DUI Videos: The DUI process

So you've just been arrested for a DUI and a number of things are going through your mind. It's important that you take steps to protect yourself right now. It can be a very complicated process and there are a number of things you need to think about.

First of all, you've been given a court date, it's a very important court appearance and you need to consult with an attorney early after you've been arrested so that steps can be taken to prepare for that. There can be a number of court hearings before your case is resolved.

Penalties do vary considerably depending upon the facts of your case, depending upon for example, whether you have any prior convictions. Depending on whether or not there is an accident, etc. There are steps that need to be taken to address those issues before you go to court. As far as the process is concerned, ultimately because this is a criminal offense you can go to trial. That is a jury trial, but prior to that step being taken there are a number of court hearings and many cases are resolved by way of an negotiated agreed disposition in your favor to minimize the impact for you.

Secondly, when you've been arrested for a DUI the police take your license away from you and if you do nothing you will be suspended by the DMV.  There are steps you need to take to protect yourself, that's where attorneys come into this. We know what to do, and it's very important that steps be taken very quickly after you've been arrested. You only have ten days to act. If you don't do that, then you will be suspended by the DMV. However, if you take the proper steps through an attorney, then the DMV will provide you with a hearing to state your case.

That hearing is a very important hearing. That's your opportunity to try and avoid a license suspension by virtue of being arrested for DUI. That's separate to the court. That needs to be resolved as well as the court proceedings and of course we live in southern California, we all need to drive, that's just as important as the court process and court penalties.

I've been doing nothing other than defending DUI cases for the past fourteen years. It's very important for you to consult with an attorney who is familiar with the court process, familiar with the DMV process, knows the prosecutors, knows the judges, knows the DMV hearing officers and knows the wining issues.


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If you have been charged with a DUI in Los Angeles, please contact a Los Angeles DUI Attorney at Gold & Witham today!