What To Do First After A California DUI Arrest

There is an abundance of circumstances that can lead to an arrest for a DUI / DWI or drunk driving in California. Maybe you and your date shared a bottle of wine at dinner and in your excitement to get back to your house a police officer pulled you over for speeding and detected the smell of alcohol on your breath. Or maybe you had one too many at a friend’s wedding and got stopped by a police officer when you failed to come to a complete stop at an intersection. The point is that a drunk-driving arrest can happen to almost anyone at any time.

While you may have feelings of distress or anger following your arrest, you should waste no time in hiring a qualified California DUI / DWI attorney. Wasting time will likely result in a suspension of your driver’s license by the Department of Motor Vehicles. If you or someone you know has been charged with a driving under the influence, you need to hire a good lawyer, as you may need to locate someone who remains in custody, and you will need to locate a bail bondsman too.

It is not always simple locating a friend or loved one who is in custody without the right information. When attempting to locate someone it is helpful to have the individual’s full name and birth date as well as a booking number related to the arrest.

Often one is released on their own recognizance often referred to as 'or' following an arrest for a DUI / DWI in California. This means that a person is being trusted to return to court for their arraignment without having to pay any sort of bail. However, there are circumstances in which a person will be held in custody on a drinking and driving charge until bail is paid. In such cases, locating a dependable bail bondsman is crucial to securing the rapid release of the suspect and an expeditious beginning to his or her defense. Typically a bail bondsman requires a down payment equal to ten percent of the total amount of bail.

A DUI / DWI charge in California actually results in two separate cases. You will face a California Department of Motor Vehicles case and a California criminal case. Each case must be dealt with as soon as possible in order to avoid unnecessary negative repercussions. In California DMV cases a person arrested on suspicion of drunk driving has ten (10) days from the date of arrest to request a DMV hearing or the DMV will automatically begin a process of suspending the person’s license to drive.

In the criminal case involving driving under the influence, the first step is the arraignment. At the arraignment, you will be asked to enter a plea of Guilty, Not Guilty, or No Contest. You don’t have to enter a guilty plea. An accomplished and experienced DUI / DWI attorney can fight your case and win. Oftentimes it takes costly resources to fight a DUI / DWI case, and the issues are complex. It is possible to win a case with the right legal counsel with a great strategy for success in both the DMV hearing and the criminal case.