Riverside and San Bernardino counties DUI / DWI Arrests

A DUI / DWI arrest in Riverside or San Bernardino county carries extremely serious consequences – if convicted, you face a large fine, a lengthy driver’s license suspension, and even the possibility of spending time in jail. Fortunately, you have an opportunity to aggressively fight your Inland Empire DUI / DWI charge and completely avoid these repercussions. The skilled DWI/DUI lawyers of Riverside, CA and San Bernardino County of The Kavinoky Law Firm have the experience needed to effectively fight your Inland Empire drunk driving charge and create reasonable doubt in your guilt.

If you were arrested for DUI / DWI anywhere in Riverside or San Bernardino County, it’s critical to have an expert drunk driving lawyer to walk you through this confusing experience. A skilled Inland Empire DUI / DWI defense lawyer will assist you with every aspect of your drunk driving case, including obtaining your release on bail or on your own recognizance (OR) and requesting a hearing with the California DMV.

Requesting your DMV hearing in a timely manner is critically important in a California DUI / DWI case. If you fail to request a DMV hearing within 10 days of your arrest, your driver’s license will be automatically suspended. However, like your drunk driving criminal case, the administrative case brought against you by the California Department of Motor Vehicles can be aggressively defended.

An experienced Inland Empire DUI / DWI lawyer will also start planning an effective defense strategy to defend you in court. Your DUI attorney in Riverside, CA should aggressively challenge the result of your chemical test, your field sobriety test, and any observations by the arresting officer that point to your intoxication.

If you refused to take a chemical test to determine your blood alcohol content (BAC), face punishment from both the California DMV and the court. You’re required by law to submit to a breath or blood test after a lawful California DUI / DWI arrest, and refusal to do so will cause the DMV to suspend your driver’s license for an additional length of time. Also, the prosecutor will introduce your refusal as evidence of “consciousness of guilt.” However, it may be possible to have your refusal excused if convincing evidence of extenuating circumstances is presented. Some so-called “refusals” stem from something as simple as a medical condition or a misunderstanding..

Your future may hinge on the lawyer who handles your Inland Empire DUI / DWI case, so don’t entrust it to an amateur. The experienced Riverside and San Bernardino DUI / DWI lawyers of The Kavinoky Law Firm can answer all of your questions about your Inland Empire drunk driving arrest during a free consultation.

Alcohol Education Programs in Amador County, California

In California, there are several levels of Alcohol Education Programs that are offered. In order to enroll in one of the programs, one must be referred, either by the court or the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

BEWARE: Completing an alcohol program may not satisfy the DMV. That is just one reason why it is critical that you consult with a California criminal defense lawyer that concentrates on DUI defense.

Driving Under the Influence programs in Amador County, California:

Amador County DDP
(Service Provided: First Offender, 18 Month)
1001 Broadway,
Suite 106,
Jackson, California 95642
Phone: 510-569-9888; Fax: 209-223-3460

» Return to Driving Under the Influence program in California, directory of service providers

Note: This list is provided for convenience and informational purposes only. We do not recommend or endorse any specific Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program.

Alcohol Education Programs in Marin County, California

In California, there are several levels of Alcohol Education Programs that are offered. In order to enroll in one of the programs, one must be referred, either by the court or the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

BEWARE: Completing an alcohol program may not satisfy the DMV. That is just one reason why it is critical that you consult with a California criminal defense lawyer that concentrates on DUI defense.

Driving Under the Influence programs in Marin County, California:

Bay Area Community Resources
(Service Provided: First Offender, 18 Month)
118 Alto Street,
San Rafael, California 94901
Phone: 415-453-9980

» Return to Driving Under the Influence program in California, directory of service providers

Note: This list is provided for convenience and informational purposes only. We do not recommend or endorse any specific Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program.

Alcohol Education Programs in San Francisco County, California

In California, there are several levels of Alcohol Education Programs that are offered. In order to enroll in one of the programs, one must be referred, either by the court or the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

BEWARE: Completing an alcohol program may not satisfy the DMV. That is just one reason why it is critical that you consult with a San Francisco DUI attorney.

Driving Under the Influence programs in San Francisco County, California:

Counseling Services for Drinking Drivers
(Service Provided: Service Provided: 18 Month, 30 Month)
43 Fell Street,
San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: 415-241-1187; Fax: 415-553-3939

Driver Performance Institutes, Inc.
(Service Provided: First Offender)
330 Townsend Street,
Suite 230,
San Francisco, California 94107
Phone: 415-905-5555; Fax: 415-905-5565

Dry Zone M.O. DUI Program
(Service Provided: 18 Month)
820 Valencia Street,
San Francisco, California 94110
Phone: 415-826-6767; Fax: 415-826-6774

Institute Of Advanced Driver Education
(Service Provided: First Offender)
2111 Mission Street,
San Francisco, California 94110
Phone: 415-255-0371; Fax: 415-864-3091

NCA And Other Drug Addictions Bay Area
(Service Provided: First Offender)
944 Market Street,
3rd Floor,
San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: 415-255-0371; Fax: 415-864-3091

» Return to Driving Under the Influence program in California, directory of service providers

Note: This list is provided for convenience and informational purposes only. We do not recommend or endorse any specific Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program.

