the easy way is taken as it’s understood that this is a tough and serious job where people’s lives are at stake, literally.
· Focused on one task
Los Angeles DUI Lawyer is focused in the sense that they solely work on these cases and not treat them as “extras” in their case pile. This focused approach helps to give a client more attention and also motivates lawyers to work on one case from beginning to end without losing dedication.
· Affordable
Being stuck in a DUI charge can affect your finances too. Los Angeles DUI Lawyers understand your situation and keep their services at an affordable and reasonable price. There are generally no hidden surprises in money.
Whether it’s a first DUI charge or a repeat charge it doesn’t matter. Los Angeles DUI Lawyer will help you out. Similarly, it’s not an issue if it’s basic DUI or an aggravated DUI (associated with injury or death), these experts will help you. In addition to this, they also work for underage DUI and commercial DUI. Apart from “basic” DUI, other DUI handles by Los Angeles DUI Lawyers are mentioned below
Areas of Expertise
Make sure to select a Los Angeles DUI Lawyer per your DUI allegation requirements. Following are different areas of expertise with respect to Los Angeles DUI Lawyers:
1. DUI with injury
A conviction of this sort must require legal representation or else a person can serve jail time, lose his/her driving license, end up paying a huge fine with a huge interest rate. The lawyers help you to reduce or completely avoid this conviction. A good attorney will initially try to look for possibilities to nullify the accusation that you were drunk or that the BAC was wrong.
An accident reconstruction expert can help out to determine whether the injury causing the accident was really your fault. Plus the attorney will most certainly look into your all the investigation and arrest procedures to highlight issues and use it for your defense
2. DUI with Hit and Run
A hit and run charge are usually based on either a felony or a misdemeanor. Felony involves injury or death of a person whereas misdemeanor involves hurting someone’s property (vehicle included). A lot of people don’t usually know but this also includes lamp posts, signs and animals and due to lack of awareness get trapped in this charge. Prosecutors try to charge the maximum penalty with this conviction although that doesn’t mean it’s undefeatable.
What you should do? God forbid if you ever get involved in such a situation, the best thing is not to flee but to stop. Stop your vehicle as soon as possible and provide the owner of the property or the injured person with your identification. Ask to assist the wounded person. These parts are essential since they help you defend during such a case.
The attorney will initially try to collect evidence to abolish the charge that you caused injury. He may also try to prove that you were wrongly identified or that you had no awareness about the said crime.
3. Vehicular Manslaughter
This charge occurs when a driver causes the death of another person due to reckless driving or over speeding or DUI. And since it’s a murder charge, the prosecutor demands tough penalties. Los Angeles DUI Lawyers can help you defend this conviction too.
The attorneys will try to prove that you were not careless or acted with excess negligence (if you’re charged with gross negligence). The attorney can prove that it was merely negligent and drop your charges which may lead to revoking of license in 3 years.
Another way of defending can be to convince the judge that you encountered an immediate emergency and therefore acted the way you did. For example, injuring a car to avoid collision with a biker will not be considered negligent or violent because you acted the same as any rational person would do in this situation.
Conclusion
An ideal Los Angeles DUI lawyer will understand your situation, understand the financial and emotional trauma that you are suffering, and work dedicatedly to help you out of this situation. Sometimes it can be without any penalty (just some rehabilitation class) or in the tough cases can be won with a reduced penalty.
