Getting arrested for a DUI in San Diego, California starts a long road of turmoil, money loss, loss of reputation and, in some cases, loss of employment. That’s why a San Diego DUI Attorney should always be on your speed dial if you ever drink and drive. All it takes is a few beers, or a few drinks to put you over the legal limit. If you are found to be over the limit, you will be arrested and will have to find a good San Diego DUI attorney to save you from a conviction.
You may be surprised to know that you don’t have to be completely wasted to get arrested for driving under the influence. You don’t even need to be caught swerving on the road. You could simply be pulled over for an expired registration, driving a little too fast, or even a cracked windshield. If the officer has any reason to believe you’ve been drinking, whether he smells alcohol on you, hears you speak with slurs, or sees that your pupils are large, he can give you a field sobriety test right there on the spot.
When you get arrested, you are read your rights by the officer. Be sure to take advantage of your right to remain silent, and your right to an attorney. If you do not know of any attorneys, you will have the opportunity to find one or you can have your friends and/or family do some research to pick the best DUI attorney for your case.
Penalties
It is crucial you choose the best attorney, and not even consider representing yourself, as the penalties for a California DUI are both serious and expensive. They are designed this way on purpose. People driving under the influence are driving large weapons. Every year many people are killed by drunk drivers, so it makes sense that officers and California court systems are not friendly to drivers who choose to drink and drive.
When you get arrested for drunk driving, you will be charged and will spend the evening in the drunk tank. This is the holding area where many intoxicated people are placed to take time to sober up before they see the judge. When you face the judge in court he/she will ask you how you plead, guilty, not guilty or no contest. Many people make the mistake of pleading guilty because they had a beer or two, and were arrested for DUI. The truth is, for an experienced San Diego DUI attorney, it may be possible to have your charges greatly reduced or even have the charges dismissed completely.
If you plead guilty, or are convicted of a DUI, this will put a felony on your record. This alone bars you from some employment as well as most apartment complexes. You will have to pay fines and court costs that sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Most times you’ll be forced to complete an alcohol awareness course, community service, or anything else the judge deems appropriate for your particular case. You could also face loss of work, and/or loss of your job completely. With all of these penalties facing you, you owe it to yourself to hire the very best DUI attorney you can find.
Finding the Best Attorney
There are several ways to begin your search for the best DUI attorney in San Diego. Don’t simply believe the ads on TV or the ones you see in the yellow pages. Ads can be placed by any attorney with money and they all claim to be the best DUI attorney out there. You want to focus on referrals if possible.
Do you have any friends or family that have been previously arrested for drunk driving and received a decreased charge or was able to get their case thrown out of court entirely by a San Diego DUI attorney? That’s the attorney you want to be calling. If you don’t know anyone who is familiar with a good San Diego DUI attorney, you should hop on the internet and do a Google search. Usually, you can find testimonials of DUI attorneys in your local area. That is usually one of the best ways to discover a San Diego DUI attorney that can rescue you from the loss of time, money and your reputation that being convicted of a DUI will have on you.
Learn more about locating your San Diego DUI attorney. Stop by Ron Eddings’s site where you can find out information about getting a San Diego DUI and how to solve it.
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