A conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) can have a significant impact on your life. This criminal charge can result in jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, orders to attend a DUI education program, and other penalties.
You can handle a drunk driving charge with a reputable Compton DUI lawyer on your side. Your lawyer can help protect you from the worst penalties associated with DUI.
They can challenge the evidence against you and, in some cases, get the charges dropped or even win your case.
Charges Handled by DUI Lawyers
The law offices of professionals who understand DUI charges can help with charges you face after a DUI arrest. Depending on your situation, an attorney may help with charges for:
- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
- Underage DUI with a BAC of 0.05 or Higher
- Drinking in a Vehicle
- Commercial Vehicle DUI
You can turn to a lawyer for help if the police test your blood alcohol level and claim that you were over the legal limit before you got behind the wheel. Working with an attorney can help you avoid prison time, fines, and other severe penalties.
How Does a DUI Lawyer in Compton Make a Difference in a Case?
You can rely on a lawyer to help with every aspect of your legal case, from your preliminary hearing to your bail hearing and your meeting with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Your attorney may:
Challenging Blood or Breath Tests
These tests are far from scientific and can go wrong in many ways. Failure to administer them correctly, malfunction of the equipment, inappropriate handling at the lab, and simple miscalibration can all call these results into question.
Breath tests, blood tests, and even a verbal confession are not necessarily the final word in a DUI case. That’s because DUI lawyers are trained to evaluate this kind of evidence and find flaws in it.
In many cases, your criminal defense attorney can get the test results suppressed in your case. Blocking evidence can strengthen your claim in the Compton court system.
Comparing Officer Testimony
Did the arresting officer say something different at the DMV hearing than they did in the arrest report? Do two officers’ reports conflict with each other? What do other witnesses say? Police make mistakes, and your lawyer can find them.
Exploring Other Explanations
You may have swerved, sped, or caused an accident—and even appeared intoxicated to officers at the scene. But that doesn’t mean drugs or alcohol are the only explanation.
Your lawyer will explore other factors that may have been present and will know how to present these in a way that has legal standing. Taking this step can establish reasonable doubt and may allow you to avoid a conviction. You can learn more with a criminal defense lawyer.
Examining the Arrest Process
If someone from the police department violated your rights during the arrest, your confession or statements may not be allowed in court in Compton, California. For example, a lawyer may help if you face an unlawful detention after an arrest.
In some cases, the court will dismiss your DUI charges if the police violate your rights.
Getting Your Charges Reduced
A DUI lawyer in Compton may seek a reduced charge after a DUI arrest. Reducing your drunk driving charges may require your attorney to negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution.
Accepting a plea bargain means you do not have to go before a judge and jury in a Compton courthouse. However, you will face penalties for a less severe criminal charge.
Penalties for a DUI in Compton
The City of Compton pursues an aggressive DUI enforcement policy. If you’re on the wrong end of one of those arrests, the penalties you face can seem confusing.
California’s DUI penalties are complicated, and the California Vehicle Code sets heavier sentences if you have previous convictions. Let’s look at the penalties for a first-time DUI to simplify things. They include:
- Fines starting at $390. Considering all court fees, your costs may rise to a minimum of $1,800. The total will often be thousands more—sometimes over $10,000.
- Jail time ranging from 48 hours to six months.
- A suspended driver’s license for a minimum of four months.
- A minimum of three months of mandatory DUI school at a cost of $500.
The penalties will be far stiffer if you’ve had previous DUIs or related charges in the past 10 years. Jail can become up to 16 months in state prison. License suspension can last for years.
The court may require DUI school or alcohol treatment for up to 30 months, and probation may drag on long after your sentence is over. Even when you can finally drive again, you may be required to install an interlock device in your car—at your own cost.
California treats DUI convictions seriously, just like accusations of domestic violence or theft. Fortunately, you can get professional help if you face an arrest from law enforcement.
What Happens When You Get a DUI in Compton?
A driving under the influence (DUI) case can take months to resolve. There are several stages where your case requires make-or-break decisions from you:
- Within 10 days of arrest, you must request a hearing with the DMV. If you do not, you will lose your right to drive until your trial! You only get one chance at this hearing, and there is no appeal. The best way to approach it is to have a lawyer represent you.
- Within weeks of your arrest, you must appear at your arraignment. Arraignment is a hearing where you’re asked to enter a plea, typically Guilty or Not Guilty. If you have a state-appointed lawyer, they will often advise you to plead guilty, but this is rarely a good idea!
- Within 45 days, you will likely have a trial scheduled at the Compton Courthouse. You will likely not have to appear at this trial. Instead, your Compton DUI attorney will work to resolve your case favorably before the trial even happens.
Talk to a DUI Lawyer Today
Don’t go into your case blind. The sooner you talk to a lawyer, the more they can do for you. We can take basic details of your case and match you with a Compton DUI attorney with the right experience and a success record—and get you a complete case evaluation for FREE.
Speaking with a lawyer is the best way to determine your chances and whether hiring a law firm will make a difference. You can learn more when you call or complete our online contact form.
