Recent Posts in DUI Defense Category

Adam Mendoza, 21, has been sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison for a drunken driving crash that killed Izzy Raya,18, and Ralphy Naranjo,17. The families of the two victims were allowed to testify on Monday before Mendoza was sentenced. One of the victim's mothers brought his ashes to the trial and asked for justice.

According to prosecutors, Mendoza was drunk and high on methamphetamines when his SUV hit a light pole. The light pole fell on the SUV and crushed Raya and Naranjo, who were sitting in the back seat. A 17 year old girl was also in the car, she suffered serious injuries.

A DUI conviction can have a serious impact on your life and on the lives of those around you. If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges, call our office today. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding Law firm have handled hundreds of DUI/DWI cases over the years and we know the appropriate steps to take to assist you in making the right decisions.

A 23-year-old man, Juan Zermano, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and felony drunk driving after he struck another man with his car outside a party. Police were called to a house party at about 1 a.m. after an argument broke out in the house and then moved outside.

According to police, one of the boys involved in the argument called his brother, Zermano, to pick him up. When Zermano drove away, he made a sudden U-turn, drove up on the curb and struck the victim. Police were already on scene to deal with the argument and were able to witness the assault. The victim was released from the hospital early Sunday with non life-threatening injuries.

California Penal Code 245(a)(1) defines assault with a deadly weapon as an assault that is committed with any type of deadly weapon or by means of force that is likely to cause great bodily injury to another. It is filed as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances.

If you or someone you know is being accused of assault with a deadly weapon along with felony DUI call our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our Los Angeles DUI criminal defense attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI causing injury can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the Hedding Law firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.

You need to hire an attorney if you were charged with DUI in Los Angeles.  The experience a DUI lawyer brings is second to none.  Don't play with your freedom.  No other Los Angeles DUI attorney has the same level of mastery in the field as Ronald Hedding.  Whether this is your first or second offense, it is imperative that you reach out to the best DUI attorney you can find.

Why settle for second best? You need an attorney with trial experience.  This is the only way to avoid unnecessary jail time, fines, and penalties.  Too many people make the mistake of never hiring a DUI attorney in hopes of saving money.  The fact is, however, this could be a very expensive mistake in the long run as they soon experience harsh sentencing, heavy fines, and Administrative License Suspension penalties.

You need an experienced DUI lawyer that will know what facts must be presented during law enforcement or witness testimony.  This is the best way to challenge your charges.  Ronald Hedding's experience with drunken driving cases gives them an upper hand in dealing with the legal motions and evidence that will be most helpful to your case.

Ronald Hedding Law firm is well acquainted with breathalyzer and field sobriety test protocols. Most people do not realize that maintenance records and legal certification are required for breathalyzers equipment.  Ronald Hedding has the familiarity you need to know whether or not your failed breathalyzer test will be considered accurate in a court of law.  Ronald Hedding will help you take advantage of all pertinent circumstances in your case.

If your case does not go to trial, Ronald Hedding can still help you resolve your situation with minimal penalties. You need to take the utmost care in selecting your Los Angeles DUI attorney.  You should always meet with your attorney before your first appearance in court.  Take the time to make an appointment with Ronald Hedding Law firm so that you can start working to beat your case immediately.  Many subpar Los Angeles DUI attorneys will push you to rush into your case without sufficient preparations.  You will never have to experience treatment like this when dealing with Ronald Hedding.

Ultimately, it's up to you to use your instincts in selecting a Los Angeles DUI attorney.  When dealing with such serious matters, it's so important to go with your gut feeling.   Your freedom is nothing to play with, and this is something Ronald Hedding understands well.

Depending on the situation, a DUI offense is charged as a misdemeanor. But as one Los Angeles DUI case proved otherwise, there are some special circumstances that can escalate the charge to a felony DUI.

Every state mandates that driving with a blood alcohol content above 0.08% is considered driving under the influence. Each state has their own interpretation of the law; therefore, they have different sentences.

As your DUI lawyer will tell you, there are some general circumstances that can raise your DUI offense into a felony DUI:

·         If the DUI results in an accident that causes bodily injuries to another person involved in the incident.

·         If the driver has had a prior DUI offense on their record.

·         If the person causes excessive property drive.

