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Is Driving Under the Influence a Felony in California?

Attorneys Appearing in Court

Well, it isn’t as black and white as you may think. The easiest response that the court appearance professionals of Attorneys on Demand is “sometimes”. It’ll depend on how frequently you have been convicted and charged of an offense, the conviction’s extenuating circumstances — if property damage, an accident, injuries, etc., as well as numerous other factors occurred.

1st, 2nd and 3rd Offense

There’s lots of leeway with driving under the influence in California. The majority of the time, if there aren’t any extenuating circumstances, you are actually going to be charged with misdemeanor. It’s a fact, even if you’ve been convicted before if, of course, the arrest resulted without incident; there wasn’t property damage, injury or an accident.

Generally, a DUI charge carries penalties from 3 - 5 years’ probation to as much as a year in jail, fines of about $2,800, community service, revocation or suspension of a driver’s license from ½ a year to as much as 3 years and mandatory alcohol courses from 3, 6, or 9 months for your first offense, to 1.5 years for several offenders. It’s possible to even have to put in an I.I.D. on any vehicle you operate or own. The non-legal results, of course, are that your car insurance will soar significantly high.

Felony

There are specific circumstances with which the conviction may be a felony. That situation varies by circumstances yet some of those include:

• Death or injury of another individual

• Habitual, excessive convictions

Especially in the instance of another individual’s death or injury, the DUI may be charged as a felony. In this instance, additional charges like homicide or manslaughter might also be levied against the defendant.

If you’re convicted of driving under the influence at a felony level, you’ll be subject to a sentence inside a state prison or 5-year probation, time in jail of a minimum of ½ a year, fines of about $3,000, ignition interlock device installation on your vehicle, mandatory alcohol education, as well as revocation of a driver’s license. Also, you’re going to be subject to the lifetime results of a felony.

The severe consequences which go with a DUI conviction make it critical to obtain the services of a skilled DUI lawyer. Criminal convictions aren’t anything to play around with.

Most folks may opt to forego representation for various reasons. However, whether it is because you are humiliated, afraid you cannot afford legal representation, or perhaps because you believe it’s possible to deal with it on your own, foregoing this type of legal representation isn’t a good idea.

Reasons You Should Hire Court Appearance Professionals

Consider the following: charges are not brought against individuals lightly. If you are being charged, it is because your state believes it has a strong case. Their lawyers are skilled in prosecuting criminals; you require someone who can be on your side who is able to help you efficiently defend you. Also, having representation is your right which should never be denied.