Getting a DUI for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol brings with it many changes. You will have court dates to appear at, fines and fees to pay, alcohol education classes to sign up for and potentially jail time to serve. On top of that, your license will be suspended for a period of...
Drug crimes are quite common in California, criminalizing everything from gifting drugs to trafficking them. Unfortunately, drug crimes are also some of the most prosecuted crimes in California. Luckily, California drug laws are experiencing a lot of changes recently. In an effort to redistribute...
Car accidents in California are relatively common. Most of us have been in a car accident or two in our life times. Many people injure themselves and others in car accidents every day. In most cases, you will not be criminally charged for injuring someone in an accident, even if you caused it. Ho...
If you are being criminal prosecuted and are pleading not guilty, your case may be heading to trial. Under the Sixth Amendment, defendants have a right to a speedy, public and fair trial before they are convicted. At trial, evidence, arguments and testimony will be presented to a judge and/or jur...
In California, there are two unlawful actions that can lead to a DUI conviction. Under California Vehicle Code 23152, it is unlawful to drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or while driving with a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, above .08%. Because both of these actions are unlawfu...
Facing criminal charges can have many people panicking. You may have a good idea of what plan of action you want to take but don't know how to do that. This is understandable. The California criminal justice system can be hard to navigate if you don't have education or training in law. If you are...
California DUI laws state that it is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol. It is also explicitly illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, over .08%. These are essentially two laws for the same act. In other words, you can be guilty of breaking both of these laws whe...
As part of the punishment for many misdemeanor and felony crimes, a period of probation may be ordered. Probation takes the place of incarceration or detention. It allows the defendant to be free in their community, however they still have to be under close supervision by the court system. Probat...
For committing a crime, you could get either jail or prison time as a part of your sentence. Typically, those convicted of misdemeanors will face up to no more than year in a county jail and those convicted of felonies may face jail or prison time. Prison time is obviously much more serious than ...
With most misdemeanor or felony criminal offenses in California, your punishment may include a period of probation. Probation is a period of time when you are held to high standards by the criminal justice system. During this time, you may have any number of restrictions set on you. You may have ...
If you've been arrested and have your arraignment coming up, you may be wondering what will happen at the hearing. Many of us have never even been inside a courtroom so going to an arraignment hearing may be nerve wracking and stressful. When someone is being criminally prosecuted, one of the fir...
California is a big state, filled with lots of cars and lots of drivers. Unfortunately, California has some of the most dangerous roads in the country. In an attempt to increase the safety of these roads, those driving with disregard for this safety are charged with driving crimes. Reckless drivi...
There are usually two to three options to plea in a criminal case: guilty, not guilty, basically a plea of innocence, or no contest. While you may not always have the option to plead no contest to some crimes, you will always have the opportunity to plead either guilty or not guilty. If you are f...
DUI checkpoint stops, also called sobriety checkpoints, are points on a road where police officers stop cars arbitrarily to check for driving under the influence. When you are driving under the influence of alcohol, there are numerous sign an officer can look for that would indicate you had been ...
If you are facing a criminal charge, you may be wondering what will happen to your case as it is handled by the criminal justice system. If you are being criminally prosecuted, you will first be arraigned by the court. At the arraignment, the charges against you will be reviewed and you will be n...
When it comes to drinking and driving, California takes things seriously. Even if you aren't caught drinking and driving, there are a number of other unlawful activities involving alcohol and driving that can result in citations or criminal charges. Under California Vehicle Code 23223, no driver ...
Managing your finances in an age where we have multiple bank accounts, checks, debit and credit cards can be complex. If you have multiple accounts or multiple cardholders on your accounts, you may not have good tabs on what is going on with your finances. We've all made mistakes and bounced chec...
California DUI law clearly states it is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is the intent of California DUI laws to prevent anyone from posing a risk to themselves or others while driving under the influence. Driving on private property, regardles...
Since most people will not experience getting arrested in their lives, many don't know what getting arrested means, what their rights are during and after an arrest and what they can do once arrested. This is understandable. If you've never been arrested or even known someone that has been arrest...
California law states that it is illegal for anyone to drive a vehicle on public roads while impaired by any substance. However, vehicle is not the most straightforward term. Many Californians bike rather than drive because of convenience, affordability and the ability bikes provide to bypass not...
Many things can happen when you get a DUI. One of the most important things that will happen to you after a DUI conviction is the DUI will show up on your criminal record as either a misdemeanor or a felony charge. While a DUI can only be used against you for sentencing purposes on subsequent off...
California has a large number of jails and prisons spanning the state, holding well over 100,000 inmates at any given time. California prisons are over populated and so more and more people are being sentenced to jail time instead of prison time. Non-violent, minor offenders often face only jail ...
Getting a DUI at any time or any place can put you in a world of hurt. Driving under the influence kills hundreds of Californians yearly and for this reason, California state law does all it can to protect its citizens from drunk driving. One way the law accomplishes this is by giving harsher pun...
Theft, particular property theft, is one of the most common crimes in California. Shoplifting is a kind of theft charge and comes with the some of the same consequences any theft would. However, shoplifting is in a slightly different category because the theft is from a merchant on a merchant's p...
As you probably know, your criminal record can be taken into consideration when you are being sentenced for a crime. If you have had prior offenses within a certain period of time, you can be punished more severely than if it was your first offense. California courts ensure that crime recidivists...
We focus on defending clients accused of Domestic Violence and Driving Under the Influence (DUI), two of the most aggressively prosecuted charges in California. Every case starts with listening. We take the time to understand your situation, your concerns, and your goals so we can build a defense strategy tailored specifically to you. If you are under investigation or have already been charged, do not wait. Early action can make a critical difference in your case. Contact us today for a confidential consultation.
