Novel Dunia

One of the first things a person who has been arrested on a DUI charge in San Diego thinks is “How can I beat this charge”? The mistake that a lot of people make who have been arrested for DUI make is to make the decision to not have a dui lawyer represent them in their defense of the DUI charge.

Beating or even reducing a DUI charge in San Diego county is extremely difficult, if not impossible in most cases without the help of an experience DUI lawyer who practices in San Diego and knows the San Diego court system and the California DUI law like the back of their hand, so to speak.

Whether or not you live in San Diego or any other part of the United States and you have been arrested on a drunk driving charge and are a waiting your day in court. One of the first things you must do, is to hire an experienced DUI lawyer to represent you in court.

When you make this decision, base it on your future and the potential impact a DUI conviction will have on your life down the road. Don’t just think about the costs of hiring a DUI lawyer, this is a fatal mistake.

seem to continue to grow in numbers for some strange reason…? Maybe it has something to do with the increasing number of DUI offenses within San Diego county… or not.

Within the last 3 years (2005 - 2008) there has been an increase in the number of criminal defense lawyers advertising that they handle drunk driving or DUI offenses. One of the reasons this is happening is due to the county court house and the way they are now handling DUI cases. They’re becoming more and more ’standardized’ which means that there is less leeway to provide a proper defense.

As more and more DUI laws are passed and imposed not just within San Diego county but the entire state of California it makes it more profitable for criminal defense attorney’s to get into the ‘ DUI Business ‘ because it will take them less time, effort and energy to defend a client without having to reduce their fees.

Yes, that means that they will charge the same amount of fees for LESS service/defense for their DUI clients due to the way the San Diego County Courts are deciding to handle DUI cases.

So What Can DUI Offenders Do ?

The short answer is ‘not much’ but overall there are some options. The first thing someone can do is to ensure that they are dealing with a reputable DUI lawyer and not a lawyer that practices the ‘windmill’ approach which is where a criminal defense lawyer focuses on getting many low cost/low time required clients in and out of the practice. These are the practices that do heavy advertising… they focus on getting as many DUI offenders in the door as possible by offering low fees (through ad saturation throughout many, many different media sources) but then offer a very ‘non-existant’ defense.

In this regard the old adage, “You Get What You Pay For” is very, very relevant. I hate to say it but a smaller criminal defense lawyer specializing in DUI defense here in San Diego is much more likely to give you a proper defense than a HUGE high volume ‘windmill’ type firm.

All of our San Diego DUI Lawyers give very specialized focused attention on our clients. We aren’t the cheapest in town and that’s due in large part to providing a proper defense and not focusing on volume. If you are in need of skilled San Diego DUI defense, and want the best personalized defense available here in this city and county give us a call.

San Diego DUI Overview

When first arrested for a DUI in San Diego it’s likely that you’ll be confused about what is happening in terms of the legal process, etc… Here’s an overview that will help you understand the process involved with a San Diego DUI offense.

First you’re arrested and cited for suspicion of drunk driving or DUI. Depending on the actual circumstances you’ll most likely be held in the downtown jail for anywhere from 5-12 hours before being let go (this is assuming this is your first San Diego DUI and there were no aggravating circumstances).

When you’re brought to the police station downtown, your car is towed by a private towing company to the nearest towing facility that contracts with the San Diego Polish to hold and ’store’ your vehicle. Before releasing the car back to you they must have a signed release order faxed to them from the San Diego County Police department. The fee for getting your car back will be anywhere from $150 - $350 dollars depending on how long it is held.

While at the police station in San Diego you’re booked; which means fingerprinted, photographed and a rap sheet is created documenting your stay in the jail.

Most likely you’ll have to post bail to get out or pay the bail amount yourself. You can contact one of the many 24 hour Bail bonds agencies in San Diego near the downtown jail. They can take care of everything for you while you are in jail with just a phone call. After you’re released you are required to immediately go to the bail bonds office and complete the transaction by signing all the documents that make you agree to appear in court.

Finally, you’re night should be winding down and you can make your way home to get some rest.

Next in the San Diego DUI process you’ll want to interview several skilled aggressive DUI lawyers who focus their practice ONLY on DUI defense and limit their practice to cases ONLY in San Diego. If you do that you will be sure to be dealing with a real expert in the local area who knows the district attorney’s office staff and can accurately assess your situation.

After you meet with several San Diego DUI lawyers you’ll want to retain the one you feel the most comfortable with. Then work with them on your defense by providing them with all requested information and showing up to any suggested activities.

San Diego DUI Sentencing

If you get convicted of the DUI, the sentence you’ll likely face in San Diego for a first offense involves:

• Drivers license suspension for 3-6 months.
• Court fines.
• Possible ignition interlock device (depends on situation).
• MADD victims impact panel attendance.
• Alcohol assessment and treatment program (most likely 3 months for 1st offenses in San Diego).
• Work service in lieu of jail time. (must be arranged) This will involve picking up trash along side the highways.

San Diego DUI Expungement

After you get through all the initial punishments and sanctions of a San Diego DUI you’ll want to look into erasing your DUI record from your criminal record. This process is called DUI expungement and you’ll have to complete the terms of your probation before being allowed to expunge your offense.

Expunging your San Diego DUI will enable you to answer ‘no’ on criminal background checks when they ask if you’ve ever been convicted of a criminal offense. This basically makes it like the DUI never occurred so long as you don’t re-offend.