In California, a person charged with a misdemeanor Los Angeles DUI will only require probation, a short time period in jail, and depending on their case, their driving privileges and/or driver's license may be taken away. A felony DUI, on the other hand, is much more serious and can affect your credit, the ability to vote, to get a job, and more. Therefore, it is important to hire an experienced DUI lawyer who has dealt with a felony DUI in the past. He or she can fight aggressively to help you try and get out of being charged with a felony. Come for a free consultation at the Hedding Law Firm if you have been recently convicted of a Los Angeles DUI and need help with your DUI offense.

A 17-year-old boy was killed early Saturday morning in Pacoima while riding his bicycle, when a motorist struck him. Shawn Fields, 26, was driving a 2007 Saturn northbound on Laurel Canyon Boulevard when he struck the teenager. The impact threw the victim and his bike across the intersection.  He was transported to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. According to police, the motorist was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Gross vehicular manslaughter while DUI is one of the most serious charges someone DUI can face. Someone is charged with this crime if they are driving a motor vehicle in a reckless manner that is significantly more then ordinary negligence, and a person is killed. Penalties can be from probation to ten years of state prison for each person who is killed. It must be proved that the person:

1. Drove under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or a drug or under the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug or drove while having a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher. And,
2. While driving that vehicle under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or a drug or under the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug, the person also committed either a misdemeanor or a driving infraction, or any other lawful act that might cause death; And,
3. The person committed a misdemeanor or some infraction or lawful act that might cause death with gross negligence; And,
4. The defendant's grossly negligent conduct caused the death of another person.

If you have been arrested or charged with a vehicular manslaughter while DUI offense, contact our criminal defense attorneys today. We have 75 years of combined experience and have defended hundreds of people over the years. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding Law firm understand the serious nature of these charges and we will do whatever we can to defend you. Call our office today at 818-986-2092, and set up a free face to face consultation.

For a college athlete a DUI conviction involves further penalties then sentencing. It has been learned in recent news from the nation's colleges and universities that there have been many DUI arrests involving NCAA athletes and coaches. Being a college athlete involves being in the public eye and when a legal issue arises such as a DUI conviction media publicity is expected. A DUI conviction often means the dismissal of an athlete or coach. This can affect the reputation of the sports program, hurt the team's chances of success, and damage the athlete's career.

Auburn University's football program recently dismissed or penalized several of its players following DUI incidents. Linebacker Kevin Spears is facing a undetermined suspension period after an arrest for driving while under the influence, hit-and-run, and public intoxication. This will cause him to miss the important game between Auburn and LSU this season.

These athletes have learned that the consequences of a DUI conviction go beyond the direct penalties. A DUI conviction can have an impact on your life and on the lives of those around you. If you or someone you know are facing DUI charges, call our office today. Our DUI attorneys at the Hedding Law Firm have handled hundreds of DUI/DWI cases over the years and we know the appropriate steps to take to assist you in making the right decisions.

Right when you are arrested for your Los Angeles DUI, the police officer will take away your driver's license. As your DUI attorney will tell you, at that very moment you will lose all of your driving privileges until the DMV states otherwise. But in order for your driver's license to be reissued, you must schedule a DMV hearing within ten days of your DUI arrest. If you do not schedule a hearing, your driver's license will automatically be suspended for at least 90 days.

When you come to your DMV hearing, your Los Angeles DUI case will be presented before the administrator. But as your DUI lawyer will tell you, whatever decision is made with the DMV is completely separate from that of the criminal court. Even if you get your driving privileges back, you can still be convicted with a Los Angeles DUI, or vice versa. The DMV must prove that there was reason for them to believe your blood alcohol content was above 0.08% and that the DUI arrest was lawful. If all of these are proven correctly, as your DUI attorney will inform you, your driver's license is suspended.

If you have been recently charged with a DUI offense and have more questions concerning the DMV process, come see a DUI lawyer at the Hedding Law Firm. Experienced in their field, a hardworking DUI attorney will help you fight off the Los Angeles DUI and provide more information about your driver's license and driving privileges.

Once you are charged with a Los Angeles DUI, you must begin to protect your rights immediately. Do not wait to hire a DUI attorney. You need to know right away what is what the DUI process is all about so you can fight aggressively to remove your DUI offense.

When you are charged with a DUI offense, it is because law enforcement suspected that you were under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. These suspicions can be from your inability to follow and obey traffic signs or laws, dangerous driving, or failed field sobriety tests. You may even have to take blood breath tests to determine your blood alcohol content, which cannot be higher than 0.08%. All of these suspicions will lead to you Los Angeles DUI.

