Orange County DUI Lawyer Blog
Orange County law enforcement was once again out in full force over the holiday season. The Winter Holiday DUI Campaign, also referred to as DUI Saturation Patrols, resulted in 862 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. This is number is down from the reported 971 arrested last year. However, the final numbers for this year are not in yet. The DUI Campaign involved 38 County law enforcement agencies.
The “Avoid the 38” DUI Campaign, which it is also referred to as, began December 13, 2013 through midnight on January 1, 2014. This included sobriety checkpoints, special saturation patrols and routine patrols. Click on the link to learn about the rules and guidelines associated with DUI Check Points.
Although there are standard fees, fines and punishments for a conviction for DUI but law enforcement must also follow strict rules when stopping, detaining and ultimately arresting someone for DUI. This is why consulting with an attorney is so important if you have been arrested for driving under the influence. Because the consequences of such a conviction can have a negative effect on one’s life, anything that can be done to minimize the ultimate conviction and consequences can make a big difference.
The punishments vary depending upon the circumstances. The outcome of a conviction depends upon the following:
1. Whether or not you have priors. The punishments and fines increase with each prior;
2. What your blood alcohol level was. A high blood alcohol level can ad an enhancement when being sentenced.
3. Whether or not you were involved in any type of accident; and
4. Whether or not you had a minor child or children in the car at the time.
All of these things play a role in determining how your case will be filed and what the outcome will be. Having an attorney who is experienced with these types of cases will try to minimize the charges or have one or more dropped in order to facilitate a better outcome.
There are defenses to driving under the influence but, if your case appears to be pretty straight forward, good representation may make a difference. In the unfortunate situation where jail time may be a threat, looking for alternatives to jail time is something that your attorney should explore. In a situation where someone is facing jail time, and is the only source of income in their family, would have devastating consequences. So, alternatives are available and should be aggressively pursued.
Alternatives may include going to work during the day and spending the nights in jail. Other alternatives may include doing your time on the weekends. In some situations, the court may allow what is sometimes referred to as “house arrest”. This would allow an individual to go to work and an alcohol program only. The remainder of the time the individual would be required to stay at home. An ankle monitor can be worn to tract that individual’s movements.
If you have been arrested for DUI, contact an experienced DUI defense attorney to examine your case and find out what your best possible outcome may be.