Should You Plead Guilty or No Contest For a DUI Case?

If you or your loved ones were accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, you must be prepared to face some genuinely harsh legal consequences. With the ever growing number of DUI accidents, the law enforcement authorities do not take these offenses lightly.

When it comes to the legal punishment, you can expect a number of things. First of all, the arresting officer, will take your driving license and will instead provide you with a temporary permit that will allow you to operate your vehicle for 30 more days. Afterwards, your license will be revoked. If you want to protest against this decision, you can file an official request to the DMV in order to initiate an administrative hearing within 10 days after the accident.

Depending on the circumstances of the accident, you may also be obliged to pay restitution and expensive fines – tens of thousands of dollars. Besides, even if you will get to keep your license, you may still be obliged to purchase a special SR22 insurance that was specifically designed for high risk drivers. This insurance will cost almost three times as much as the standard one, so you will have to pay a small fortune for it.

You also may be obliged to perform a community service. If a person was injured or even killed during the accident, you may be incarcerated and sentenced to jail or state prison, which is a pretty terrifying option indeed.

Prior to the actual trial, the so-called arraignment is going to take place. This is when your rights will be read to you. Among those rights, there is a very important one – the right for an attorney. You have a legal right to be represented by a qualified experienced DUI defense attorney from The Law Offices of Criminal Specialists. In case you cannot hire one, a public lawyer will be provided to you. However, it is also important to know that the vast majority of public lawyers have their hands full with other cases and will be unable to provide you with a genuinely effective defense strategy. That is why it is best to hire professional legal representative.

At the arraignment, you will also be granted with an opportunity to enter in a plea bargain. You can plead as not guilty, guilty or no contest. However, do not be too hasty. It is crucial to consult an attorney beforehand. After all, even if you are going to plead as guilty or no contest, it does not necessarily mean that your sentence will be less harsh. Only a good lawyer will know what kind of consequences to expect from such a bargain, so it is wise to consult him or her prior to making any significant decisions.

If that is the case and you do not want to have your life ruined because of the decisions that you made in court, do not hesitate to find a seasoned drunk driving criminal defense specialist, who will always be more than happy to represent your interests and will defend your rights in court. This is the only effective strategy in case you wish to argue with the court or wish to have the case dismissed whatsoever. Public attorneys may not be good enough for you and it is best that you do everything in your power to hire an industry’s expert as soon as possible.  

Will Involuntary Intoxication Work For DUI Defense In California?

Being accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances in California is very serious and could lead to some genuinely severe legal penalties. You will risk losing your driving license, will have to pay expensive fines, will need to attend special alcohol or drug awareness classes, will be obliged to perform community service and, worst of all, may be incarcerated for a very long time.

A reasonable number of people, who were charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Los Angeles, claim that they were given date rape drugs and they actually did not have that much to drink. These people are certain that they are innocent and want to use involuntary intoxication as the main defense strategy. While such incidents do happen, using involuntary intoxication defense in court is not that easy or straightforward. After all, it is very difficult to prove that you were drugged or intoxicated involuntarily.

To be more accurate, let’s review the following situation: Rachel meets a nice guy online and decides to go on a date with him. The guy says that he will meet her at a local bar. One night, Rachel goes to the bar and meets the guy from Facebook. They have a nice chat, but she does not really want to drink, so she makes a small sip from her glass. Everything around her goes black and the next thing she remembers is that she was driving her car in a very intoxicated condition, so the law enforcement officers were forced to stop her. She is arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Sure enough, Rachel is shocked and tries to tell them that she was drugged, but the officers arrest her anyway.

Of course, this situation is highly unpleasant, but you will be surprised with how often those things happen to people. The problem here is that it is very difficult to prove anything, In order to provide the court with ample evidence that would demonstrate that Rachel was in fact involuntarily drugged; Rachel will need to go through a series of tests that will determine if the date rape drug is still in her system. At times, people are hesitant to take the test and at times, it is too late to take the tests in the first place. Besides, very often, people, who drank too much at a party, have a tendency to forget how much they were actually drinking. They remember the first sips and their memory simply blacks out all the rest. Hence, it is only natural that the judge and the prosecution hesitate when the offender claims that he or she was drugged and does not remember drinking at all.

