DUI Penalties
DUI penalties in California are serious and can affect the rest of your life. Ranging from community service to years in state prison, these penalties will depend upon the seriousness of the DUI-related charge that you face. A first DUI conviction, for instance, may result in community service and alcohol counseling, but a
fourth DUI may be charged as a
felony and result in a state prison sentence of up to 3 years. When convicted of a more serious crime such as
DUI with injury or
DUI manslaughter, you may face an even longer state prison sentence.
Legal Consequences of DUI
- Fines
- Driver's License Suspension
- County Jail / State Prison Sentence
- Community Service
- Alcohol Counseling
- DUI School
- Probation
- Increased Insurance Costs
Minimizing Penalties in DUI Case
There are a variety of ways that an attorney may work to help a client avoid the penalties associated with a Long Beach DUI case. First and foremost, the attorney may work to have charges dropped altogether or to obtain a "not guilty" verdict in court.
Other methods a DUI lawyer may use include negotiations with the prosecuting attorney to have the charges the client faces lessened (where the penalties will also be decreased), to work out a plea bargain, or to work with the court in securing treatment-geared sentencing (such as counseling or alcohol rehabilitation) in lieu of jail time.
At Gold & Witham, ourdefense attorneys will review the particular DUI case and charges to determine what we can do to avoid criminal penalties and DMV penalties. By keeping our client's particular case and unique goals in mind, we can then work to create a defense strategy that minimizes penalties.
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