The consequences for a first time DUI in California are 3 years probation or possible jail time of 6 months, $10,000.00 fines and penalties, having to attend a mandatory 3 month DUI program, possibility of having to do community service and a 4 month drivers license suspension.
Probation for a first DUI conviction in California is 3 years and you may have a progress report with your criminal court during the time frame to show that you're in fact complying with the conditions of your DUI conviction.
On your first DUI court date in California you will be arraigned in which the judge reads the criminal charge(s) being brought against you (after which, the you are called the “defendant”).
The defendant being the one charged for DUI is asked by the judge if he or she has an attorney, or needs the assistance of a court-appointed attorney.
The defendant is requested to answer or “plead to” the criminal charges.
Most DUI cases never go to trial but it's possible to win the DUI case by having it dismissed before the trial.
It is worth fighting a DUI in California if you've been wrongly arrested and charged with DUI.
If you have been rightfully arrested and charged with DUI then it's not worth fighting as you would lose either way.
You can beat a DUI in California with a good DUI lawyer and if you were not actually driving under the influence at the time and can prove it.
If you were actually driving under the influence and were arrested for it then you would not be able to win the DUI.
However there are people that are falsely arrested and charged with DUI when they were not actually under the influence of anything.
During court for a DUI in California there will be 3 main steps which are the arraignment, pretrial conference and the trial.
Most DUI cases never go to trial but it's possible to win the DUI case by having it dismissed before the trial.
You can also reach an agreement to a plea deal to a less serious charge.
Your first offense DUI in California is a misdemeanor which is typically punished by 3 to 5 years of probation, $390.00 to $1000.00 in fines plus penalty assessments, DUI school, a 6-month driver's license suspension, and installation of an ignition interlock device.
If you miss your court date for a DUI in California you will have a bench warrant issued for your arrest.
Once you have the bench warrant issued against you for missing your DUI court date you can be arrested on the spot if you're pulled over.
If you failed to appear in court for a DUI you should contact a DUI attorney and if you can't make your court date for a very good reason you should let the court know beforehand.
You will need a DUI lawyer or experienced legal counsel to expunge your DUI in California.
A DUI lawyer is the best lawyer for helping you expunge your DUI in California as the court and judge must be convinced that expunging the DUI is in the best interest of justice.
After 10 years of a DUI in California the DUI conviction is no longer on your driving record but your arrest and charge information can still appear on your criminal record indefinitely unless you take the legal action to have it sealed or expunged.
A DUI in CA costs between $8,000.00 to as much as $25,000.00 in court fees, fines and to hire a private DUI attorney.
In California your drivers license is suspended for one year for a DUI in California if it's your first offense.
If your DUI is a second offense within 10 years then it results in a 2 year revocation of your drivers license and if it's a third or subsequent DUI offense within 10 years then it results in a 3 year revocation of your drivers license.
The percentage of DUI cases that get dismissed in California is 20% to 30% or they may result in acquittal.
The car insurance that covers DUI in California is Mercury Car Insurance as well as Geico.
You will need DUI insurance when you've been arrested and convicted of a DUI in California.
DUI insurance in California is around $3,069.00 per year although the cost can vary.
After a DUI in California you need SR22 insurance for 3 years.
And to fully reinstate your driving privileges with no restrictions you have to serve your full suspension or restriction and provide the California DMV with proof of completion of a DUI program and provide proof of insurance SR22.
The cheapest car insurance for a DUI in California is Mercury Auto Insurance.
The best car insurance after a DUI is Geico but for the cheapest you should go with Mercury auto insurance.
A DUI will affect your auto insurance in California for around 3 years.
Even for first time DUI offenses those over the age of 21 should expect to see an increase on their auto insurance of 20 to 30 percent.
A DUI will stay on your driving record in California for up to 10 years.
The time starts on the date of your DUI arrest and not the conviction but once you've been convicted of the DUI it will remain on your California state driving record for 10 years.
A DUI will show up on a background check in California for at least 10 years.
A DUI stays on your background check in California for 10 years.
However the arrest and charge information might appear on your criminal record indefinitely, unless you also take legal action to get it sealed or expunged.
The typical sentence for first time DUI in California is 3 to 5 years of probation and a $390.00 to $1,000.00 fine along with penalty assessments, DUI school, a 6 month driver license suspension and the installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle.
A DUI is sometimes a felony in California although a DUI may also be charged as a misdemeanor in California.
A first or second or third DUI is usually charged as a misdemeanor unless the person charged with DUI has 4 DUI charges in 10 years, has a prior felony or was involved in a DUI that caused injury or had a DUI with a minor in the vehicle.
The driving under the influence of intoxicants is ordinarily a California misdemeanor under Vehicle Code 23152 VC.
Further, the DUI crime generally remains a misdemeanor not only for a first offense but for second and third offenses if the circumstances of the crime involve no other aggravating factors.
Once you are convicted of DUI in California, a record of that conviction will remain on your state driving record for ten years.
This clock starts on the date of the arrest, not your conviction.
A first offense DUI in California is a misdemeanor typically punished by 3 to 5 years of probation, $390.00 to $1000.00 in fines plus penalty assessments, DUI school, a 6-month driver's license suspension, and installation of an ignition interlock device.
Depending on what happened during your arrest, you have a good chance of avoiding jail for a first-time DUI.
If it's a second-time DUI, it's a mandatory 96 hours in jail up to a year, as long as it is filed as a misdemeanor and not a felony.
For a first-offense DUI in California, consequences for conviction generally include three years of informal probation, fines of $390.00 plus “penalty assessments” (totally approximately $2,000.00 and completing a first offender alcohol program that consists of a 30-hour class, at a cost of about $500.00