In the end, if you were arrested in line with the DUI charges and you have reasons to believe that you were given a date rape or similar drug, it is important not to lose time and to get in touch with a qualified Los Angeles criminal defense law office at the earliest opportunity. They will be able to go through all the evidence, including police reports and test results so as to determine if what you are saying is true. Furthermore, if you are correct and you were intoxicated by someone else, the attorney will do his best to prove your innocence to the court and to make the police go after the offender, who drugged you. Therefore, if you want to prove your innocence, do not hesitate to hire a qualified legal representative and you will never regret it.

What You Should Know About Hit And Run Arrangement Process

Due to the rise of hit and run incidents all over the nation, it is completely understandable that the law enforcement authorities do not take that kind of crime lightly. If you or your loved ones were involved in a hit and run incident, you will have to face the court and will be held responsible for your actions.

Once you are charged with hit and run, you will receive official notification that will oblige you to appear in court at a certain date and a certain time. You are required to appear in court by law or a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. In case the hit and run incident was a misdemeanor and no one was injured (or the damaged property worth was insignificant), your attorney will be allowed to appear in court instead. If it is a felony hit and run, your presence will be obligatory. The first court hearing is referred to as an arraignment and there are certain things that you will need to know about it.

First, the court will read the charges against you. This is when the judge will thoroughly explain to you what you are accused of, what kind of laws and legal regulations you have managed to break and what kind of legal punishment you can expect for this offense. It does not necessarily imply that you are guilty – it is only an indication that the authorities have the probable cause against you.

Secondly, the court will read your legal rights to you. According to the United States Constitution, every person has the right for legal representation, which means that you have the right to hire an attorney (if you will not be able to hire him yourself, a public defender will be assigned to your case). Furthermore, you have the right for a fair trial, meaning that all the evidence, which indicates that you are innocent shall also be taken into consideration and the court will do its best in order to treat you fairly. You also have the right to be heard, so you can explain the situation yourself – the way you see it.

The prosecution will offer you a plea bargain afterwards. You will have a choice – you can choose to plead guilty, which will mean that you acknowledge your crime and are ready for the legal penalties. In this cases, the penalties will not be as harsh, but pleading guilty is not always the very best option for you. There are other ways to get the case dismissed or minimize the legal punishment.

Finally, you will have the right to a trial extension. This means that if you did not manage to find proper legal representation, the court will provide you with 30 additional days to do so. During this time, you will need to find an attorney, who would represent you in court.

If you were arrested and charged with a hit and run offense, it is crucial to get in touch with a qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney, who had to deal with similar cases in the past. The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Experts will review your case details, go through all the available evidence and will come up with a solid defense strategy that will have a positive outcome in your case. Hiring an attorney is a better option than a public defender because public defenders have their hands full with other clients and will not have enough time and resources to be 100% involved in youir case.

Understanding The Evidence In The DUI Cases

When it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, most law enforcement authorities will not take the offense lightly. After all, there is a disturbing tendency of people, who drive while being intoxicated to pose a real threat and not only for themselves, but in addition for the people, who surround them. That is why the legal penalties for drunk driving are so severe. If you were accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, you may be obliged to pay expensive fines, will probably lose your driving license, will have to visit special alcohol or drug awareness classes or will even be sentenced to jail.

            

With that said, in order for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you were actually driving while being intoxicated, there will have to be ample evidence against you. Keep in mind – each and every single individual has his basic rights that you could use in order to argue with the prosecution. First of all, you have the right for an attorney. Do not hesitate to reap all the advantages of this right and get in touch with a professional experienced Los Angeles DUI attorney at the earliest opportunity. He will help you deal with the case properly. Furthermore, you have the right for a fair trial and the right to be heard. Finally and most importantly you have the right to present evidence. Why is it so important? Well, it can literally turn the course of the case in your favor.

