Trying to overcome a DUI case without the guidance and expertise of an experienced defense lawyer is nothing short of impossible. If you’ve been charged with a DUI, call Shield Criminal Defense Law today to speak with a Los Angeles DUI attorney for a free evaluation of your case at (213) 514-8732.
With every year that passes, the number of drunk driving related incidents rises. A significant number of drinking related accidents and deaths happen every hour, which has led to stern laws being imposed on the accused. If not handled properly by an experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyer, a DUI charge may lead to a revoked driver’s license, excessive fines, DUI/alcohol classes and points on your license.
Hire an Expert Los Angeles DUI Attorney for Your Case
More serious penalties can include:
- Court-ordered rehabilitation
- The impounding of your vehicle
- Installation of a pricey Ignition Interlock Device
- The permanent suspension of your driver’s license; or
- Incarceration
At Shield Criminal Defense Law, one of our first priorities is ensuring you get a DMV hearing quickly in order to avoid the automatic suspension of your driver’s license.
Next, we work to get your vehicle out of impound, and returned to you so you can get back on the road legally, and on with your daily life.
You only have 10 days after the time of your arrest to request a hearing before the DMV suspends your license. If you’ve been charged with any of the following drinking related offenses, call Shield Criminal Defense Law so we can start working for you:
- First Offense DUI
- Second, Third and Fourth Offense DUI’s
- Felony DUI (Injury)
- Underage DUI
- DUI contributing to an Accident
- Manslaughter or Second Degree Murder DUI
- DUI involving drugs
How can you defend my DUI charges?
In court, the prosecution relies heavily on the arresting officer’s testimony about the DUI suspect’s driving and behavior. Oftentimes the arresting officer will site certain driving behaviors as a reason for pulling you over, such as:
- Driving slow or uneven speeds
- Weaving from one lane to another
- Crossing the center line of the highway
- Running a red light or stop sign
A good Los Angeles DUI attorney can argue that there are many different explanations for these driving behaviors that don’t have anything to do with being under the influence of alcohol.
The arresting officer may also testify that they witnessed some of the following personal behaviors at the time of the traffic stop:
- Slurred or incoherent speech
- Bloodshot eyes
- Enlarged pupils
- Stumbling, falling or the inability to walk “straight”
Defenses to these observations that don’t have anything to do with being intoxicated may include:
- Lack of sleep
- Allergies
- Contact lenses
- Stress due to personal circumstances
- Medications
- Nervousness from being pulled over
- Physical ailments
A knowledgeable Los Angeles DUI lawyer familiar with proper procedures can also ensure that your traffic stop was constitutional, that there was indeed probable cause, and that any tests given to you were administered properly.
I was arrested because my “BAC” was too high. What does this mean?
When you consume beverages with alcohol in them, even if it’s just one or two, the alcohol is absorbed into your blood stream. The amount of alcohol in your blood, known as your BAC or “Blood Alcohol Content” is measured by either a breathalyzer test, or a blood test.
The state of California has defined intoxication as having a Blood Alcohol Content of:
0.08% or higher if you are 21 years or older, operating a regular passenger vehicle
0.04% or higher if you are operating a commercial vehicle; and
0.01% or higher if you under the legal drinking age of 21
Many states also enforce more severe penalties for those testing a much higher Blood Alcohol Content of 0.15 or more.
If you’ve been in an accident, the hospital will draw your blood and test your Blood Alcohol Content to see if you are in danger of alcohol poisoning.
Most DUI suspects have the Blood Alcohol Content testing when they are pulled over, by blowing into a breath-testing device. These machines are notoriously faulty, often giving false results for reasons like:
- Improper calibration of the machine
- Not calculating deviations for results of people of different weights and height
- Registering a false positive based on food or something else non-alcoholic you may have consumed.
An experienced DUI attorney in Los Angeles can obtain records on the particular machine used to test your blood alcohol content, to ensure that it has been properly maintained and calibrated.
Shield Criminal Defense Lawyers understand that sometimes bad things happen to good people. We are here 24 hours a day to talk to you about your case, and provide you with the comfort of knowing you have someone on your side.