DUI Overview

Orange County DUI Lawyer

As an Orange County DUI defense attorney, I have personally handled numerous drunk driving cases throughout Orange County, including Tustin, Irvine, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Newport Beach, Fullerton and Westminster.

DUI, also called driving under the influence, drunk driving, DWI or driving while intoxicated, is a criminal offense which involves operating a motor vehicle (car, truck, bus, motorcycle, SUV, etc.) while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. This may involve an illegal level of alcohol in one's blood (.08% or greater) or impaired mental/physical abilities.

Orange County Drunk Driving Charges

Drunk driving charges in Orange County will involve the State (the prosecution) attempting to secure a conviction on the basis of A) actual impairment of the driver's abilities and/or B) a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or above.

Your Orange County DUI lawyer will need to work hard to disprove these allegations; this can be done by having field sobriety test or blood test/breath test results suppressed by proving they were administered improperly or that some error or situation led to a false test result.

Orange County DMV Hearings & DUI

After an Orange County DUI arrest, a driver has only 10 days to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and schedule a DMV hearing. This is an administrative hearing, separate from the criminal court process, held regarding the suspension of his/her driver's license. A successful outcome will mean the driver will have his/her driving privileges reinstated; an unsuccessful outcome will mean the driving privileges will be suspended or revoked.

An Orange County DUI lawyer or attorney can schedule your DMV hearing and represent you at this hearing in order to help you reach a successful outcome.

Orange County DUI Penalties

The penalties which may be assessed for an Orange County DUI conviction are varied. The severity of these penalties will be dependent largely upon whether this is a driver's first, second or subsequent offense. Multiple offenses call for heavier penalties. Additionally, the driver's actual blood alcohol concentration, particularly when very high (.16% and above), will cause enhanced penalties to be enforced.

The specific penalties a driver may face for an Orange County DUI may include the following:

• Jail or Prison Sentence
• Fines and Court Fees
• Driver's License Suspension or Revocation
• Vehicle Seizure
• Community Service
• DUI School
• Drug or Alcohol Treatment/Rehabilitation
• Probation
• Ignition Interlock Device (for multiple offenses)

Contact Orange County DUI defense attorney Barney B. Gibbs today!