Although we all wish to avoid being in the situation, it is important to know what happens next if you or a loved one are arrested for DUI. What is the court procedure? What can you expect? How can you prepare yourself?
Your arraignment is the first court appearance you will have in your DUI criminal proceedings. The arraignment provides you with your first opportunity to plead guilty, not guilty, or “no contest” to your California DUI charges. You may qualify for a public defender, in which case, you will be counseled prior to pleading guilty, if that is what you choose to do. Consequently, you have the opportunity to be sentenced immediately. However, if you have a viable defense, you may not see it in the initial reports and that is why many people choose to hire private counsel, especially if the law firm offers a payment plan, such as San Diego Defenders. Many times, people call a law firm and express how difficult it is to get a job with a DUI on their record. “I should have stopped to think of the consequences” is what is said. There are four divisions of the Superior Court in San Diego County. San Diego Central (Downtown San Diego), South Bay Division (Chula Vista), East County (El Cajon), and North County Division (Vista). This article links you with the map to each location. If you plead not guilty a future date (Readiness Conference) will be set for 4-6 weeks out. It will be noted if you have an attorney and if you do not you may be assigned a Public Defender. If you hire a private attorney, in between your Arraignment and Readiness you or your San Diego DUI lawyer will be able review the 
prosecution’s evidence (discovery). This includes a copy of the police report, any recordings visual or audio and access to the maintenance records of the testing instrument(s) that were used. If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI or related crimes please contact our office at (619)233-6900 for a free and confidential consultation with an experienced attorney.
Big Game Day Sunday is almost here! This is a time when most of us go to our favorite sports bar or pack the fridge full of beers and invite our friends over to watch the most anticipated sporting event of the year. In Chula Vista and throughout San Diego, CHP and the San Diego Police Department will be conducting DUI checkpoints (like the video link describes) and will have additional units on the lookout for drunk drivers. If you wonder where I can look for scheduled checkpoints in Chula Vista, just remeber to check our link put together by Chula Vista Defenders Criminal Defense staff. Drinking and driving after watching the Game at a friend’s house, restaurant, or sports bar could result in a license suspension by the DMV that could cause you to lose your job. Whether you are in Chula Vista, San Diego, Vista, Escondido, El Cajon or even Tijuana, or TJ as we locals call it, you have to get home. So plan ahead. Taxis may be booked, so now may be a good time to find a designated driver. Call MADD or the taxi organizations to find out what special programs are out there to help you.
Have a designated driver ready to help you enjoy the Big Game. If you or a friend get stopped and arrested for a DUI call San Diego Defenders 24 hours a day at 619-258-8888 to talk to a lawyer from the firm. We can answer questions about what jail your loved one is in, who to call for bail and how to get your life back to normal.
Enjoy the Big Game!
San Diego Defenders 585 Third Ave. Chula Vista, CA 91910 619-258-8888
It is that time of year again. The sun is shining, the beaches are hopping and the police are arresting tourists like nobody’s business. Whether it is the California Highway Patrol, San Diego Police or any of the other law enforcement agencies in the county, many of our out of town visitors are getting arrested by the police. Frankly, they make easy targets. They are out enjoying themselves and often are not familiar with the area, so it is easy to catch them in some minor traffic violation and use that as an excuse to see if they have been drinking.
Getting arrested while on vacation in San Diego can be a terrible experience. First, it is a real downer for the vacation. Then, you have to figure out how to handle your court case. Don’t think that just because you live out of the State that you do not have to deal with it. You will have a warrant issued for your arrest and can have your home State’s driver’s license suspended.
You can hire a private DUI attorney in San Diego to help you out. The consultation and retainer can be done over the phone and through the mail. If it is a misdemeanor, you will not have to come to court, your private DUI lawyer can make all the court appearances for you. Plus, an experienced DUI lawyer will know how to handle the case and get you the best possible result.
The San Diego Sheriff in association with the San Diego County DUI task force will be conducting DUI checkpoints in Escondido, Imperial Beach and around San Diego State University between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Saturday May 5th. San Diego will also be deploying DUI saturation patrols around San Diego County.
Watch DUI attorney, Jon M. Pettis, explain what to do if stopped at a DUI checkpoint or stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence. These and other information videos are available at our Youtube page.
If you or a loved one are charged with a DUI or related crime and would like a free and confidential consultation with an experienced lawyer, please call our office at (619)258-8888.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a DUI or related crime and you don’t think you can afford a lawyer? San Diego Defenders can take cases with little to no money down. Watch our supervising attorney, Daniel M. Smith tell you more.
If you or a loved one would like a free and confidential consultation, please contact our office at (619)258-8888.
Chula Vista native Jessica Sanchez in her bid to become the next American Idol. As natives and transplants to SanDiego, San Diego Defenders is proud to support Ms. Sanchez!
If you or a loved one would like to speal with an experienced criminal defense lawyer, please contact our office at (619)258-8888.
Attorney, Jon M. Pettis explains to you what the chicken leg of justice is.
If you or a loved one have been charged with a crime and would like a free and confidential consultation with an experienced attorney, please call our office at (619)258-8888.
A DUI checkpoint is scheduled in the city of Encinitas in San Diego County on April 27th, 2012. The checkpoint will take place on the 1300 block of South Coast Highway 101 in the City of Encinitas Friday April 27th between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.
Officers will be contacting motorists passing through looking for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. Drivers caught driving impaired may expect jail time, license suspension, thousands of dollars in fines and insurance increases.
Watch our videos and read our past blogs for tips on what to do if you are stopped at a DUI checkpoint.
If you or a loved one are charged with a DUI or related crime and would like a free and confidential consultation with an experienced attorney, please call our office at (619)258-8888.
Marine Staff Sergeant Luis Ray Perez, who had previously been named as a person of interest in this case, plead not guilty for the murder of Brittany Killgore on April 26, 2012. Perez was the last person believed to be with Killgore before she disappeared.
Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza told the judge at Thursday’s arraignment that Perez has misled authorities about what happened that night and Killgore’s blood has been found in his car.
If you or a loved one have been charged with a crime and would like a free and confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer, please call our office at (619)258-8888.
585 3rd Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Phone (619) 233-6900
Fax (619) 374-8477
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