Pasadena ● Los Angeles Drunk Driving Attorneys
The legal and financial consequences of a DUI conviction can be substantial. Depending on your driving history and the circumstances of your arrest, if convicted for drunk driving you could lose your driver’s license, spend time in jail, and pay an expensive fine. Additionally, your insurance premiums will increase and you could lose your job if your employer has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug or alcohol convictions.
At the very least, if you are sentenced to a month or longer in jail, your employer may not be willing to let you take leave without pay while you serve your sentence. At the law office of Khalaf & Khalaf, our attorneys explore available options for helping clients avoid license suspension and lengthy jail sentences. When necessary, we work with prosecutors toward plea bargains that may reduce the charges or sentence against you.
In some cases, our Pasadena DUI attorneys may be able to work out an agreement that involves an alcohol education and prevention program or treatment for alcohol abuse instead of serving an incarceration sentence or paying fines. However, administrative license suspension and/or revocation is the minimum mandatory penalty for all drivers who have a blood alcohol content above .08. Under implied consent laws, drivers who decline to submit to a breath, blood or urine test for alcohol content also face a minimum mandatory license suspension and/or revocation. In California, the first offense carries a minimum mandatory suspension of 90 days; the second offense is one year; the third offense is three years. California also has a “zero tolerance” law, which means that any driver under the age of 21 who is operating a car with a blood alcohol level higher than .02 percent is subject to severe DUI penalties, as detailed below.
If you’ve been arrested for drunk driving, contact DUI lawyers at Khalaf & Khalaf today to schedule a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case.
DUI Penalties for First Time Offenders
In California, state judges have some discretion in regard to sentencing, though DUI penalties are relatively fixed. In general, the following represents an overview of possible DUI penalties:
- Jail: Typically, a DUI conviction will carry at least a 48 hour jail sentence. However, depending on the county and the circumstances involved, it could be more. In most counties, it’s possible to convert jail time into additional community service.
- Fines and Fees: $390 to $1,000, depending on the specifics of your case. However, additional court cost could increase these amounts.
- License Suspension: First time DUI offenders usually face a 4 month license suspension. If a defendant is under the age of 21, his or her license shall be suspended for a year. In cases where a defendant can prove his or her license suspension creates a hardship, a license may be restored within 30 days of the initial suspension.
- DUI School: Defendants over the age of 21 may be sentenced to 3 to 6 months of DUI school. For those under the age of 21, DUI school is mandatory.
- Ignition Interlock Device: If the court feels like the specifics of your case warrant additional oversight, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device (IID). An IID attaches to your car and works like a breathalyzer. Before your car will start, you have to blow into the IID and may be required to blow into it periodically while driving. If your blood alcohol count (BAC) is in excess of .02 or .04, depending on what the court decides, your car will not start.
- Community Service: The court may sentence you to some form of community service. If you pleaded “guilty” as part of a plea arrangement, you may be required to perform additional community service as a way of avoid jail or certain kinds of fines.
Contact DUI Defense Attorneys at Khalaf & Khalaf
DUI penalties can create substantial disruption to your work and personal life. If you have a commercial operator’s license, a DUI could impact your job as well. For more information regarding DUI penalties and how we can help you, contact Khalaf & Khalaf today to schedule a free consultation regarding your case.
