A DUI conviction means that you’ve been found guilty of either (1) driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, or you’ve been found guilty of driving with a .08% or more blood alcohol concentration.
To be convicted, you either plead guilty at the Arraignment stage of the case, or you plead guilty during the pre-trial stage of the case, or a jury found you guilty after a Trial, meaning that the jurors determined that the government had proved their case against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
A conviction for DUI means that you now have a criminal record.
Penalties for a DUI conviction:
There are two types of punishment resulting from being convicted of a DUI.
First, there are administrative penalties which means that your driver license will be suspended or revoked from 4 months up to 3 years or longer depending on the seriousness of the case. Because the driver license suspension is an administrative action by the DMV, you can lose your license prior to being convicted in Court of a DUI charge. In fact, your driver license can be taken away at the moment you are arrested, long before you have to appear in Court.
Second, there are criminal penalties, which may include probation, jail, fines, ignition interlock requirements, alcohol monitoring devices, alcohol classes, etc.
Moreover, the criminal charge can be filed as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the circumstances of the DUI arrest. A felony conviction will increase the punishment substantially.
In order to avoid a DUI conviction, you must vigorously defend yourself against the charges. It is in your best interest to have an expert DUI defense attorney represent you in Court and at the DMV.
Attorney Manuel J. Barba only does one thing. He provides professional & experienced DUI Defense for persons accused of DUI throughout Southern California.
Attorney Barba is an expert in DUI investigations, field sobriety testing, how the human body processes alcohol and drugs, as well as how the body is affected by alcohol and drugs.
Attorney Manuel J. Barba and has been awarded the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation by the American Chemical Society, and is trained in breath, blood, and urine test analysis.
If you have been accused of an alcohol or drug DUI, you need expert representation to get the best possible resolution of your case.