            

Of course, the prosecution is also going to be using evidence against you. This may include test results from the scene and the result of lab testing (blood alcohol content, field tests and so on), police reports, in which the arresting officer is describing the scene and your behavior, testimonies and witness reports from the scene. These arguments could be very difficult to argue with, but it is not impossible.

            

One way or the other, if you have reasons to believe that some strong evidence against you will be brought to the court’s attention, it is crucial not to lose time and to contact a seasoned DUI attorney Dmitry Gorin as soon as possible. Only a good lawyer will have the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise that will allow you to win the case through effective usage of every single piece of evidence you have.

            

Do not forget that DUI offense is punishable by severe penalties and that your criminal records will have a very negative effect on your life in the future. After all, employers are not too eager to hire DUI criminal offenders and even landlords will not want to provide you with the real estate property. Therefore, it is very important that you do everything you can to argue with the evidence of the prosecution in order to get the case dismissed or at least to get out of this situation with minimal legal damages.

            
Trying to deal with the evidence on your own is a bad idea and relying on a public defender is also not a very good option. Public defenders usually have their hands full with other cases and will bot devote proper attention to your situation. If you are inclined to do what it takes to get positive outcome in your case, contact our law offices today.

Ways To Reduce Criminal Charges From a Misdemeanor To an Infraction

Sure enough, every single one of us makes mistakes. Some people do so because of their inattention and others – on purpose. One way or the other, no one is perfect and the only thing that is important is to make sure that your mistakes do not affect the people who are surrounding you.

At times, we do not even realize that we are causing trouble until it is too late. People get arrested for the smallest of things, as, for instance, jaywalking or loud behavior, every single day. During these arrests, the arresting officer will provide you with a special citation that indicates what section of criminal code you have managed to violate. Some code section will allow for the misdemeanor charges to be replaced with an infraction. However, it is not possible all the time and in most cases, an attorney will have to argue with the prosecution so as to reduce the charges.

To demonstrate how it works, let us review a simple and yet an effective example: you were invited to a party, a get together with all of your oldest friends, whom you have not seen for years now. Sure enough, the party takes place at some bar and you drink a bit while remembering all the good times you used to have in the past. The bar is closing and you need to go. You and your friends exit the bar and are still arguing about something and laughing. Turns out – you were producing a bit too much noise. A law enforcement officer, who happens to be on patrol nearby, approaches you and makes and observation, charges you with disturbing the peace and demands you to appear in court.

Of course, once you appear in court, the prosecutor will try his very best in order to maximize the penalties. This is exactly where a qualified experienced defense attorney will come in real handy. He will approach the prosecutor and will try to prove that you were wrongfully accused and so cannot be charged with a misdemeanor and the charges should be replaced with an infraction. If the lawyer is a genuinely experience one, he will be able to reduce the charges and you will get out of this unpleasant situation with minimal legal damage possible.

Therefore, if you were accused with committing a misdemeanor crime and you would like to replace the charges with an infraction, do not hesitate to get in touch with a good lawyer at the earliest opportunity. Of course, you could always try and work with a public defender, but these guys have their hands full most of the time, so you will not get all the necessary attention and your case may become misplaced among tens of others.

Hence, it is crucial to hire The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Experts as soon as possible, let him review the case and go through all the possible options. Who knows – perhaps he will be able to come with a proper defense strategy that will make the misdemeanor charges go away and instead will replace them with an infraction, which is far less harsh and does not include any severe legal penalties. Only an experienced lawyer will be able to use his skills to your benefit.

Do You Need to Appear in Court or Could a Criminal Defense Attorney Go For You?

We all live in a very fast-paced society, where just about everyone and just about everything is constantly rushing somewhere, trying to deal with some tasks or to handle some responsibilities. The lack of time is disturbing, especially when it comes to choosing between several important issues that require attention.

