Facing a DUI charge in Redondo Beach isn’t easy. You may be worried about jail time, the cost of the fines, or not being able to drive your car anymore. In some cases, a DUI charge can haunt you for years to come. But getting a DUI doesn’t mean you’re a bad person—it just means you made a mistake.
With the right defense firm, there are ways to fight your DUI and improve your chances of success. Having an experienced Redondo Beach DUI attorney by your side to protect your legal rights is crucial.
The right DUI lawyer can help protect you from the worst penalties. They can help you avoid a criminal record, jail, keeping your license, or even a conviction entirely. In many cases, they can save you thousands of dollars. Learn how our experienced lawyers can help you avoid this criminal offense.
The Cost of a DUI in Redondo Beach
The courts have become tougher than ever at prosecuting drunk drivers in Redondo Beach. With DUI convictions being a source of revenue for the local government, drunk driving arrests have become more than just a way to maintain safety.
The costs of fines and court fees have escalated, and a DUI can quickly become a major expense. California has an extensive range of penalties for DUI cases, including fines and jail time. The California Vehicle Code determines these penalties and gets worse for each successive DUI. The penalties for first-time DUI criminal charges include:
- Up to six months in jail. At a minimum, a conviction will mean 48 hours in the county jail.
- Fines and fees totaling at least $1,800. This includes the minimum $390 fine plus various “court assessments” and other costs. The total can easily be much more than this.
- License suspension, losing driving privileges for a minimum of several months, and possibly more than a year.
With previous criminal convictions, the severity of these penalties rises sharply. You can receive up to a year in jail or 16 months in state prison. Fines and fees can reach $18,000. There’s also the mandatory education programs you’ll be ordered to attend by the court, which cost between $500 and $1,800 in their own right.
What Happens After a DUI Arrest?
You may have been arrested by the local police, the California Highway Patrol, or the LA County Sheriff’s Office. In most cases, you’ll then spend a night in the Redondo jail facility. You’ll be processed and released the following day, but this indicates the beginning of your case.
The following legal process starts almost immediately:
DUI DMV Hearing
When you were arrested, your driver’s license was confiscated, and you had a temporary license valid for 30 days. Unless you take action, your license will automatically be suspended.
The only way to challenge this is to file a request for a hearing with the DMV. You have to request this hearing within 10 days of the date of your arrest. If you do not, you have no way to get your license back.
Arraignment Following a DUI Arrest
An arraignment is a court hearing several weeks after your arrest. At this hearing, you’ll enter your plea and find out the date for your trial. It’s best to have a DUI lawyer on your side before this hearing. A good DUI lawyer will use the hearing as a chance to feel out the prosecution and will already be gathering evidence to make your case stronger.
Usually, they will advise you to plead not guilty to help negotiate a good outcome.
Waiting Period Between the Arraignment and Your DUI Trial
The gap between the arraignment and the actual Trial can be several months or more. This may seem like a long period, but it’s a short window in which to assemble a defense. The prosecution will work tirelessly to build a case against you, but a DUI lawyer can examine their evidence, find holes in it, and put pressure on them to back down. In some cases, they could drop the charges or offer a very beneficial plea bargain.
DUI Jury Trial
If your case goes to Trial, it will be heard in the Torrance Courthouse. Your lawyer can help maximize your chances by being present during jury selection and eliminating biased jurors. They’ll also prepare a defense that puts “reasonable doubt” in the minds of those jurors—and wherever possible, they will move to suppress the prosecution’s evidence. It’s not uncommon for DUI lawyers to win their clients’ cases outright.
It is within your constitutional rights to fight the validity of a field sobriety test or to prove your innocence against these reckless driving allegations. Police officers make mistakes, and your drunk driving charges can be contested by an experienced Redondo Beach DUI attorney with a high success rate immediately.
Do You Need a Lawyer for a DUI?
Many people charged with DUI think their case is unwinnable. This is not true. Even the most scientific evidence is not always right. An experienced DUI lawyer in Redondo Beach, CA, will challenge every piece of evidence the prosecution has. They will look for opportunities to weaken the case against you.
There are several ways your lawyer can do this:
- Examining the arrest: Police have to follow certain procedures during traffic stops, arrests, and breath or blood tests. If they failed to observe these procedures, your rights were violated, and the case against you may be dismissed.
- Questioning the prosecution’s evidence: No evidence against you is foolproof, not even breathalyzers and blood tests. These tests are subject to error, either from the machine or from labs not following proper procedures. All of them will be open to challenge, and your lawyer will use this to your advantage.
- Investigative work: Your defense lawyer may interview witnesses and carry out extensive research of their own. In particular, they’re looking for inconsistencies in the statements of arresting officers and evidence, eyewitness testimony, or video that contradicts the prosecution’s case.
- Negotiation: In many cases, a DUI never even goes to Trial. If your lawyer can make your case hard enough for the prosecution to win, they may offer you a favorable deal.
These tactics can be game-changers. The charge against you could be reduced to a lesser offense, or you may be able to win entirely. Many DUIs end in acquittal each year—yours could, too.
How to Find the Best DUI Lawyer in Redondo Beach
Remember that not all lawyers are experienced with DUI, even if they are criminal defense attorneys. You want a lawyer who has worked on cases like yours before and knows every defense available. When considering a lawyer, keep these criteria in mind:
- Hire a criminal defense law firm that deals exclusively with DUI cases. These firms have the most experience and will know potential strategies that other lawyers would miss.
- Request or research their track record that they’ve taken on cases similar to yours and won.
- See if they have special credentials, like board certification as a DUI specialist or training with breathalyzers and breath evidence.
- Make sure the drunk driving defense attorney offers a free consultation to assess your case. You should be able to meet the attorney and find out how they would handle your case without obligation.
Get a DUI Attorney Before it’s Too Late
Our site exists to put you in touch with the best DUI lawyers in Redondo Beach. This service is completely free and could help you turn your case around. All we need are a few basic details, and we’ll match you with the right DUI lawyer for you today.
Don’t waste time. The sooner you have a lawyer working on your case, the better your chances are. Contact us immediately to get your free consultation right now.