Alcohol Education Programs in Tulare County, California

In California, there are several levels of Alcohol Education Programs that are offered. In order to enroll in one of the programs, one must be referred, either by the court or the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

BEWARE: Completing an alcohol program may not satisfy the DMV. That is just one reason why it is critical that you consult with a California criminal defense lawyer that concentrates on DUI defense.

Driving Under the Influence programs in Tulare County, California:

Alternative Services, Inc.
(Service Provided: First Offender, 18 Month)
2223 North Shirk Road,
Visalia, California 93291
Phone: 559-651-8090; Fax: 559-651-8099

Alternative Services, Inc.
(Service Provided: First Offender, 18 Month)
215 North D Street,
Porterville, California 93257
Phone: 559-783-2402; Fax: 559-782-4681

» Return to Driving Under the Influence program in California, directory of service providers

Note: This list is provided for convenience and informational purposes only. We do not recommend or endorse any specific Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program.

Superior Court Of California, County of Colusa

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs in the state of California, it is important to know the location of the courthouse where your arraignment will be held. If there are multiple courthouses in the county, please contact a skilled California DUI / DWI defense attorney for more information.

Colusa County Superior Court
547 Market Street, Colusa, CA 95932

» Colusa County Superior Court of California website.

Getting arrested on suspicion of DUI / DWI can be a frightening experience. Suspected drunk drivers face a legal labyrinth that can seem daunting. A drunk driving case generates two separate cases – in criminal court, and at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A California attorney with experience defending drinking and driving cases can help drivers navigate through both the DMV hearing and the court case.

» Return to California Superior Courts, general information

Superior Court Of California, County of Merced

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs in the state of California, it is important to know the location of the courthouse where your arraignment will be held. If there are multiple courthouses in the county, please contact a skilled California DUI / DWI defense attorney for more information.

Merced County Superior Court
627 W. 21st Street, Merced, CA 95340

» Merced County Superior Court of California website.

Getting arrested on suspicion of DUI / DWI can be a frightening experience. Suspected drunk drivers face a legal labyrinth that can seem daunting. A drunk driving case generates two separate cases – in criminal court, and at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A California attorney with experience defending drinking and driving cases can help drivers navigate through both the DMV hearing and the court case.

» Return to California Superior Courts, general information

Superior Court Of California, County of Stanislaus

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs in the state of California, it is important to know the location of the courthouse where your arraignment will be held. If there are multiple courthouses in the county, please contact a skilled California DUI / DWI defense attorney for more information.

Stanislaus County Superior Court
800 11th Street, Modesto, CA 95354

Turlock Courthouse
300 Starr Avenue, Turlock, CA 95380

Traffic & Small Claims
2260 Floyd Avenue, Modesto, CA 95355

Juvenile Court
2215 Blue Gum Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356

» Stanislaus County Superior Court of California website.

Getting arrested on suspicion of DUI / DWI can be a frightening experience. Suspected drunk drivers face a legal labyrinth that can seem daunting. A drunk driving case generates two separate cases – in criminal court, and at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A California attorney with experience defending drinking and driving cases can help drivers navigate through both the DMV hearing and the court case.

» Return to California Superior Courts, general information

California Criminal Defense Attorney – Examination of a Prosecution Expert

After a prosecutor calls the arresting officer to testify in a California DUI / DWI trial, the second witness is usually an analyst from the crime lab – their “expert.” The prosecution expert’s testimony always supports the theory that the defendant is guilty, but an experienced drunk driving criminal defense lawyer from The Kavinoky Law Firm will aggressively cross-examine the expert and call defense experts who will contradict the prosecution witness’s testimony.

The prosecution will typically begin by having the analyst describe his or her education and training in an effort to build credibility. The expert may then discuss how field sobriety tests help an officer to determine whether a driver was under the influence. The expert may then offer an opinion as to how well the defendant performed on the tests and what this says about the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC).

Prosecution experts typically make presumptions about the defendant’s level of intoxication that are based on general scientific principles and assumptions. However, these assumptions don’t consider a defendant’s tolerance level, size, absorption rate, or meals eaten prior to drinking. The expert will describe any chemical tests the driver took, including how they were performed, the accuracy of the tests, and what this says about the level of alcohol in the defendant’s system.

