A driving under the influence (DUI) case is different from other types of criminal case. When an individual is charged with a DUI, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) conducts its own administrative hearings independently of the criminal case. With these, police can submit their reports about a DUI case without actually providing testimonies. They are conducted by DMV employees, not judges, and have a different set of “rules” that must be met for penalties to be imposed.
As your criminal defense lawyer, I am committed to defending your case against the criminal charge as well as the administrative penalties you face.
In California and the rest of the United States, it is illegal to drive when your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08 percent or higher. Your BAC can be measured with a breath test, a blood test, or a urine test. Usually, an electronic Breathalyzer is used to gauge drivers’ BACs. Refusing to comply with an officer’s request for a breath sample will result in an automatic one-year driver’s license suspension.
The penalties you face for a DUI charge depend on a few different factors. They are the number of previous DUI convictions on your record and whether your act of drunk driving resulted in another party’s injury or death.
You can face some or all of the following penalties:
Every case is unique, and this is true even between DUI cases. I give every case I handle the attention to detail it needs with the goal of having the client’s charge lowered or dropped entirely.
When I defend a client against a DUI charge, I explore every possible option for proving that he or she did not actually drive while impaired by alcohol. Sometimes, it is unrealistic to expect to have a DUI dropped and when this is the case, I do my best to negotiate the charge down to reduce the client’s sentence.
In both criminal and administrative DUI proceedings, I look for answers to the following questions:
If you are facing a DUI charge, start working on your defense strategy now by contacting the Law Office of Steve Whitworth to schedule your free criminal defense consultation. During your consolation, we will go over all the details of your case to determine the most effective course of action for you.
Steve was my lawyer for a very serious felony case earlier this year. He showed up at 4am while I was in jail to brief me on how to get out. He not only got me out, but got me the best possible deal. I Was facing 15 years prison and I got 30 days house arrest. He knows his stuff and will fight for you because he cares.
Attorney Whitworth represented me in an employment case, and was absolutely superb! He made sure I clearly understood every step of the way, and always had my best interest at heart. If I ever need help from a lawyer in the future, Steve will definitely be my first call!!!
what an amazing attorney. We hired him to represent a family member who was being accused of his second dui. He got the case thrown out! Steve rocks! thanks for all of your help! Hopefully my cousin learned his lesson lmao!