DUI Lawyer Lakewood. If you're up against a DUI in Lakewood, it can feel overwhelming. You're being accused of a crime; if you're facing years in prison for a repeat offense, your car is the least of your worries. You can face DUI charges even for just refusing to take the tests, and that can even result in tougher penalties. And there are differences in DUI alcohol versus DUI marijuana cases, or other drugs.
If you find yourself in this situation, you need help from a DUI defense expert. Trying to navigate the laws and the courts is a fight that you need a team for, which is why the Law Offices of David S. Chesley is here to fight for your rights.
We are California's top DUI defense lawyers and decades of experience fighting against these charges. When you work with us, you're getting a team of former prosecutors who know how to fight for you in the Lakewood, CA, court system and find the best result for your case.
Don't wait and let your chance slip away. Speak with one of our attorneys as soon as possible at (800) 755-5174 or tell us about your charges online to start constructing your defense strategy today.
Lakewood, CA, DUI Lawyer Traffic Stop Tips:
Most people don't plan to be pulled over, but knowing what to do if you are in a traffic stop can help you avoid an arrest. Here are four tips from a Lakewood, CA, DUI Lawyer for you that will guide you through your next traffic stop:
Tip #1: Be Prepared With Your Documents
It's typical for an officer to request for your license, registration, and proof of insurance during a traffic stop. Dropping them or failing to find them could just be a result of stress, but it can give the impression that you're impaired. When you're already prepared to give them to the officer, you stop yourself from appearing inebriated.
Tip #2: Don't Talk If Alcohol Is Smelled
If either the officer alleges that they smell alcohol, or you can smell alcohol yourself, don't answer any questions. You have the right to remain silent during the entirety of your interactions with the law. Even just saying "I only had two drinks" can work against you.
Tip #3: Refuse Voluntary Tests
Participation in field sobriety tests is not required for people over the age of 21 who aren't on probation. Refusing won't force the officer to let you go, but on its own, there aren't any penalties for refusing. However, if you have been arrested and refuse a blood or breath test, your license will be suspended.
Tip #4: Respect the Law Enforcement Officer
Acting belligerent and uncooperative won't improve your case — it will increase your chances of getting in trouble. This doesn't just help you get through the traffic stop; it also benefits your defense: By acting out or arguing, you are giving the police more evidence, and depending on what you do, it could make you appear intoxicated.
What Happens After a DUI Arrest in Lakewood?
California DUI Law allows an officer to arrest you without a BAC level over the limit, or even if you don't undergo any tests at all. Police officers can do this because they when they rely on other methods to tell if you are impaired, likely through field sobriety tests, then decide whether or not to arrest you based on the results.
Once this happens, the CA legal system automatically begins the process for both a license suspension and criminal charges. You can expect the following steps to play out in your case:
- Suspension: Your license suspension can start the minute the officer arrests you – on the spot, you will be given a 30-day, temporary license, and your permanent license will be confiscated by the officer. In the meantime, they are informing the DMV about the arrest, at which point, you're officially facing a license suspension.
- Arraignment: After your arrest and before your release, you will attend a hearing, and a prosecutor will announce what charges you're up against.
- DMV Hearing: While all of the criminal proceedings are going on, you'll have 10 days after the arrest to contact the DMV for a hearing.
- Pretrial Motions: It's possible to be held in jail before your trial, but that's not very likely in DUI cases. Meanwhile, your Lakewood DUI defense attorney will file pretrial motions, likely including some to suppress unlawfully collected evidence, and a "blood split" motion to have an independent lab examine your blood sample.
- Negotiations With the Prosecutor: In the midst of pretrial motions, your DUI defense attorney will negotiate with the Lakewood prosecutor to present you with plea deal offers that could protect your freedom. But if you end up on trial in front of a judge, your attorney should be creating a defense now.
- Criminal Trial: Outside of extraordinary circumstances, it's rare for a DUI case to go to trial, but just in case it does, our team always crafts a trial-ready defense.
- Sentencing/Sealing: Depending on the outcome of your case, you may face penalties. However, if you are found not guilty or enough time has passed, we may be able to help you clean your record.
Our DUI legal experts can provide guidance for any charge, on both the criminal defense and administrative side. Whether you've just been arrested or are on the eve of your trial (or anywhere in-between), call now and we'll be happy to assist!
Lakewood DUI Allegations and Criminal Cases vs. DMV Hearings
Lakewood, CA, DUI charges are special because of their dual-nature: The criminal case and the license suspension. This will always require two separate defenses, but a skilled DUI defense attorney will help you with both.
