Los Angeles DUI Defense Lawyers

Even a misdemeanor drunk driving charge is taken very seriously under California law. If you’re convicted of a first DUI in Los Angeles, you face up to six months in jail, court fees and fines of at least $1,500, alcohol education classes and a driver’s license suspension of four to ten months. You can expect even more penalties for repeat offenses, if you’re under 21 or if you had a range of special circumstances like a refusing to take the breath or blood test. Then there are the non-criminal consequences, which include job trouble and years of sky-high auto insurance rates.

Wallin & Klarich can help. We have defended Southern California clients charged with driving under the influence for more than 30 years. As experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyers, we know the breath or blood test result doesn’t automatically mean you’re guilty of driving drunk. We can prove that to a jury using scientific evidence about the tests. After decades of criminal defense practice, we understand what the prosecution must prove to get a DUI conviction and how we can counter that. If it’s best to plead guilty in your case, we will negotiate get your charges or your penalties lowered as much as possible. Our goal is always to minimize the effect of a DUI charge on the client’s family, job and life.

We strongly recommend that drivers educate themselves about the accuracy of a BAC test before they decide to plead guilty based on test results. Research shows that field sobriety tests (like reciting the alphabet backwards) have an extremely low accuracy rate. You may politely decline these in California. You are required to submit to a breath or blood test (or face increased penalties), but those aren’t much better. Variations in individuals’ weight, food intake, activities and medications can throw the test off dramatically, transforming a legal BAC into one that’s over the 0.08% limit. Our Los Angeles drunk driving defense attorneys will use these flaws in the test to get your charges dropped or reduced wherever possible.

For many drivers, the most upsetting consequence of a DUI arrest is the immediate loss of your driver’s license. In most cases, police will confiscate your license at the scene, in preparation for a driver’s license suspension that’s mandatory even if you’re later proven innocent. You can fight the suspension by requesting an administrative hearing from the DMV -- but you must move fast, because the deadline to make that request is just ten days from your release. Wallin & Klarich can defend you at that hearing, coordinating that defense with your Los Angeles DUI case. We can also get many clients’ licenses reinstated after 30 days, even if they missed the deadline.

At Wallin & Klarich, we approach each case with the belief that we could easily be defending one of our own family members. Because we’ve defended DUIs in California for more than three decades, we’ve seen firsthand how stressful the charge can be to our clients and their families. That’s why we’re committed to always being available when our clients call: 24 hours a day, seven days a week and each day of the year. And we offer free initial consultations, where you can get an expert opinion on your case, at no obligation to you. If you’re facing a DUI in Los Angeles County, call Wallin & Klarich today at 1-877-385-4950. We promise to be there when you call.

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