Anaheim DUI Defense Lawyer
A guilty finding or conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) in Anaheim, California, can lead to severe penalties that affect every aspect of your life, not to mention your pocketbook.
In some instances, you can raise a solid legal defense to a DUI charge, which prevents you from obtaining a conviction in the first place. At other times, a favorable plea deal from the state prosecutor handling your case may be the better option.
If you are currently pending a DUI charge in California, it is best not to go it alone. You need experienced, organized, and aggressive legal counsel on your side during every stage of the criminal proceedings.
The knowledgeable Anaheim DUI defense attorneys at Chudnovsky Law fully understand the seriousness of DUI criminal charges and the potential penalties upon conviction. We know you’re probably worried about the full force of the government coming down on you.
Our legal team will aggressively fight for your legal interests and pursue the best possible result in your case, up to and including a complete case dismissal.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a knowledgeable Anaheim DUI defense attorney, please contact Chudnovsky Law directly for more information.
Why Choose Us for Your Legal Needs?
If you are currently pending criminal DUI charges, you want an aggressive and responsive team of attorneys advocating for you at every stage of your case. In that respect, you should look no further than the lawyers at Chudnovsky Law.
Our legal team has a combined 65+ years of experience defending individuals accused of committing crimes in California. We have a strong track record of success, and unlike many criminal defense law firms, we are not afraid to litigate cases and take them to trial if necessary.
Additionally, many of our experienced criminal defense lawyers were once state prosecutors. As a result, we have come to gain a good understanding of how criminal prosecutors gather evidence in DUI cases and, more importantly, how they handle these cases in court. We use that information to our client's advantage when securing a favorable legal result on their behalf.
Some of our notable case results have appeared in:
- CBS News
- New York Daily News
- NBC News
- Los Angeles Times
- The Washington Post
We have also attained the following notable distinctions:
- 10.0 Lawyer Rating on Justia
- 5 Star Peer-Reviewed on Martindale-Hubbell
- 10.0 Superb Rating on AVVO
- 5 Star Ratings on Google Los Angeles, Orange County, Long Beach
- Rated best criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles & Orange County by Expertise
- 5 Star Rating on Lawyers.com
- 5 Star Rating on Findlaw
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Association
Let us achieve the most favorable result available in your pending DUI matter. Please feel free to contact us right away or visit us at one of our office locations.
Potential Penalties for a Criminal DUI Conviction
A DUI conviction in California can lead to severe penalties. However, for the state prosecutor or district attorney to obtain a guilty finding or conviction against you, they must first satisfy their legal burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
If they fail to prove even one element of the underlying DUI charge, they should not secure a conviction against you, and should dismiss your case. However, if the state prosecutor obtains a conviction in your case, then a sentencing judge will determine the penalties you receive for the offense.
In general, the penalties that a DUI offender receives will depend upon the number of prior DUI convictions on their record, if any, and their blood alcohol concentration, or BAC level, at the time of their arrest.
Some of the most common penalties that DUI offenders may receive from a sentencing judge include:
- High monetary fines
- Jail time
- Probation
- Court-ordered drug and alcohol rehabilitation
- Loss of a driver’s license
- Mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) on the offender's vehicle
The California Department of Motor Vehicles might also suspend your driver's license for a period of time.
In addition, you may have to pay to install an IID on your vehicle. For your car to start, you will need to blow into the device, but if it detects any alcohol on your breath, it will not allow your vehicle to start. Additionally, you must pay for ongoing IID maintenance costs while the device is on your car.
In addition to these potential legal penalties, you may experience several collateral consequences as a direct result of your DUI conviction. For example, you may have difficulty obtaining admission to an educational institution like a college or university.
If you are a current student and receive scholarship funds or financial aid from an institution of higher learning, that institution may revoke those funds if they find a DUI conviction on your record.
In addition, a DUI conviction can lead to loss of driving privileges and the inability to get from place to place without depending upon someone else for transportation. A DUI conviction might also lead to a job loss, especially if you are a commercial driver or otherwise drive as part of your work.
Finally, convicted DUI offenders may experience significant harm to their reputations, both personally and professionally, in their communities.
Our legal team can represent you at your criminal sentencing hearing and fight for a fair legal penalty. We can also work to eliminate or lessen the various collateral consequences you experience as a direct result of your DUI conviction.
Getting Arrested on a DUI Charge in California
A police officer may arrest a driver for DUI if they administer a breathalyzer test to a driver and their blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, is 0.08 percent or higher. Commercial drivers are legally intoxicated with a 0.04 percent or higher BAC.
