Los Angeles DUI Lawyer

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DUI / Driving under the influence conviction can result in loss of reputation, costly fines, required attendance at alcohol-education classes, suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, increase in or cancellation of your auto insurance, placing an ignition interlock device in your car, and, in some cases, jail or prison. In Southern California, where most commuters travel the freeways, and public transportation is generally lacking, losing the privilege to drive can be devastating to a person’s career, as well as one’s personal life. Contact us today to see why Hart J. Levin is the best DUI attorney los angeles has to offer.

We aggressively defend DUI charges both in court and at DMV hearings by carefully strategizing with our clients to develop a top-notch defense. We investigate why the police stopped your car, how you performed on the field sobriety tests (FSTs) and whether the breathalyzer had any history of malfunctioning. We specialize in developing successful defenses to DUI charges by utilizing the science behind blood-alcohol and our specialized knowledge of proper police procedure during a DUI arrest. As a Los Angeles DUI attorney, our aggressive courtroom approach leads to charges being dropped or reduced when we can demonstrate a weakness in the prosecutor’s case, such as a traffic stop lacking proper legal cause, a breathalyzer machine not operating properly, alcohol absorption that is insufficient to show true impairment, or other problems of proof that often exist. If you are looking for a Los Angeles DUI Lawyer then call the Law Offices of Hart J. Levin.

This is how the DUI/DMV process works:
As long as you have retained us within 10 days of the arrest, we can request a hearing with the DMV for you. This allows us to challenge the case with the DMV in an effort to protect your license. DMV hearings, however, are very rarely successful for the driver. If you have retained us after 10 days of arrest, your license will automatically be suspended after 30 days from the arrest.

We request a hearing by sending in a notification to the driver safety branch of the DMV letting them know that we represent you and to place a “stay of suspension” on your file. This orders the DMV not to suspend your license until we have been given a chance to challenge the case in a DMV hearing. If we do not specifically request a DMV hearing (known as an Admin Per Se Hearing), the DMV will automatically suspend your license without conducting a hearing.

The hearing process can be slow. The DMV is very backed up due to budget constraints. As long as we have sent in the request within 10 days of the arrest, your rights are protected. The DMV will generally contact us to schedule a date for the hearing about two weeks after we send in the original hearing request. After we agree upon a date for the hearing, the DMV will automatically mail us the police reports for the case. Reports take another two to three weeks to arrive. The DMV hearing is often scheduled about 60 days after the arrest date. You, the driver, are automatically entitled to drive without any restrictions up until the DMV hearing date. Even though the pink temporary license given to you at the time of arrest states you can only drive for 30 days, once we have requested the hearing, you can drive until the hearing, which can be months after the arrest.

The DMV will notify us (including you) of the result of the hearing by mail only. They will not tell us at the time of the hearing what their result will be. You do not have to be present at the hearing at any time.

You will not need a restricted license until after the DMV has conducted your hearing and suspended your license. Typically you are required to wait 30 days after they suspend your license to apply for a restricted license.

At the Law Offices of Hart J. Levin we will work immediately to protect your rights, and fight on your behalf to avoid a serious criminal conviction being on your record. You must be advised that you have 10 days from your arrest to request a DMV hearing to prevent automatic suspension of your driving privileges. We ensure that your DMV hearing is set timely and defend you at the DMV hearing (even without you there), to protect your driving privileges. Hart J. Levin is your Santa Monica DUI Lawyer.

We work tirelessly to defend your driving privileges and reduce or dismiss the charges against you using every tool at our disposal.