The prosecutor might ask the expert to describe how alcohol affects an individual mentally and physically, and to cite specific examples of behavior that show that an individual was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Finally, the prosecution’s expert may make statements about hypothetical situations or drivers, and use these situations and conclusions to support the charge that the defendant in this specific drunk driving trial was also under the influence. Experts in driving under the influence cases can rely on hearsay evidence (out of court statements offered to prove the truth) in forming their opinions and conclusions.

Because a prosecution expert can make hypothetical assumptions about the based on hearsay, it’s essential to the defense of a driving under the influence charge that the person accused retain a qualified and experienced DUI criminal defense attorney.

After the prosecutor directly examines his or her expert, the defense attorney has a chance to cross-examine the witness. A skilled DUI / DWI lawyer will use this opportunity to discredit the expert and punch holes in the prosecutor’s case. Like a defense lawyer’s cross-examination of the arresting officer, grilling the prosecution’s expert in a driving while intoxicated trial is less of an examination than a chance for the defense attorney to testify.

An experienced defense lawyer will ask leading questions designed to elicit only a yes or no answer. This technique allows the defense attorney to testify to what he or she wants the jury to hear, and then forcing the prosecution’s witness to agree with that testimony.

An effective DUI / DWI defense attorney knows that scoring points with the prosecution’s expert is even better than scoring points with the defense expert. Jurors know that the defense expert has been hired by the defense to help the defense. But the prosecution’s expert is there to help convict the accused drunk driver, so persuading that witness to agree with the defense, or support something that helps the defendant’s case, is much more valuable than anything the defense expert could say.

A savvy DUI / DWI criminal defense lawyer will use cross-examination to get the expert to admit that he or she doesn’t know anything about the accused driver’s drinking patterns, level of tolerance, or how his or her body absorbs alcohol. The expert has no information about how the defendant drank the night he or she was arrested, or how much. The expert has no way of knowing whether the driver has any injuries or illnesses that would impact the performance of field sobriety tests, or could affect the sample provided during the chemical tests.

Without aggressive cross-examination by a California defense lawyer experienced in drunk driving cases, the prosecution’s expert will only offer testimony that will help convict the driver. During a skilled cross-examination, the impact of a prosecution expert’s testimony can be diminished or completely eliminated.

Drivers arrested on suspicion of DUI / DWI in California must take a breath or blood test to determine the motorist’s blood alcohol content (BAC). Although police and prosecutors consider blood tests to be definitive evidence in drunk driving cases, these tests are open to interpretation. A skilled attorney from The Kavinoky Law Firm who focuses on driving under the influence cases has the experience needed to effectively challenge blood test results.

California’s Implied Consent Law dictates that anyone who drives in the state agrees to take a chemical test if arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving. If a driver is suspected of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), a blood or urine test may be required.

If the driver refuses to submit to a chemical test, a number of serious repercussions follow, including fines, mandatory imprisonment if the person is convicted of DUI, and DMV suspension of the person’s driver’s license. And if the driver refuses a chemical test, the courts have ruled that police have the right to take the defendant’s blood by force. Therefore, submitting to the chemical test is in the best interests of someone arrested for DUI.

When a driver opts to take a breath test, the officer must advise the person of the right to take a blood test in order to retain a sample of blood for later testing by an independent forensic toxicologist. Tests are fallible, and human error is not uncommon.

Improper blood-drawing procedures are a common error in blood-testing. When drawing a blood sample for a drunk driving case, the blood should be drawn into a glass tube that contains a white powder in the bottom; the white powder is a mixture of preservative and anticoagulant. If the level of preservative is incorrect, the blood sample can actually ferment and create additional alcohol. If the sample does not contain enough anticoagulant, the blood will clot, reflecting an artificially high blood alcohol level. Independent testing can reveal such instances. Thus, it is to the DUI defendant’s best advantage to have his or her blood sample independently tested.

The blood must also be drawn by a person certified to perform the draw. The driver’s arm should be cleaned with an alcohol-free wipe. Once drawn, the blood sample must be shaken in order to thoroughly distribute the anti coagulant and preservative. The sample should be stored in a controlled environment in order to preserve the quality of the sample. Therefore, when defending a drunk driving case it’s important to identify the “chain of custody” in order to fully understand who had access to the sample, when and how it was stored.

Even when the blood sample is properly collected and stored, the result doesn’t necessarily mean the driver is guilty of DUI / DWI. While chemical testing may be accurate to determine blood or breath alcohol content at the time of testing, it is not conclusive evidence of BAC at the time of driving. It is not illegal to be above the legal limit while in a police station. The offense is driving under the influence, not having a BAC above the legal limit at a later time. Because alcohol levels change over time, this is a critical point to understand.

Ultimately, blood tests and other chemical test results can be successfully challenged in drunk driving cases. When it comes to issues of blood-testing in a drinking and driving case, it’s important to have a California lawyer who specializes in DUI / DWI defense on your side.