Your California drunk driving arrest involves criminal and administrative components, and it may have a civil side if injuries are involved.
The administrative side of your DUI involves the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV will aggressively pursue the suspension of your drivers license, even if you’re found innocent by the courts. This is why it’s vital you address this agency with extreme caution, and why your contact with them is much better handled by an attorney.
When you hire an experienced Sacramento DUI lawyer, he or she will: schedule an administrative hearing; request a stay on the suspension of your driver’s license; and build an aggressive defense against the loss of your license. Recent DMV statistics show up to 34% of those whose licenses were suspended for drunk driving kept their driving privileges because they appealed their suspension.
Criminal courts are even more aggressive in pursuing DUI convictions. Overzealous prosecutors will always try to crack down hard on DUI and conviction can mean any (or all) of jail time, expensive DUI school, fines and probation. An experienced attorney will work hard to determine if your arrest was legal and fight to get charges lowered or dismissed if possible. If conviction is unavoidable, your DUI attorney will negotiate to get the fairest terms and fines imposed.
In addition to the emotional and legal support an attorney offers, another benefit of retaining counsel is that, in most cases, your DUI attorney in Sacramento can make your court appearances for you. This saves you in both convenience and lost wages.
Average cost for experienced legal representation in a 1st-offense misdemeanor case in California area ranges from $1500 to $5000 dollars. You can pay more, but price does not guarantee you a quality defense. Pay less, and you may receive shoddy representation that will ultimately cost you more. Educate yourself and interview prospective attorneys carefully. Costs are normally flat fees that include defense against DMV and criminal charges.
Due to the many complicated issues that arise from a California drunk driving charge, we highly recommend utilizing the resources we offer on this site to obtain a free legal consultation. Please feel free to visit our resource and reference page for a list of attorneys and other DUI related assistance.