Here are some things you need to know about both, and how we fight to protect your justice and right to drive:
Lakewood, CA, DUI Criminal Charges
Allegedly violating DUI laws will result in criminal charges. To fight them, you'll have to go through CA courts.
Most of the steps in a DUI criminal case are identical to that of another criminal charge – arrest, arraignment, pretrial activity, and possibly trial.
At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, we present reasonable doubt and discredit the supposed wrongdoing. We'll argue whether the police had the justification needed to pull you over, argue against he officer's observations, look for contaminations or errors in blood, breath, or urine tests, and hunt for other evidence that can tell a different story.
If you're facing jail time in Lakewood, CA, our attorneys can help you avoid it. Often, we'll contact the district attorney on their behalf and negotiate a charge reduction, typically to a wet reckless, exhibition of speed, or reckless driving charge. We'll also work to give you an alternative to jail, in the form of probation.
Lakewood, CA, DUI License Suspension
Even though the criminal charges may sound like the more serious matter, don't neglect the DMV and your license suspension. This suspension goes into effect automatically, and if you want to fight it, you'll need to request an administrative hearing within ten days of your arrest.
The criminal charges are not always relevant in the DMV hearing. In fact, no matter what the court decision was, it won't automatically give you back your license. Instead, this administrative hearing is focused on if you were lawfully arrested, if your BAC was at or above 0.08, the legal limit, or, if you refused alcohol tests, whether or not you were properly informed of the consequences. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, we'll work to undermine the legitimacy of the stop, the arrest, and the BAC reading.
If you miss that ten-day deadline, though, you'll likely have to endure the suspension. Outside of rare cases, you don't get any more chances to set up that hearing. This is why it's essential to contact a Lakewood DUI defense attorney promptly after the traffic stop.
Potential Penalties for a DUI in Lakewood
Lakewood, CA, DUI criminal penalties can permanently affect your life – while many are considered misdemeanors, you could still be sentenced to a year in jail, or six months for a first offense.
Below, you can read through the different penalties you could be looking to avoid, depending on how exactly your charged and your history:
| DUI Criminal Charge | Jail/Prison Time | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| First Time DUI | 48 Hours to 6 Months | Up to $1,000 |
| Second Time DUI | 96 Hours to 1 Year | Up to $1,000 |
| Third Time DUI | 120 Days to 1 Year | Up to $1,000 |
| Fourth Time DUI (Felony) | 16 Months to 3 Years | Up to $1,000 |
| DUI Injury (Misdemeanor) | Up to 1 Year | Up to $1,000 |
| DUI Injury (Felony) | Up to 4 Years | Up to $5,000 |
| DUI Manslaughter (Misdemeanor) | Up to 1 Year | Up to $1,000 |
| DUI Manslaughter (Felony) | 4, 6 or 10 Years | Up to $10,000 |
Beyond any sentence that a judge in Lakewood, CA, sentences you to, you also need to worry about collateral consequences, such as increased insurance premiums and impacts on your employment.
DUIs and Immigration
DUI immigration consequences can be devastating. If this is the first time you've been accused of driving under the influence, you probably won't face removal proceedings. The bad news is that if certain circumstances apply, like DUIs causing injury or repeat offenses, you can qualify for deportation. What's worse, if H.R.875 passes, any DUI can result in removal from the country. If you are trying to become an American citizen, even if you aren't deported, it can indefinitely pause your efforts to become a citizen.
If any of the above situations apply to you, don't panic: Call one of our Lakewood, CA, immigration lawyers to get immediate help. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, you can rest assured that our lawyers can guide you through both your criminal case and your citizenship process: We'll explore diversion programs and plea deals that can keep a DUI off your record, fight to keep you in the country, and offer expert advice as you apply for citizenship.
After the Case: Expungement/Sealing
Whatever happens in the court case, you'll want to get back to life as normal, before the charges. However, your arrest and/or criminal record keeps coming up and getting in your way. Depending on your case outcome, it might be possible to either expunge or seal your records. A Lakewood, CA, DUI defense lawyer can help you with these processes, and give you a path to clean your record.
Important Qualities You Need in a Lakewood, CA DUI Attorney
When you're facing DUI charges, it's crucial to pick the right lawyer to defend you. Your team needs the abilities, history, and contacts to provide the optimal outcome for your case. When looking for a DUI defense lawyer in Lakewood, CA, look for these signs:
- Experience: If it's both for and against the state, even better. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, our DUI lawyers have previous experience as judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement, totalling more than five decades of experience handling cases.
- Availability: Because alleged DUIs can happen outside of the 9-to-5. Our phones are ready for your call 24/7.
