Arrested for DUI Drugs in California?
Have you been charged with driving under the influence of drugs? If so, the Law Offices of Jeffrey Vallens can help you.California’s DUI laws apply to not only alcohol intoxication, but DUI cases can also be based upon impairment from any drug that affects one’s ability to safely drive a motor vehicle (or boat), including but not limited to these commonly seen drugs:
Fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, and many more.
Legal drugs, whether prescription or over-the-counter such as cough medicine, Benadryl, Adderall, anti-anxiety, etc.
Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal, whether or not the marijuana was legally purchased/consumed/possesed.
The penalties for a drug DUI vary based on prior convictions and aggravating factors. A majority of DUI charges are misdemeanors, but certain factors can cause the case to be a felony. A DUI usually counts as a prior conviction for 10 years, and a conviction outside that 10-year window does not count as a prior offense but may still increase the punishment upon conviction.
A first DUI conviction can have any or all the penalties of: Suspended drivers’ license, fines ranging from $390 to $1000, and/or jail from two days to six months, and three to nine month DUI school.
A second DUI conviction can have any or all the penalties of: Suspended drivers’ license, four days to a year in jail, and/or $390-$1000 in fines, and an 18 month DUI school.
A third DUI conviction can have any or all the penalties of: A mandatory 120 days in jail, $390-1000 in fines, and/or a suspended drivers’ license along with the 18 month school.
A fourth DUI conviction can be a felony, which can have any or all the penalties of: 16 months to four years in prison, $390-1000 in fines, and/or a 4-year license suspension, plus the school.
A DUI that injures another driver can be a felony, which can have any or all the penalties of: $390-1000 fines, five days to one year in prison, and a license suspension, as a misdemeanor. As a felony, the penalties could be as high as a four-year prison sentence, and fines from $390-5000, and don’t forget the school.
A DUI that kills another driver is normally charged as vehicular manslaughter or (Watson) murder, which can be as severe as 15 years to life in state prison.
Whatever the facts of your case are, it is crucial to have an experienced and aggressive defense attorney fighting on your behalf. With over twenty years of experience fighting drug DUI cases, we at the Law Offices of Jeffrey Vallens can give you the strongest defense possible.
If you or someone close to you has been arrested for DUI, call me, Attorney Jeffrey Vallens. It’s free to call and speak with me. Don’t forget to request your DMV hearing within ten days of the arrest. Remember, we can’t win if we don’t fight!
Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (805) 230-3651. Email me at: jv@4criminaldefense.com or visit my sites: