Call The DUI Attorney In Ventura County For Help
The DUI attorney in Ventura County can help a person who has been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol. A DUI charge is a serious matter and involves two procedural issues. The first issue concerns the driving privilege. The DMV can suspend the accused driver’s license if he does not request a hearing within ten days of the charge.
If a hearing is requested the person who is charged can hire a lawyer to represent him at the DMV hearing. This hearing is separate from the criminal charge of DUI that will be adjudicated by the criminal court but it is just as important as the criminal charge. The experienced lawyer will be able to request that the pending license suspension would be lifted or at least be amended.
At the hearing the lawyer will argue against the automatic suspension of the driver’s license. The person who has been charged with DUI might have to drive to school, to work, or might have to drive in order to care for someone who needs regular medical care. The DMV might amend the license suspension to allow the person who has been charged with DUI to drive in limited cases.
The criminal part of the DUI charge is a matter not to be taken lightly. The one who is convicted of DUI might have to serve jail time if the charge leads to a second or third conviction for the same offense. The charge becomes a felony in some jurisdictions if the charge leads to a second or third conviction for DUI.
The felony conviction will include jail time for the convicted. Even if the charge is less serious than a felony the penalty could include community service, electronic monitoring, and the installation of an ignition interlock device. The person who is convicted of DUI can expect to pay substantially more for auto insurance because insurance companies consider a person with a DUI conviction to be a high risk driver. These are some of the reasons why the person who is charged with DUI needs to consult with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible after the charge has been filed.
An experienced DUI lawyer can build a defense to the drunken driving charge based on many aspects of the charge. For instance, the lawyer can challenge the field sobriety test. The lawyer can challenge the accuracy of the alcohol blood level measuring devices.
The lawyer can challenge the fairness and accuracy of the field sobriety test. If the accused was asked to perform physical movements that the person who is accused could not complete because of pre-existing injury or other medical condition then the test might not be used for evidence. If the police did not have proper probable cause to stop the accused on the road then the charge might be thrown out.
These are a few of the many arguments the DUI attorney in Ventura County might raise on her client’s behalf. The importance of hiring an attorney cannot be stressed enough. Many lawyers offer free consultations to those who are facing a charge of DUI.