Los Angeles DUI
Posted on Feb 2, 2012 By Gold & Witham
Penal Code Section 12022.7 provides for an additional three year prison term in the event that a defendant is convicted of a felony involving great bodily injury to another person in California. Great ...
Continue reading "Great Bodily Injury Enhancements for Felony DUI" »
Posted on Jan 27, 2012 By Gold & Witham
Following an arrest for DUI in California , a suspect has the choice of whether to consent to a breath or a blood test. A breath test does not allow for independent testing on a future date as the ...
Continue reading "Re-analysis of blood test evidence." »
Posted on Jan 18, 2012 By Gold & Witham
For those arrested for a DUI under the age of 21 in Los Angeles or Orange County , the court penalties include a requirement to attend a youth drug and alcohol deterrence program (YDAD). The YDAD ...
Continue reading "Youth Drug and Alcohol Deterrence Program (YDAD)" »
Posted on Jan 9, 2012 By Gold & Witham
We won two DMV hearings in DUI cases last week on the same issue. Both clients had .09/.10 breath test results. In both cases, our toxicologist, Henry Greenberg testified that he believed that the ...
Continue reading "DMV Wins." »
Posted on Jan 3, 2012 By Gold & Witham
As a result of a new law in California, as of january the first 2012, any third time DUI offender faces the possibility of a ten year revocation of his or her license. The new law gives judges the ...
Continue reading "Tougher Penalties for third DUI conviction." »
Posted on Dec 27, 2011 By Gold & Witham
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times on Christmas Day, hundreds of people have been wrongly incarcerated in Los Angeles County Jail over the course of the last five years. The number of ...
Continue reading "Wrongful incarcerations in Los Angles County Jail" »
Posted on Dec 15, 2011 By Gold & Witham
According to a federal report released this week, the number of DUI related fatalities in California has dropped to a record low. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claimed ...
Continue reading "California DUI Deaths drop to record low." »
Posted on Dec 9, 2011 By Gold & Witham
An arrest for DUI in California leads to a DMV hearing to determine whether the DMV will suspend a licensee's privilege to drive. Most DUI arrests result in a suspension. Following a suspension, ...
Continue reading "DMV Appeals and Writs" »
Posted on Nov 28, 2011 By Gold & Witham
The DMV in California has a zero tolerance policy for under 21 year olds who drink and drive . Any measurable amount of alcohol leads to a mandatory one year license suspension for a first offender. ...
Continue reading "DMV Win in Under 21 Case" »
Posted on Nov 21, 2011 By Gold & Witham
I was in court last week for a client who rode his luck for a second time. I had previously represented him following an arrest for DUI four years ago. On that occasion, the DUI charges were dismissed ...
Continue reading "Second DUI offense reduced to Exhibition of Speed" »
Posted on Nov 10, 2011 By Gold & Witham
The figure you hear when arrested for DUI is that it will cost you around $10,000. It is worth taking a look at this and breaking down the actual cost of a DUI. The minimum fine for a DUI in ...
Continue reading "DUI, How Much Will it Cost?" »
Posted on Nov 3, 2011 By Gold & Witham
It is generally accepted that women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than men. Ofcourse, everyones physiology is different and there are exceptions to every rule. Some women who drink ...
Continue reading "Women and Alcohol" »
Posted on Oct 27, 2011 By Gold & Witham
It is common for people with Attention Deficit Disorder to turn to alcohol and other addictive substances to calm their restless brains and bodies. The use of alcohol or drugs to self-medicate can ...
Continue reading "Attention Deficit Disorder and Alcoholism" »
Posted on Oct 17, 2011 By Gold & Witham
Republican Presidential nominee Herman Cain fought tougher DUI laws when he was leading the National Restaurant Association in the 1990's. When Cain took over as CEO of the National Restaurant ...
Continue reading "Herman Cain Fought Stricter DUI Laws" »
Posted on Oct 12, 2011 By Gold & Witham
The 2008 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is a federal law which governs financial aid eligibility to students. A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student from receiving ...
Continue reading "Students, Financial Aid and Drugs Offenses" »
Posted on Oct 5, 2011 By Gold & Witham
I had an interesting and frustrating day in court on friday representing two clients who had failed to fully comply with the terms of their probation. My first client was placed on probation for a ...
Continue reading "DUI Probation Violations, Penalties and Policies." »
Posted on Sep 27, 2011 By Gold & Witham
A new Bill has been signed into law which significantly extends the license suspension period for a third DUI in California. Under Bill AB1601, judges will have the discretion to impose a ten year ...
Continue reading "Tough New Penalty for Third DUI" »
Posted on Sep 23, 2011 By Gold & Witham
Home arrest or home confinement is an alternative to county jail on a third offense DUI in Los Angeles . It must be negotiated for and is not easily given as most judges see it as a soft option. I was ...
Continue reading "Home Confinement on third DUI." »
Posted on Sep 16, 2011 By Gold & Witham
One of the penalties for a DUI in California is the requirement to attend an alcohol awareness class. These classes vary in length on a first offense from three to nine months and between eighteen and ...
Continue reading "On-Line DUI Classes and Out of State Clients" »
Posted on Sep 12, 2011 By Gold & Witham
A fire department captain was convicted last week of hit and run and felony DUI in Long Beach while driving with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. The conviction resulted from an ...
Continue reading "Fire Captain Guilty of Hit and Run and Felony DUI" »
Posted on Sep 6, 2011 By Gold & Witham
Following an arrest for DUI in Los Angeles , a person might expect to be inundated with letters from attorneys offering their services. Choosing an attorney can be a confusing and stressful ...
Continue reading "Choosing a DUI Attorney" »
Posted on Aug 26, 2011 By Gold & Witham
What should you do if you have been involved in a traffic collision and fled the scene in panic? As a DUI defense attorney in Los Angeles , I receive a lot of calls from people who have left the scene ...
Continue reading "DUI Accident, Hit and Run." »
Posted on Aug 19, 2011 By Gold & Witham
One of the ramifications of a first time DUI conviction in Los Angeles County is that the DMV will require proof of installation of an ignition interlock device in any vehicle owned or operated by the ...
Continue reading "Ignition Interlock Device and First DUI Offenders in Los Angeles" »
Posted on Aug 16, 2011 By Gold & Witham
When people discover that I am a DUI defense attorney in Los Angeles , the question that is often asked is "If I am arrested for a DUI, should I take a breath test, blood test or refuse all ...
Continue reading "Blood, Breath or Refusal." »
Posted on Aug 10, 2011 By Gold & Witham
At a recent DMV hearing in the El Segundo Driver Safety Office , the hearing officer had issued a subpoena for the arresting officer to attend for testimony. The reason for the testimony was that the ...
Continue reading "DMV Hearing and Police Testimony" »