After being convicted of a Los Angeles DUI, the second task of the DUI process after you hire a DUI lawyer is schedule a hearing with the DMV. There is a 10-day-rule in California that mandates you must set up the hearing within 10 days. As your DUI attorney will tell you, once you do that, you will begin the DUI process to protect your driving privileges.

After going through trial and stating both your side and the law enforcement's side of the story, the judge and the jury will decide if you should still be charged with a DUI offense. If you are convicted with a Los Angeles DUI, the DUI penalties in California include: 10days - 1 year in jail, up to a $1000 fine, 90-day license suspension to up to 4 years license revocation, community service, alcohol or drug program, up to 5 years of probation, and possibly installation of interlocking device. As your DUI attorney will inform you, DUI penalties are based on the circumstances of your DUI offense. 

Under a new bill signed Monday, repeat DUI offenders could lose their license for a decade if they have three DUI convictions within 10 years. Currently under California law, three convictions during ten years means a three year loss of a person’s license. The new law, AB 1601, does not take effect until January 1^st, 2012.

Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, is responsible for the bill. He became interested in the issue after reading an article in the San Mateo Times regarding repeat DUI offenders. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved the law and said "This legislation is an important step toward making California's roads safer." Schwarzenegger said in a statement, "Those who have multiple DUI convictions should not be on the road threatening lives."

If you or someone you know is facing a first time DUI or repeat DUI offense, do not hesitate to call the Hedding Law Firm today at (818) 986-2092. Our Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys will meet with you personally and give you an honest assessment of your Los Angeles DUI case.

As many of you already know, when you are stopped due to suspicion driving under the influence, you will be asked to take a blood test or breath test to measure your blood alcohol content. Almost every single person who has been charged with a Los Angeles DUI is asked to take a blood breath test.

As your DUI lawyer will tell you, if you have a blood alcohol content level of 0.08% or higher, you are considered 'under the influence' and will be arrested for a Los Angeles DUI. As upsetting and embarrassing as it may be, being convicted with a DUI offense is a serious matter. You will be facing not just one, but several Los Angeles DUI penalties as well as having your driving privileges suspended.

As your DUI attorney will tell you, often times when a blood breath test is given, they are not read accurately and sometimes present false blood alcohol content readings. Due to tests being read improperly, inexperienced lab personnel, sometimes even cross contaminations and faulty equipment, and many other issues, a person can be convicted with a DUI offense for the wrong reasons. Because a blood breath test is administered by a breathalyzer machine, there is a huge chance for blood alcohol content error, which is why many people have been wrongly accused with a Los Angeles DUI.

The advice here is, do not wait to hire a DUI attorney. You must hire a DUI lawyer as soon as possible once you are suspected of driving under the influence and convicted with a DUI offense. In order to protect your rights, the Hedding Law Firm will find an experienced DUI attorney who will fight aggressively against your Los Angeles DUI charge.

Data found on the total DUI arrests for 2008 show a total of 214,828 DUI arrests in California, and out of those 1,468 were not of the legal drinking age.  Under the "Zero Tolerance Law", anyone under the age of 21 with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.01% or more, will be charged with a DUI. Underage drivers with a BAC of 0.05% or greater could be charged with an underage DUI and a regular DUI and is subject to arrest for a DUI.  On average, to reach a BAC of 0.01% would mean you would have to drink either one 12 ounce beer, one 4 ounce glass of wine, or one 1.25 ounce of liquor. Most likely any one of these could put you over the 0.01% and closer to 0.05% BAC.

If convicted, drivers under 18 years old will loose their license for one year or until they turn 18 years old. A judge may also choose to confiscate the underage driver's vehicle. In all cases the driver will have to pay fines of several thousand dollars, and attend driver's safety and alcohol abuse related classes. Subsequent convictions will lead to harsher penalties.

Dealing with a Los Angeles DUI is one thing, but when a car accident is involved with your DUI offense, the repercussions are much worst. Whenever drunk driving results in a crash, injury, and especially death, you will most likely be charged with a felony DUI offense.

