Even if there are no aggravating elements in your case, if you are convicted of DUI in California, the consequences are severe. Fines, license suspension or revocation, forced participation in DUI programs, probation, and other penalties may be imposed.
Keep reading to learn about situations in which you could face even stiffer penalties, then contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 to speak to an attorney who will fight for your rights.
The negative aspects of a DUI on your record
If you have a DUI conviction on your record, you’ll have to disclose it whenever you seek for a job that requires driving, and you could have problems obtaining alternative work or even stable housing. If you want to restore your driving rights once your probation is finished, you may need to apply for SR-22 insurance, which is quite expensive.
Additionally, if you get a second or subsequent DUI within a 10-year period, your penalties would skyrocket. Even if you had a prior DUI conviction from more than nine years ago, your case will be handled as a second DUI.
There are a number of aggravating factors
Aggravating circumstances in DUI prosecutions, according to California law, include:
- DUI convictions in the past
- Excessive blood alcohol concentration – more than .15 percent or .20 percent
- Refusing chemical tests
- Minor passenger (under the age of 14) in the car
- Several people have been harmed or wounded as a result of your DUI
- Excessive speed – more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit on the street or 30 mph over the posted speed limit on the highway
- You were in a construction zone at the time of the DUI
What influence would these aggravating circumstances have on your case?
It is dependent on the individual circumstances of your situation. Even if it’s your first time being charged with DUI, if certain aggravating conditions are present in your case, your DUI might be prosecuted as a felony. If you kill someone while driving under the influence, you’ll very certainly be charged with vehicular homicide or perhaps murder, all of which are felonies.
Even if the prosecution claims there are aggravating elements in your case, you do not have to be convicted of them. Just because the prosecution claims there are aggravating elements in your DUI case doesn’t imply they exist. Prosecutors might be overly aggressive at times.
The best method to prevent a DUI conviction is to call Chambers Law Firm attorney Dan Chambers as soon as possible following your arrest. He’ll go right into action, assessing the facts of your case and formulating a defense plan.
Important: You only have 10 days from the date of your arrest to file an administrative hearing with the DMV to avoid your license being suspended automatically. Don’t delay – call 714-760-4088, email dchambers@clfca.com right now.
