Possible Penalties for a Los Angeles County DUI
There are literally thousands of DUI arrests in the L.A. Area every single year, and many of these take place in the Los Angeles County Region. State law prescribes DUI penalties, but local counties and municipalities have somewhat different court processes and even different policies for IID (ignition interlock devices) and other sentencing elements.
Whether you arrested and charged with a first time or repeat DUI offense and whether or not there are any aggravating factors like child endangerment, causing injury/death, or hit and run will all affect a potential DUI sentence.
But here are the basic penalties you face for a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th or subsequent DUI conviction:
First Time DUI
- Driver's license suspended for at least 4 months
- Up to 6 months in county jail
- Fines/fees that can be as high as $15,000
- Up to 3 months in a state-approved DUI class
- From 3 to 5 years of informal probation
- In some localities, the possible mandatory installation of an IID
Second DUI
- A license suspension as long as 2 years
- Up to 12 months in county jail
- Fines/fees up to $15,000 or even more
- Either 18 or 30 months in DUI class
- Installation of an IID at your own expense
- From 3 to 5 years of probation
Third DUI
- A suspension as long as 3 years
- Up to 16 months in state prison
- Fines/fees of up to $18,000
- 30 months in DUI School
- Mandatory IID installation
- 3 to 5 years on probation
Fourth or Subsequent DUI
- A license suspension of up to 4 years
- The possibility of a permanent loss of driving privileges
- Up to 16 months in prison
- Fines/fees as high as $18,000
- A 30-month DUI class
- IID installation
- 3 to 5 years on DUI probation
- A felony conviction on your police record
Fighting and Winning a Los Angeles County DUI Case
Many arrested for DUI in the Los Angeles County assume that putting up a fight against a DUI charge is doomed to failure, but we at the Law Offices of Ross Howell Sobel know for a fact that that isn't the case. We know because we fight and win DUI cases in the area on a routine basis.
The first step to take to fight a DUI is to request a DUI hearing from the DMV within 10 days (not business days) of your arrest date. We can assist you with this, if you wish, and ensure that you can continue to drive your vehicle beyond the 30-day pink slip notice if your hearing is scheduled later than the 30-day mark.
The second step is to gather all relevant evidence, testimony, and information needed to build a defense and to challenge the story of the prosecution.
We have deep experience in the process of obtaining the police report and scrutinizing it for possible errors, omissions, or discrepancies. We also know how to meticulously examine the scene of the arrest, find evidence in you favor, and challenge the results of BAC breath, blood, or urine tests. Furthermore, we are skilled at cross-examining arresting officers and digging up any past records of police misconduct that might affect the credibility of police testimony against you.
At your DMV hearing, and if necessary later at your trial, we have numerous defense strategies we can employ in your behalf. Which one/ones to use depends on the specifics of your case, but here are some of the main lines of defense that often help win California DUI cases:
- The arresting officer failed to follow proper procedures, as outlined in Title 17, for taking and storing the blood sample for a BAC blood test.
- Various factors, such as mouth alcohol, spitting up, uses of mouth wash or certain medications, having diabetes, or being on a low-carb diet threw off the Breathalyzer test results.
- The field sobriety test results are inconclusive. There are many reasons other than being intoxicated that a person could fail these tests. And it may be that you passed some of the tests as well but that police failed to testify to that effect.
- You had a still-rising BAC level, meaning that your BAC would have been lower when actually driving.
- Poor driving habits do not prove intoxication.
- Your rights were violated during the arrest or by being stopped without probable cause.
Contact Us Today For Help
If you live in the Los Angeles County and are facing a DMV hearing or jury trial for an alleged DUI offense, it is in your best interests to secure the services of a skilled, local DUI lawyer as soon as possible.
Ross H. Sobel stands ready to respond to your call for help with top-tier legal advice and representation. At the Law Offices of Ross Howell Sobel, we know how to win the best possible outcome to any DUI case.
For a free legal consultation on the details of your case, contact us anytime 24/7 by calling 818-582-2350
