In California the majority of Driving Under the Influence cases are prosecuted as misdemeanors. This means that upon the successful completion of probation (anywhere from 3-5 years), you may be eligible for an “Expungement,” where a conviction is vacated and a dismissal is entered into the records. If you were convicted of a felony DUI, you must, at the conclusion of your probation, petition the court to lower the felony to a misdemeanor first. Once expunged, you will no longer have a “conviction” on your criminal record (although your DMV driving record may still reveal a “prior” DUI and / or an adverse ruling in a DMV Hearing for purposes of insurance).
It used to be the case that upon the successful completion of probation, filing a petition application with the court all but guaranteed expungement. But since 2008 a new law makes DUI and certain driving-related offenses a lot more difficult to expunge. Granting a petition for expungement of a DUI conviction is now discretionary for the court, which must take into consideration the “interests of justice” with the following factors in mind:
・The seriousness of the offense.
・Whether restitution (if any) has been paid.
・Petitioner’s driving record since the conviction.
・Age of conviction.
・Whether this is the first request for expungement.
・Is petitioner a commercial driver, nanny, pilot, or in a profession where permanent disclosure serves the interests of justice?
・Other mitigating and aggravating factors that justify the granting or denial of the petiton.
A competent DUI Defense Attorney should help you prepare a declaration under penalty of perjury regarding the above topics and present them on your behalf at an Expungement Hearing. Being represented by a competent DUI Defense Attorney guarantees the highest probability that your expungement petition will be granted.
Miranda only has to be given if there is post-arrest interrogation. Most cops in a DUI investigation are trained to get everything they need out of your mouth “prior” to cuffing you, so Miranda usually doesn’t apply. However, there are instances when a cop will conduct further questioning at the station, where Miranda WOULD have to be given in order for the statements to be admissible in court.
You should hire a lawyer to go to court to recall the warrant. A lawyer can usually do this without you present if the underlying charge is a misdemeanor, so it is less risky for you.
SR-22, or proof of insurance, has to be filed for 3 years AFTER conviction of a DUI. Your first order of business after being cited for a DUI is to figure out how to avoid being convicted.
Ask yourself 3 things: a) Will this lawyer actually be the one representing you? Or does this lawyer simply pass the case off to “one” of the associates. b) Does this lawyer specialize in DUI? Or does this lawyer take whatever walks in the door? c) Is the quoted fee the “actual” fee that you will be paying? Or are there plenty of hidden fees that will hit you when you don’t simply plead guilty?
You should absolutely NOT respond to such a letter. You have the right to remain silent, and that means the right to NOT speak to investigators/cops. Remember, no matter what you say it will be twisted around and used against you later. In short, no benefit can be derived from responding. You should contact a lawyer ASAP if you have received such a letter or voice mail.
Absolutely, especially if you forgot about the right to remain silent and copped yourself out. Remember, no matter what you said it will be twisted around and used to make you look guilty. Also, many refusal cases still (unfortunately) involve Field Sobriety Tests, which are designed to make anyone, sober or not, look impaired. With that said, a refusal DUI is usually more defensible than a regular DUI, since there isn’t a specific number that prosecutors can point to, but the consequences of conviction are more severe.
First of all, being over the legal limit is just the starting point, and all DUI cases that are won involve people who are at or above the legal limit (or they refused). If you were under the legal limit, you wouldn’t even have been cited. Second, just because you feel you are guilty, it doesn’t mean you need to have the full brunt of the consequences crash down on you. With proper representation, things like jail time, license suspension, fines, probation, alcohol school…etc. can be reduced or eliminated, guilty or not.