Finally, drivers under 21 are legally drunk if they have a BAC of 0.01 percent or greater, as zero-tolerance laws prohibit them from having any alcohol in their systems.
A police officer may also arrest a driver for DUI if the driver submits to chemical testing, such as a urine or blood test, and the test results show that they are legally intoxicated.
Remember that just because a police officer arrests you for DUI does not mean you will ultimately incur a guilty finding or conviction on your record. Police officers and other individuals throughout the process can make mistakes, and if they do, we can move to dismiss your DUI case. However, you must involve a skilled Anaheim DUI defense lawyer as quickly as possible to handle your pending case.
At Chudnovsky Law, our experienced lawyers can meet with you right away and explore various legal options for your case. For example, we can determine if you can raise one or more legal defenses in response to your criminal charge or pursue a favorable plea deal from the state's attorney. We can also answer your legal questions so you can make intelligent and informed decisions in your criminal case.
Successfully Defending against a Pending DUI Charge
You can often raise a robust legal defense to your pending DUI charge. Our legal team can review the circumstances of your arrest with you and determine what, if any, defenses you might assert in response to your charge.
First, you can argue that the responding police officer initiated an invalid traffic stop. For a police officer to pull your vehicle over lawfully, they must have reasonable suspicion or probable cause that you at least committed a moving violation, such as speeding or failing to yield the right-of-way to another vehicle.
If the officer did not have the necessary reasonable suspicion or probable cause to pull your car over, then you can defend your charge on Fourth Amendment constitutional grounds.
Additionally, you can argue that the breathalyzer device the police officer used to measure your BAC was malfunctioning or that the officer did not properly calibrate it.
In addition, if the responding police officer subjected you to a field sobriety test, you can argue that the weather interfered with your coordination or that you suffered a medical condition that affected your balance and prevented you from performing the test correctly.
If a police officer arrested you and took you into custody but failed to provide you with Miranda warnings, then you can argue that any incriminating statement you made thereafter about your intoxication level (such as how much you had to drink earlier in the evening) is subject to suppression.
This legal right against self-incrimination exists because of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Finally, you can argue that a significant amount of time elapsed between the traffic stop and when the police officer measured your BAC and arrested you. Consequently, you were not intoxicated when you drove.
Our legal team can assert one or more of these legal defenses on your behalf in court and pursue a complete dismissal of your pending DUI charge.
Negotiating a Favorable Plea Deal with the Prosecution in Your Case
In some DUI cases, you will want to accept a plea deal from the prosecuting attorney. As part of a plea deal arrangement, the DUI offender typically pleads guilty to a criminal charge in exchange for one or more concessions the prosecutor makes.
For example, the prosecutor might offer to reduce the DUI charge to a reckless driving charge in exchange for a guilty plea. Alternatively, the prosecutor might offer the driver a period of probation. If the driver completes their probationary terms, they can escape having a criminal conviction on their record. Prosecutors are likely to offer probation if the driver is a first-time offender.
Before accepting a plea deal from the prosecutor, you need to understand your legal and constitutional rights. In some cases, you should accept a plea deal, while at other times, you should take your case to trial, especially if you have a solid legal defense for your DUI charge.
If you accept a plea deal from the prosecuting attorney, you will give up certain legal rights, including your constitutional right to a trial by jury and your right of appeal.
Our legal team can guide you to decide whether to accept a plea deal from the prosecuting lawyer or take your case to a criminal court trial. We ensure you understand all possible implications of either path.
Steps You Should Take after a DUI Arrest
Following a DUI arrest, retain copies of all essential documents, including citations from the responding police officer, along with your charging documents. If a police officer or investigator asks you questions post-arrest, the less you say, the better.
In addition, as soon as possible after your arrest, contact an experienced Anaheim DUI defense lawyer to represent you. At Chudnovsky Law, we can immediately enter an appearance in your case and begin advocating for your legal and constitutional rights.
Call an Experienced Anaheim DUI Defense Lawyer Right Away
As we've discussed, the ramifications of a DUI charge can be quite severe. It can affect you for the rest of your life. The stakes are too high to risk an overly harsh sentence or wrongful conviction.
Never underestimate the gravity and complexity of the criminal process. Never attempt to face DUI charges alone. You need a strong advocate defending you.
If you are currently pending a criminal DUI charge, you need to have the best possible legal team in your corner advocating for you.
At Chudnovsky Law, our lawyers aggressively advocate for their clients and pursue the best possible results in their criminal court cases. Let us secure a favorable outcome in your case right away.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a skilled Anaheim DUI defense attorney, please call us at (949) 750-2500 or contact us online today.