Also, as your DUI lawyer will tell you, you may also face vehicular manslaughter charges or even second-degree murder charge, depending on your DUI accident. No matter what, both will result in serious jail time, probation, community service, and a permanent mark on your criminal record. Your driving privileges will also be suspended or even revoked forever due to your Los Angeles DUI accident.

In order to try and maintain your freedom and driving privileges, caused by your DUI offense, you will need an experienced DUI attorney to help. You need to find a DUI lawyer who will be committed to providing outstanding defense tactics and resources, when fighting off your DUI accident. As you and your DUI attorney will go over the evidence of your Los Angeles DUI, you will reconstruct the accident and challenge any evidence brought against you during the court process.

If you have been charged with a DUI offense and need help fighting off your Los Angeles DUI, come see a DUI lawyer at the Hedding Law Firm. They will be sure to find you a strong and committed DUI attorney so he or she can unravel the challenges facing your DUI accident.

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that DUI checkpoints are legal and minimally invasive. Also referred to as "sobriety roadblocks," DUI checkpoints are the reason why many people are charged with a Los Angeles DUI.

As you may have heard from your DUI lawyer, there are some ways to avoid DUI checkpoints. The following are a few tips on how to be aware of these sobriety roadblocks.

• Watch the news in the morning and the evening. It is required for law enforcement agencies to disclose the location of DUI checkpoints before the event.
• Read the newspaper. Sometimes, there will be a section dedicated to DUI checkpoints. Many people have been able to avoid a DUI offense by doing something simple as reading the newspaper.
• A resource such as the Road Block Registry informs people about the intersection, date, and time of sobriety roadblocks.
• You can even call your law enforcement agency to see when DUI checkpoints are coming up. Although they are not required to reveal the information, one person was able to get out of receiving a Los Angeles DUI by simply making the phone call.
• And the more obvious one that your DUI attorney does not need to tell you is, look for flashing police lights whenever you're driving between the hours of 9pm and 2am.

If you have any more questions or concerns about DUI checkpoints, you can call your DUI lawyer for more information. It is important to keep informed about different sobriety roadblocks as they may be the very reason why you are given a Los Angeles DUI. Dealing with a DUI offense is no fun and a DUI attorney at the Hedding Law Firm can be more of assistance, if need be. They will do what it takes to make sure you do everything right and on time in order to help fight off your DUI offense.

As some of you may  already know, being charged with a Los Angeles DUI is not the type of situation you would want to get yourself into. DUI defense penalties are extremely severe and range for each particular case.

As your DUI attorney will tell you, DUI penalties depend on the circumstances of each individual case and if you have had a past DUI defense on your record, misdemeanors, or felony offenses. Whether you are being charged for your Los Angeles DUI as a multiple offender, out-of-state driver, or if this is your very first DUI defense charge, it is pivotal you and your DUI lawyer fight aggressively.

The following Los Angeles DUI penalties range for how many offenses you have:

• 1^st Los Angeles DUI
• 3 days-6 months in jail
• fines that range from $390 to $1000
• driver's license probation for at least 90 days and up to 6 months
• community service
• Up to 3 years of probation
• 2^nd DUI Defense Convicted
• Minimum of 10 days and maximum of 1 year in jail
• $390 to $1000 in fines
• 2 years probation on your driver's license
• 2½ years of alcohol and drug treatment/counseling
• interlock device installed
• community service
• Up to 5 years of probation

As your DUI attorney will inform you, Los Angeles DUI penalties get worst as you are convicted with your 3^rd, 4^th, or even 5^th one. The above penalties are based only on a DUI charge. If your DUI defense case involves an accident, or having high blood alcohol content, you should expect even worst penalties. But to avoid being sentenced to any of these DUI defense penalties, make sure you do all of your research and hire an experienced DUI lawyer who will help you fight your case.

Despite what the type of drug it is, being under the influence while driving is dangerous. In the state of California, you can still be charged with a DUI defense even if you are under the influence of drugs instead of alcohol.

Whether the drugs are legal or illegal, it really does not matter. A police officer will charge you with a Los Angeles DUI if you are under the influence---drugs including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, heroin, or any other type of drug. As your DUI attorney will tell you, all drugs are the same and the DUI defense charges will relatively be the same.

Once you step into a vehicle and you are under the influence, not only are you putting yourself at risk but others as well. Charged with a Los Angeles DUI, you will face very severe penalties along with jail time. It is important that you hire an experienced and knowledgeable DUI lawyer who will help you fight your DUI defense case, despite how sticky the situation may be.

