Los Angeles DUI Lawyer

Defending Against DUI Charges & Protecting Your License

After a DUI arrest, there are usually two proceedings in play. They run on different timelines, use different rules, and both can affect your life immediately. 

We represent clients in both and plan them together.

• Criminal court case: Where the prosecutor files charges and the case resolves through dismissal, reduction, negotiated disposition, or trial. This is where evidentiary challenges and litigation leverage matter most.
• DMV administrative case: Where your driving privileges can be suspended or restricted while the criminal case is still pending. The DMV hearing can also lock in testimony and clarify issues early.

Coordinated handling reduces the risk of missed deadlines, inconsistent positions, and avoidable license consequences.

How DUI Cases Are Built

Most DUI prosecutions are assembled from the same components. The defense becomes stronger when each component is tested against the record.

The first layer: How the stop and investigation began

Why were you stopped or detained? Was the scope of the detention lawful? If the foundation is weak, the case often gets weaker quickly.

The second layer: What the report claims versus what the record shows

Police reports often read like a clean narrative. We compare the narrative to timestamps, video (when available), testing paperwork, and internal inconsistencies.

The third layer: The testing and the documentation

Breath and blood testing is procedure-driven. The state needs reliable testing supported by proper maintenance records, collection protocols, chain of custody, and lab documentation. When the documentation is weak, the conclusions become harder to defend.

The fourth layer: Enhancements and aggravating allegations

High BAC claims, refusal allegations, accidents, and injury allegations still have to be proven with admissible evidence. Those are often the issues that change the direction of the case once the proof is examined carefully.

Penalties and Consequences of a DUI

A DUI can carry legal penalties, DMV consequences, and long-term fallout. The practical question is how the case is likely to resolve under the facts and what exposure the prosecution is pushing.

Court outcomes can include:

• Custody exposure (or alternatives where available)
• Probation terms and compliance conditions
• Fines and assessments
• Mandatory DUI programs
• IID-related requirements and other court-ordered conditions

License impact can include:

• Suspension or restrictions while the criminal case is pending
• Limits that affect commuting, work schedules, and daily responsibilities

Long-term impact can include:

• Insurance consequences that follow you for years
• Employment and background screening issues
• Professional licensing concerns for regulated careers

Allegations that commonly increase exposure:

• Prior DUI(s) within the lookback period
• High BAC allegations
• Refusal allegations
• Accident involvement, especially injury allegations (VC § 23153)
• Minor passenger allegations

When a DUI Can Be Filed as a Felony

Some DUI cases are filed as felonies from the beginning. Others start as misdemeanors and escalate based on what the prosecution alleges and what evidence develops.

Felony exposure most often comes up when prosecutors allege:

• Injury in an accident (often charged under VC § 23153)
• Prior DUI-related convictions that increase filing severity and custody exposure
• Other aggravating factors that elevate the state’s posture and reduce plea flexibility

What changes in a felony matter:

• Custody exposure increases, and the case is typically litigated more aggressively
• Evidence review becomes more intensive, especially on causation, injury claims, and testing reliability
• Early strategy matters more, because charging decisions and enhancement allegations can harden quickly

If you’re facing a felony filing or the case is trending that direction, the defense plan should be built around admissibility, proof, and leverage from the start.

How We Take Control of a DUI Case

DUI cases don’t improve by waiting. They improve when the defense is organized early, and the record is tested.

Our focus is usually:

• Confirm deadlines and immediate exposure (including license issues and early court obligations)
• Secure and review the proof (reports, video when available, test records, lab documentation)
• Identify the pressure points (stop legality, admissibility problems, testing reliability, enhancement proof issues)
• Choose the right path: targeted motions, negotiated resolution when supported by the record, or trial preparation when necessary

This keeps the case moving with purpose instead of reacting to the prosecution’s timeline.

If you or someone you love has been arrested for drunk driving, contact our DUI attorneys in Los Angeles today: (424) 271-0490.