Woodland Hills DUIs
Woodland Hills' law enforcement is largely provided by the L.A.P.D., based out of neighboring Reseda and Canoga Park, though state police at West Valley Station and the L.A. County Sheriff also operate in the area. Thus, your arresting officer will likely transport you to the police station of an adjacent L.A. neighborhood. Once there, you will be booked and "asked" to submit to blood or breath BAC tests, which are de facto mandatory by "implied consent." These are in addition to the field sobriety and breathalyzer tests conducting at the scene of the arrest.
Your license will be confiscated and sent to the DMV office, and you will be given a temporary license. You will also be handed a DUI citation and assigned a court date. In most cases, arrestees are only held overnight, primarily to ensure you are sober enough to get back behind the wheel. However, if it is a repeat offense, a felony offense, or DUI with injury, you will probably need to post bail to get out of jail before your arraignment.
Upon release, you will need the assistance of a skilled DUI defense attorney like Ross Sobel to help you prepare for what's ahead. Make sure to contact a lawyer quickly because you only have a 10-day window of time before you lose the right to demand a DUI hearing. In that case, your license would be automatically suspended within 30 days' time.
There are severe penalties for any DUI conviction. The Three Strikes Law of California ensures that second and third offenses are punished particularly harshly. The worst-case scenario could see you losing your license for a full year, paying up to $15,000 in fines and court fees, and spending over a year at DUI School. In most cases (first-time offenses), however, the possible sentencing elements are as follows:
- Anywhere from 48 hours to 6 months in a local jail. This can often be converted to probation and/or community service, however.
- Loss of driving privileges for a minimum of four months. You may also need to install an ignition interlock device (at your own expense).
- Fines of up to $390 and fees that amount to as much as $1,400.
- Mandatory attendance at DUI School for three months or more.
At the DMV Hearing
Attorney Ross Sobel knows how to challenge police reports, officer testimony, BAC test results, and other evidences brought against you at your DMV hearing. He will also find evidence in your favor and work relentlessly to get your DUI dismissed, reduced, or acquitted.
The D.A. or prosecuting attorney will need to demonstrate that you drove with a BAC of .08% or higher. Many assume that this is so easy to do that to successfully challenge a DUI is nearly impossible. In reality, there are many common defenses that often improve the outcome of a case, including:
- The arresting officer may have deviated in some way from standard police protocol in making the DUI arrest. He may have administered the FSTs or the breathalyzer test in an improper manner or failed to properly notate the incident.
- You may have been pulled over without probable cause. Or, you may have been arrested without probable cause or before being read your Miranda Rights. These kinds of violations of your rights can lead to evidence used against you being declared "inadmissible."
- The BAC chemical tests may have rendered inaccurate results. These tests are not nearly as reliable as many believe, and it is not uncommon for an independent re-test of your blood sample to yield a much lower BAC level. On the other hand, test samples could have been contaminated or you may have had a medical condition or substance (like mouthwash) that interfered with the test results.
A good DUI defense attorney will know how to find the weak points in the prosecutor's case. He will be accustomed to scrutinizing all evidence and be familiar with how to utilize even the slightest weak point to your advantage. DUI defense attorney Ross Sobel is also a seasoned negotiator who can often get those charges reduced that can't be dismissed outright. He may be able, for example, to shorten a jail term or exchange it entirely for community service. He may be able to negotiate for a smaller fine, for shorter DUI classes, or for keeping a "strike" off your record. He can almost certainly get you a temporary license so that you can travel to/from work, especially for first-time offenses.
Contact Us Today
If you are facing DUI charges in Woodland Hills, California, or throughout Los Angeles, Ross Howell Sobel stands ready to assist you in winning your case. He has handles thousands of DUI cases in over 25 years of service, and you can be sure he has seen cases just like yours in the past. Contact the Law Offices of Ross Sobel, today at 818-582-2350 for a free consultation and immediate attention to your case.
