Top-Rated Long Beach DUI Attorney
At the Law Offices of Hart J. Levin, we pride ourselves on being the leading DUI attorneys in Long Beach. With years of experience and expertise in DUI cases, we have successfully defended numerous clients charged with DUI offenses in the area. Our team of specialized attorneys is committed to challenging the evidence, developing strong defense strategies, and obtaining the best possible outcome for our clients.
What Happens When You Get a DUI in Long Beach?
If you have been arrested for a DUI in Long Beach, the consequences can be severe. Upon your arrest, your driver’s license will be confiscated, and you will be issued a temporary license. Your case will result in two separate proceedings. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will initiate a case to determine whether your driving privileges should be suspended, while the District Attorney’s Office will file misdemeanor charges against you in criminal court.
DMV Hearing After a DUI Arrest in Long Beach
It is crucial to schedule a DMV hearing immediately after your DUI arrest in Long Beach. If you don’t do it quickly enough, your driver’s license will generally be automatically suspended. As experienced DUI lawyers in Long Beach, we personally handle your DMV hearing request and request all evidence that the DMV will review during the hearing. At the DMV hearing, we challenge whether the DMV has enough evidence to suspend your license.
At the Law Offices of Hart J. Levin, we have conducted thousands of DMV hearings and have achieved great success in fighting the DMV on our clients’ behalf. Although the DMV can be strict, we have one of the highest success rates in the industry when it comes to winning DMV hearings.
Criminal Case in Long Beach
Aside from the case being pursued against you by the DMV, you will also be facing a criminal case. Typically, DUI charges are classified as misdemeanors. It is crucial to have the support of an experienced DUI attorney in Long Beach to ensure that you can fiercely defend yourself and safeguard your livelihood. We, as highly regarded Long Beach DUI attorneys, carefully scrutinize the evidence being presented by the State and strategically challenge the DMV’s case against you, with the aim of preserving your license.
DUI Penalties in Long Beach
In the unfortunate event of a first time DUI conviction, the maximum sentence that may be imposed is 180 days in jail. However, our team of DUI defense experts have had no clients who received this maximum sentence. Rather, penalties can vary greatly depending on the individual circumstances of each case. These penalties may include a probation period of 1 to 5 years, completion of a DUI program ranging from 12 hours to 30 months, community service or labor, substantial fines, jail time, work release, installation of an ignition interlock device, and suspension of driving privileges.
It’s important to note that penalties can be significantly increased if there are aggravating factors present. Factors such as a high blood alcohol concentration at the time of driving, involvement in a traffic collision, prior DUI convictions, and the level of cooperation with law enforcement before and after the arrest can greatly impact the severity of the consequences.
Long Beach DUI School and Alcohol Programs
When someone is caught driving under the influence for the first time, they may have to attend alcohol classes for 3 to 9 months. If they’re caught again, the classes will be even longer. It can be overwhelming to understand what’s required of you and how to handle it all. But at the Law Offices of Hart J. Levin, we’re here to guide you through the process, step by step. We’ll make sure you have a clear understanding of what’s required of you and how we can help you. We also assist clients who live out of state and are facing a DUI charge. It can be tricky because every state has its own set of DUI classes, and they can be vastly different. But we have experience dealing with these situations and can help you navigate the process with ease.
The Cost of a DUI in Long Beach
As an experienced DUI attorney in Long Beach, I often receive inquiries from clients who have been overwhelmed by the information they find online about DUI charges. Many people are under the false impression that they will be facing fines in excess of $20,000, which is not necessarily the case. With our expertise, we are able to keep court costs to a minimum even in the most challenging cases. In the event that we are unable to have the charges dismissed entirely, we can typically limit court fines to around $2,000 with the option of payment plans to ease the financial burden.
At our law firm, we also have innovative strategies to help eliminate fines entirely, especially when financial hardship is a concern. Additionally, we recognize that DUI offenders are required to pay for DUI programs and classes, and we work hard to minimize or eliminate these costs for our clients. By fighting the charges, we can prevent the need for extended classes, which can be costly.
In addition to court fees and program costs, DUI offenders often face significant increases in their insurance premiums, which can be a heavy financial burden. As experienced DUI attorneys, we have cultivated relationships with reputable insurance providers who offer our clients special pricing to avoid these costs.
We understand that many of our clients come to us trying to minimize the financial impact of a DUI. That’s why we work diligently to help our clients avoid hefty fines and other penalties. Ultimately, our goal is to help our clients move on from this event and minimize its impact on their lives. As top-tier DUI lawyers in Long Beach, we prioritize your needs and work tirelessly to help you achieve the best possible outcome.