San Diego DUI Overview
Posted on October 25, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized
San Diego DUI Overview
When first arrested for a DUI in San Diego it’s likely that you’ll be confused about what is happening in terms of the legal process, etc… Here’s an overview that will help you understand the process involved with a San Diego DUI offense.
First you’re arrested and cited for suspicion of drunk driving or DUI. Depending on the actual circumstances you’ll most likely be held in the downtown jail for anywhere from 5-12 hours before being let go (this is assuming this is your first San Diego DUI and there were no aggravating circumstances).
When you’re brought to the police station downtown, your car is towed by a private towing company to the nearest towing facility that contracts with the San Diego Police to hold and ’store’ your vehicle. Before releasing the car back to you they must have a signed release order faxed to them from the San Diego County Police department. The fee for getting your car back will be anywhere from $150 - $350 dollars depending on how long it is held.
While at the police station in San Diego you’re booked; which means fingerprinted, photographed and a rap sheet is created documenting your stay in the jail.
Most likely you’ll have to post bail to get out or pay the bail amount yourself. You can contact one of the many 24 hour Bail bonds agencies in San Diego near the downtown jail. They can take care of everything for you while you are in jail with just a phone call. After you’re released you are required to immediately go to the bail bonds office and complete the transaction by signing all the documents that make you agree to appear in court.
Finally, you’re night should be winding down and you can make your way home to get some rest.
Next in the San Diego DUI process you’ll want to interview several skilled aggressive DUI lawyers who focus their practice ONLY on DUI defense and limit their practice to cases ONLY in San Diego. If you do that you will be sure to be dealing with a real expert in the local area who knows the district attorney’s office staff and can accurately assess your situation.
After you meet with several San Diego DUI lawyers you’ll want to retain the one you feel the most comfortable with. Then work with them on your defense by providing them with all requested information and showing up to any suggested activities.
San Diego DUI Sentencing
If you get convicted of the DUI, the sentence you’ll likely face in San Diego for a first offense involves:
- Drivers license suspension for 3-6 months.
- Court fines.
- Possible ignition interlock device (depends on situation).
- MADD victims impact panel attendance.
- Alcohol assessment and treatment program (most likely 3 months for 1st offenses in San Diego).
- Work service in lieu of jail time. (must be arranged) This will involve picking up trash along side the highways.
San Diego DUI Expungement
After you get through all the initial punishments and sanctions of a San Diego DUI you’ll want to look into erasing your DUI record from your criminal record. This process is called DUI expungement and you’ll have to complete the terms of your probation before being allowed to expunge your offense.
Expunging your San Diego DUI will enable you to answer ‘no’ on criminal background checks when they ask if you’ve ever been convicted of a criminal offense. This basically makes it like the DUI never occurred so long as you don’t re-offend.
If you're new to San Diego DUI Defense, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to stay up to date on the latest news. Thanks for visiting!
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.