Underage DUI Charges in California: What You Need to Know
California’s DUI laws are some of the strictest in the country, and this is especially the case with DUI laws that pertain to underage drivers. Any underage driver that’s caught driving under the influence can expect to incur severe penalties. In order for California’s underage drivers to understand how serious a DUI charge could be for them, I thought I’d take the time to review some of these laws. California is a Zero Tolerance State Like many other states in the country, California has exactly zero tolerance when it comes to underage drivers driving under the i[...]
Do I Really Need an Attorney If It’s My First DUI?
You go out to dinner with friends, and have a beer with dinner. After enjoying your evening out and catching up, you get in the car and head home. Somewhere along the way, you notice blue lights in the rearview mirror. The officer charges you with DUI and you’re arrested – it’s frightening, stressful and all too common. California’s tolerance for driving under the influence is at an all-time low, and rightly so. However, many people who aren’t drunk end up being caught in the crossfire. If this is your first DUI, you might be wondering if there’s any point i[...]
Child Endangerment as it Relates to California DUI Laws
As you probably well know, the state of California takes driving under the influence very seriously. One way that California’s DUI laws have been hardened is by adding additional penalties that are associated with child endangerment. Specifically, these laws refer to DUI cases where the driver that has been arrested is found to have a child 14 years old or younger in the automobile with him or her at the time of arrest. In order for you to understand how severe the penalties for this can be, we thought we’d explore them. How the Child Endangerment Enhancement Works If you are[...]
Can I Get Busted for a DUI Because of Marijuana?
Given how permissive the state of California has become with respect to marijuana, there are many California drivers who make the mistake of believing that they can get away with driving while they’re high. This is simply not the case. Just the same as with alcohol, the authorities in the state take incidents of drivers operating their vehicles under the influence of marijuana very seriously, and you can be arrested. While the DUI laws concerning driving while under the influence of alcohol are just the same as driving under the influence of marijuana, the process by which you might b[...]
California and the 10-Year Look Back Period
As in every other state in the country, California increases the penalties that a DUI offender faces if he or she has prior DUI convictions. This is all part of the state’s interest in cracking down on and reducing the number of drunk driving incidents that happen in the state each and every year. If you’re facing a current DUI charge that follows subsequent convictions, then you will necessarily want to understand how California takes those previous convictions into account when prosecuting your case. The 10-Year Look Back Period California does not consider all previous DUI[...]
What You Need to Do Following a DUI Arrest
Being arrested for a DUI is one of the most stressful situations that a person can endure. Given the level of stress involved, many California drivers will sometimes do things that are not in their best interests. Therefore, we thought it would be useful to share some tips about what you should do following a DUI arrest. If you follow these tips, you have the best chance of achieving the best possible outcome in your DUI case. What to Do at the Station When the officers tell you that anything you say or do can be used against you, they mean it. So, make sure that you keep control of your[...]
