First DUI

Ticket Crushers | DUI Attorneys

The vast majority of people arrested for DUI in California are arrested for a first offense. In fact, for those convicted of DUI in 2011, 73.7% were first offenders and 26.3% were repeat offenders with one or more prior convictions within the previous 10 years.

Our DUI defense attorneys are experienced in representing clients on a first DUI. Our attorneys appear in Court for you. Misdemeanor cases are heard in one of the courtrooms. When the DUI is charged as a felony, the case will be heard in one of the courtrooms on the first floor of the Hall of Justice.

Our attorneys also appear for the California DMV license suspension hearing before a Hearing Officer at the Department of Motor Vehicles’ Driver Safety Office.

Our attorneys represent clients on DUI cases throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Attorney for a First DUI in the Bay Area

If you were arrested for a first DUI, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Ticket Crushers. We represent clients charged with a DUI case involving a breath or blood test or a refusal to submit to chemical testing.

Even for a first DUI with no prior record, the penalties are serious. Call Ticket Crushers to discuss your case at 1 (866) 842-5384.

First Things First — The DMV Hearing

After you are arrested for DUI, the officer will confiscate your license and hand you a notice of suspension. The notice tells you that your license will be automatically suspended based on the circumstances of the arrest. You only have 10 days to demand a DMV hearing to contest the administrative suspension. If you do nothing, the administrative per se (APS) suspension will remain on your driving record even if you ultimately avoid a DUI conviction in court.

For a first DUI arrest, the length of the administrative suspension depends on whether you submitted to the chemical test.

The length of the ALS Suspension/Revocation after a DUI arrest in California depends on whether you took the chemical test or refused, and whether you have any prior convictions. If you took a chemical test with a BAC level of 0.08 percent or more, then your driving privilege will be suspended for four (4) months for a first DUI offense. If you refused chemical testing, then your driving privileges will be suspended for 12 months.

Criminal DUI Case

In the State of California, the criminal penalties for a first DUI include:

  • Mandatory incarceration of three days with a statutory maximum of no more than six months in a county jail;
  • Fines between $390 and $1,000;
  • Not less than three years probation and not more than five years probation, during which you can violate no law that results in an arrest or drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in your system; and
  • Successful completion of a DUI program for three, six, or nine months.

If you are convicted of DUI, then the conviction will remain on your record for 10 years and lead to enhanced penalties for any subsequent DUI arrests.

Additional Resources

DUI First Offender Programs for Veterans in San Francisco – Visit the website of Network of Care to learn more about the four first offender driving driver programs in San Francisco County including the DRIVER PERFORMANCE INSTITUTES (DPI), the DRY ZONE MISSION COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE FOR THE SPANISH SPEAKING; the INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED DRIVER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (IADET); and the NCA-BA NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND OTHER DRUG ADDICTION: DUI PROGRAMS.

First Offender DUI Programs in San Francisco – Visit the website of the Driver Performance Institutes to learn more about first offender DUI programs offered including the three-month program, the six-month program, the nine-month program and the 12-hour program for wet reckless. Classes are offered at the Townsend Street office or the Ft. Mason Center location, in the Marina district of San Francisco. The topics discussed in the program include alcohol and driving, prevention, drinking lifestyle, and DUI and society. Attendees also learn about legal rights and driver license privileges and methods of preventing other DUI offenses. The County of San Francisco sets the fees which are approved in California.

Attorneys for a First DUI in the Bay Area

If you were arrested for a first DUI in the Bay Area, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Ticket Crushers. We represent clients arrested for DUI after a breath test, a blood test, or an alleged refusal to submit to chemical testing.

We also represent commercial drivers charged with DUI in a commercial motor vehicle or while holding a CDL license.

Find out how a first DUI is treated differently from other DUI cases by the District Attorney’s Office. Let us put our experience to work for you as you fight to avoid the penalties and punishments that come with a conviction for a first DUI under California law.

Let our DUI Lawyers put our experience to work for you. Call Ticket Crushers today at  1 (866) 842-5384.

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