As your DUI attorney will tell you, when you are being investigated for driving under the influence, it is common law for the officer to lookout for signs, indicating drug or alcohol use. Even if you passed field sobriety tests of typical Los Angeles DUI protocols, you can still show signs of impairment that the police officer will look out for. At this point, the experienced DUI defense officer will look for sings of drug usage-needle marks, the size of your pupils, measure your blood pressure or pulse, and the like. Maybe your DUI lawyer has experienced this in a previous Los Angeles DUI case, but when a blood or urine test comes back positive for traces of drugs, you will be immediately arrested and your driver's license will be withheld by the officer until you schedule your DMV hearing and ask for your license and driving privileges to be reinstated.

Some drugs may leave your system faster than others. In some Los Angeles DUI cases, victims have been falsely accused to driving under the influence due to external factors such as speech impediments, tiredness, etc. No matter the situation, it is pivotal that you hire an experienced DUI attorney to help you handle your case. The Hedding Law Firm has an abundant amount of knowledgeable and hard-working DUI attorneys who will do their best to help you fight your DUI defense case.

It is no surprise that many people like to vacation in California, specifically in the City of Angels- Los Angeles. But sometimes the fun can get carried away and the vacation can result in unpleasant consequences such as being charged with a Los Angeles DUI!

As an experienced and knowledgeable DUI attorney will tell you, just because you are out-of-state, the law of California still applies. to you.  Even though you are an out-of-state driver, you can still be charged with a DUI defense in the state of California. Also, even though you committed the offense in California, you can still lose your driver's license and privileges from your home state!

When you are charged with a DUI in Los Angeles, since you are from another state, the arresting officer will not confiscate your driver's license. As any DUI lawyer will tell you, the officer who charged you with the DUI defense can only issue you a paper stating that your California privileges will be suspended in 30 days.

When you are charged with a Los Angeles DUI, you must schedule a DMV hearing within 10 days to fight the suspension of your driving privileges in the state of California. As your DUI attorney will inform you, if you fail to schedule the hearing within the 10-day period, the California DMV will notify your home state so they can suspend your driving privileges as well. If your home state is a member of the Interstate Driver's License Compact, you will face the same penalties for your DUI defense as you would in California. This means that whatever license provisions you receive for your Los Angeles DUI will typically be mirrored and enforced there, which can include a mandatory attendance through the criminal court process in California for your DUI defense. As your DUI lawyer will tell you, the result can mean multiple hardships including monetary loss and time in jail.

If you have been recently convicted of a Los Angeles DUI and you are an out-of-state driver, come see an experienced DUI attorney at the Ronald Hedding Firm. They will give you more insightful information pertaining to your DUI defense.

No one likes to be charged with a Los Angeles DUI, or any city for that matter. The DUI defense process is complicated and absolutely no fun for all the parties involved. Besides picking a DUI attorney, one of the most important decisions that you and your DUI lawyer must make is whether or not you should agree to a plea bargain or take your DUI defense case to trial.

Depending on your DUI defense case, the plea bargain or the trial will most likely offer you a better outcome for your situation. Oftentimes as your DUI lawyer will tell you, when you face a trial by jury, agreeing to a plea bargain for your Los Angeles DUI may be your best bet. If the prosecution has a pile of evidence against you and a very strong case, it would be wise to choose the plea bargain for your DUI defense. When agreeing to a plea bargain, the result is usually an agreement upon a sentence with fewer penalties.

If you are charged with a Los Angeles DUI, the prosecution might agree to lower the felony offense to a misdemeanor charge as part of your plea bargain. In turn, this will help lower your DUI defense penalties that you may have been sentenced with and may even allow your driving privileges to be reinstated sooner. Also, you may be offered to accept a dry-reckless charge or a wet-reckless charge. For DUI defense cases, a wet-reckless charge is when you agree to plead guilty to the lesser charge of alcohol-related driving. Unlike going to trial for your DUI defense, you will not have to attend mandatory alcohol education classes and have no restrictions on your driver's license. As your DUI lawyer will tell you, ff you agree to plead guilty to reckless driving while not alcohol-related, a dry-reckless charge results in only receiving probation and a fine. Either of these are great options for your Los Angeles DUI case.

