DUI Lawyer CA

Your DUI lawyer in CA should be well-versed in the subtleties of drunk driving law if you hope to escape a criminal charge. DUIs can fall under the misdemeanor or felony categories depending on whether or not anyone was hurt. The law also takes into account any past convictions you might have in determining whether your DUI is a felony or misdemeanor.

If you fall in under the misdemeanor category, you could face a penalty and up to a year in prison, though this is considered unusual. A felony, however, carries a much stricter sentence that includes even higher fees and a longer prison sentence. Under California's "zero-tolerance" policies, drivers under 21 who are convicted of DUI can often face felony charges in circumstances that would otherwise call for a misdemeanor charge.

How Your DUI Lawyer in CA Can Help

A skillful DUI lawyer in CA can often get felony charges reduced to a misdemeanor or even have the case dismissed altogether. To do this, he or she must show the court either that you had the characteristics of a sober driver or that the arresting officer erred during the field sobriety test. Your CA DUI attorney may also be able to prove that testing equipment was faulty or not properly calibrated, which can result in an acquittal.

To avail yourself of these options, though, you have to have an accomplished and knowledgeable CA DUI lawyer going to bat for you. He or she will also know the inner workings of the system, including insights into what sort of information juries find compelling in evaluating your case. It's simply not worth taking chances with anything less than a masterful attorney in this sphere of California criminal law.