            

With that said if you are a busy individual, who cannot afford to spend an entire day in court, perhaps you may be wondering if you could simply send a criminal defense attorney for you. Well, it is a possibility, but it generally depends on the type of a crime that you were accused of. If it is a misdemeanor, then sure – you can always have your criminal defense attorney appear in court for you and deal with the case on your behalf. However, if you are accused of committing a felony, you will be obliged to appear in court by the due date or else you will be dealing with even more legal consequences.

            

To demonstrate how it works, let us picture the following situation: you were at your best friend’s wedding party and everyone there was drinking and having a good time. You knew that you have a long way home ahead of you and you needed to have a sober mind to drive the car. Still, your best friend is a bit offended and you are literally forced to drink a glass of champagne. Of course, you are not drunk and you get behind the wheel. On your way home you are pulled over by the law enforcement officer for a routine DUI check. The breathalyzer indicates that your blood alcohol content is slightly above average and so you are charged with DUI offense. Seeing that you have not caused an accident, did not damage anything and did not hurt anyone, you will be charged with a misdemeanor offense and will be able to let your attorney deal with all the legal consequences for you.

            

On the other hand, if you had a lot to drink in the above-mentioned situation and have managed to get into an accident, where people were injured, you will be charged with a felony DUI crime and will be obliged to appear in court. Failure to do so will result in a bench warrant, which may lead to even more serious legal consequences. Regardless of whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, the criminal defense attorney will always be there for you to provide you with all the latest updates and information regarding your case. If, however, you will choose not to hire a lawyer, you will have to wait in a very long line, so the process may take even more time than you think.

            

Regardless of what type of crime you may have committed, we recommend to contact The Law Offices of Criminal Defense Specialists for your free case review. Seasoned attorney will help you to get out of the unpleasant situation with minimal legal punishment or complete case dismissal.

            
Do not hesitate to contact criminal defense law offices even if you were accused of a misdemeanor offense – this way you will save your time and efforts and will not have to face the court on your own. 

Possible Impact of DUI Violation On Everyday's Life

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is against the law. Sure enough, the reasons are quite obvious. If you get behind the wheel while being intoxicated, you lose your ability to focus on the road; you cannot focus on the traffic. Hence, not only you endanger your own life – you also endanger the lives of people around you – both the drivers and the pedestrians.

Most DUI offenses are considered felonies and the legal consequences of such offenses can be quite severe. Not only will you have to pay expensive fines, acquire a pricey new insurance coverage, spend your time attending obligatory alcohol and drug awareness course, but you will also be incarcerated and sentenced to jail or state prison for a very long time.

Furthermore, DUI records will remain in your personal files for a long time, so you will probably be unable to find a decent job or even rent a decent real estate property. Employers find people with criminal records unreliable and tend to avoid hiring them to begin with. Landlords are also not very excited about the criminals living in their homes. You can lose your license for a very long time. License suspension is also a harsh penalty, especially if you live in a big city or need to travel around a lot. Overall, you will have to pay a serious price for breaking the law and therefore it is best to avoid driving while being drunk or intoxicated.

Of course, if you were pulled over without any probable cause or if the law enforcement officers did not act in line with other legal regulations, you can avoid your punishment. Furthermore, field sobriety and BAC tests are not always that accurate to begin with.

Therefore, if you have committed a DUI offense and are still hoping to minimize the legal damage, we recommend you to consult with a qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney at the earliest opportunity. He will be able to review your case and come up with a solid as well as aggressive defense strategy that will allow you to avoid severe penalties. Furthermore, the attorney will go over all the evidence, police and witness reports, every tiny detail in order to make sure that your arrest was lawful and you were not detained without a probable cause.

If you are concerned about the legal consequences that your DUI arrest may have on your life, do not hesitate to contact The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Experts as soon as possible. In most cases, you will have the ability to reap all the advantages of the initial free consultation. During this consultation, you will be able to tell the lawyer about your case and review all the legal options that you have in front of you. Choose a truly experienced lawyer, who had to deal with such cases and who knows how to proceed in order to achieve the very best legal outcome possible. This is your sole chance to avoid the penalties and to keep your driver's license.