It is highly advisable that you hire an experienced DUI attorney if you are convicted with a Los Angeles DUI. You need a DUI lawyer with strong negotiation skills so that you have the opportunity to obtain a win for your DUI defense regardless of the chose to accept a plea or go to trial. The Los Angeles DUI defense lawyers at Hedding Law Firm are among some the best lawyers you will come cross. Come by for a free consultation as they will go through with you step by step what your game plan should be for fighting your DUI defense case.

Whether you have been convicted with a DUI defense, or just want to be informed about how the Los Angeles DUI process work, it is important to know about the various field sobriety tests that are the police force runs. And it is just as important for your DUI attorney to go discuss these various tests.

Field sobriety tests are oftentimes protocol for law enforcement to administer. These tests help the officer determine whether or not the suspected drunk driver is indeed more likely under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Most DUI defense cases are filed because people have failed such tests. An experienced DUI attorney will let you know the set protocol and administrative procedures that law enforcement go through.

 The following are a few tests that some people, who have been convicted with a Los Angeles DUI, have failed:

• Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test-Los Angeles DUI trained officer will instruct you to follow aw stimulus with your eyes as he looks for any jerking in the eyes.
• Walk and Turn Test-as seen in many films about DUI defense cases, the officer will instruct you to stand on a straight line and take nine steps in each direction.
• One Leg Stand Test-the officer, trained to charge people with a DUI defense, will ask you to raise one foot about 6 inches off the ground for 30 seconds with your arms down at your side.

Through these various tests, the Los Angeles DUI trained officer will look for signs of intoxication. Any experienced and knowledgeable DUI lawyer should be able to challenge any type of field sobriety test that may have been administered to you. In addition, if you actually refused to take any test that the law enforcement asked of you, a skilled DUI attorney can present this lack of evidence to the judge and the DUI defense against you will be dropped.  If you have been charged with a DUI defense, come see a top DUI lawyer at the Ronald Hedding Firm. They will be sure to help you fight your Los Angeles DUI case to the best of their ability.

When one is charged with a DUI defense, California Law mandates that a DMV hearing is scheduled within 10 days of your Los Angeles DUI arrest in order to contest the suspension of your driver's license. An experienced DUI attorney, like Ronald Hedding, can provide more information about this process.

When you are first arrested for a Los Angeles DUI (driving under the influence) in California, the arresting officer will most likely confiscate your driver's license. There is a 10-day rule established by the California DMV stating that you must schedule a DMV hearing within the 10-day time period of your DUI defense to make an attempt to retrieve your driver's license back in your possession and to also, re-establish your driving privileges. DUI lawyer, Ronald Hedding, is very adamant about this law and has to consistently remind his clients, who have been charged with a Los Angeles DUI, to not forget to schedule the hearing. Failure to schedule the DMV hearing will result in an automatic suspension of your driving privileges for a minimum of 90 days.

When one is charged with a Los Angeles DUI, they should be familiar with the criminal court process for it involves several steps. It is pivotal to have an experienced DUI attorney represent you so they can make the process easier.

The first step for dealing with a DUI defense is the arraignment. It occurs within 72 hours, unless the arrest took place on the weekend, of your arrest if held in custody. Unless for your DUI defense, your bail was set and posted, then your arraignment will be schedule for a future date. Your DUI lawyer can provide more information regarding your arraignment and what exactly happens with the judge.

The second step of the criminal Los Angeles DUI case is to submit pretrial motions. Although it can take place at the arraignment, it will most likely take place at a future hearing date. During this time, the prosecution may take several attempts to negotiate with your DUI attorney. Only an experienced DUI lawyer will be able to determine whether or not the plea bargain is agreeable and beneficial to you and your DUI defense case.

Once your trial begins, your DUI attorney and the prosecution will take turns selecting a jury. From there, your Los Angeles DUI case will be presented to the judge and jury. The trial may take several days or even weeks, depending on the evidence that is being presented and the circumstances of your DUI defense. After statements are read, witnesses give their testimonies and are cross-examined, and then the jury will deliberate and return with either a guilty or not guilty verdict. If convicted, the judge will determine your sentence and the DUI defense penalties for your Los Angeles DUI case will be enforced.

It is very important to hire an experienced DUI lawyer like Ronald Hedding to aggressively defend you in court. He will first provide more information about the criminal court process and guide you through the way. Having successfully fought multiple Los Angeles DUI cases for many people, he will do everything it takes to help you win.