- Relationships: When your lawyer knows the district attorney you're up against, they'll use that to your advantage. We know how to connect with the prosecutors in Lakewood and all throughout CA.
- Reputation: Both in the community and in the legal sphere. We are proud to be respected amongst our peers and to be recognized as the top DUI lawyer in California.
- Track Record of Success: Winners win. It's as simple as that. And we win, a lot. In fact, 95% of our DUI cases result in no jail time.
Our recent DUI Case results speak for themselves. We're ready to add you to our list of success stories.
DUI Case Types We Defend Against in Lakewood
It doesn't matter what kind of DUI you're facing in Lakewood, CA – the Law Offices of David S. Chesley is prepared for the charges.
This is a list of the DUI charges we can provide defenses for:
- Boating Under the Influence
- Breathalyzer Test
- Commercial Driver CDL DUI
- Disorderly Conduct
- Disturbing the Peace
- DMV Hearing Defense
- Driving with a Suspended License
- Driving Without a License
- Driving Without Insurance
- Drug DUI
- Drunk in Public
- DUI Alcohol
- DUI Accident Defense
- DUI and Professional Licenses in California
- DUI Blood Test Defense
- DUI Causing Injury
- DUI Checkpoint Defense Attorney
- DUI Defense Costs
- DUI Expungement in California
- DUI Immigration Consequences
- DUI in Construction Zones and School Zones
- DUI License Reinstatement
- DUI Probation Violation
- DUI Process – What to Expect
- DUI Marijuana
- DUI Prescription Drugs
- DUI Refusal Cases
- DUI Trial – Jury Trial Defense
- DUI Penalties
- DUI with Child Passenger
- Evasion
- Exhibition of Speed
- Felony DUI
- Field Sobriety Tests
- First-Time DUI
- Fourth DUI Felony Escalation
- Hit and Run
- Hit and Run DUI
- Hit and Run with Injury or Death
- Ignition Interlock Device Violations
- Illegal Traffic Stop – Probable Cause Defense
- Medical Conditions as a Defense to DUI
- Misdemeanor vs Felony DUI Overview
- Mouth Alcohol Defense to DUI
- Out-of-State DUI
- Public Intoxication
- Reckless Driving
- Rising Blood Alcohol Defense
- Street Racing
- Second Time DUI
- Third DUI California
- Title 17 Violation of Breath and Blood Test Procedures Defense
- Underage DUI
- Watson Murder / DUI Murder
- Wet Reckless
DUI Defense Tactics in Lakewood, CA
Whatever type of charge you're facing, our Lakewood, CA, DUI attorneys can help you fight it. There are several defensive tactics available, but not every one will work for your case. Below are some of the most common ones we use.
Challenge the Legality of the Traffic Stop
If the arresting officer failed to obey the rules for investigating a DUI, your case could be thrown out on legal grounds. This defense is effective if, for example, the police officer pulled you over without probable cause, the entire traffic stop could be made invalid.
Show Issues With BAC Tests
If you were arrested and given a breathalyzer, blood, or urine test, that can be the center of the prosecution's case. Our team will highlight the ways that these tests can give false readings, retest when possible, and analyze the state's case to see if there was an error made in how your evidence was processed.
Challenge Field Sobriety Tests
Field sobriety tests, like 'one-leg stand,' are often used by officers to evaluate whether someone is impaired or not. But you can still challenge them – they are not ironclad proof of guilt. An experienced Lakewood, CA, DUI attorney will know how to dissect any records and look for expert analysis that will show your performance in a more favorable light.
Explain BAC With Medical Conditions
While the police can make mistakes with breathalyzer tests, most of the time they perform them properly. This could be bad news if you were tested and your BAC was over the legal limit. This may sound bad, but you do still have viable defense strategies. We can examine your diet and medical conditions to find alternative explanations.
Get Rapid Assistance – Talk To Our Lakewood DUI Defense Attorneys TODAY
If you've been arrested or accused of a DUI in Lakewood, CA, it can feel like you barely have a chance to think. Your license is suspended, there could be interrogations, you're assigned a court date…it's easy to be out of control. And that's why it's all the more important to contact an attorney right away.
Don't wait for the prosecution to build a case against you. Don't lose your license because you missed the DMV hearing window. Don't hesitate and lose your freedom. Hire the Law Offices of David S. Chesley to defend you.
We're experts at defending all Lakewood, CA DUI charges. We're available to help right now and will can fight for your license and your liberty now. Talk to one of our team members now at (800) 755-5174 or tell us about your case online for a confidential consultation.
We also provide the following legal services in Lakewood, CA:
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