DUI Cases

No other misdemeanor charge has as much politics mixed in as DUI’s. Elected prosecutors and elected judges are sensitive to aggressive political organizations such as MADD. As a result, negotiation with prosecutors in DUI cases quickly hit the wall of “policy from above.” Standardized dispositions are the norm.

Still, there are a number of directions we explore in handling such cases. We work with a private laboratory to reevaluate blood samples where we suspect irregularities or inaccuracies. In DUI’s with drugs we frequently use our lab to quantify drugs or, in marijuana cases, to determine whether the THC is still psychoactive.

We frequently check calibration records of breath testing devices to determine if there has been compliance with state regulations and identify irregularities. We employ other investigative strategies where appropriate and where potentially beneficial. We work regularly in the DUI courts in the Sacramento region, and are familiar with the standards of prosecution in the surrounding counties. As with other misdemeanor cases, it is our practice to make all court appearances without requiring our clients to appear personally in court.

DMV

In alcohol-related DUI’s, there is usually related DMV actions against the clients’ drivers licenses. We assess the DMV actions realistically and advise our clients on how to proceed in all such cases. If we actually handle DMV hearings there is an additional fee. However, we advise our clients on whether we believe we can benefit them through DMV litigation, then allow the client to decide whether it makes economic sense to pay an attorney for the DMV proceedings.