Orange County Lawyer for DUI Defense

Explaining the DUI Court Process

The court process is complex and difficult. It is therefore extremely important to have knowledgeable legal advice on your side to help walk you through the different steps and provide you with support and guidance. The general process, however, can be broken down into the following steps:

• Arrest: When a law enforcement officer observes erratic behavior or unlawful conduct on the road, he or she will pull a driver over. Field sobriety tests, a breathalyzer test or blood test may be used to determine whether to arrest the driver for DUI. Once the arrest is made, the officer will confiscate the person’s driver’s license and take him or her into custody.
• Custody: A driver may be released from custody on his or her own recognizance or on bail.
• Arraignment: This is the initial court appearance. The judge will inform the individual of his or her rights and the individual, at this time, can enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. This is an important part of the DUI court process, and one should only enter a plea after consulting an experienced Orange County DUI attorney.
• Pretrial motions/plea bargain: At this time, the individual’s attorney or lawyer may file certain motions (to suppress evidence, for instance) and may advise the client to agree to a plea bargain made by the prosecution. This will depend upon the specific case.
• Trial: Although many Orange County DUI cases do not go to trial, if they do, your case will be heard in front of a judge and jury. Your Orange County DUI defense lawyer will have the opportunity to present evidence and witness testimony in your favor to help secure an acquittal.
• Verdict: The jury will determine whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
• Sentence: If the jury delivered a guilty verdict, the judge will determine sentencing.
• Appeal: An attorney can appeal the court’s decision if a guilty verdict was found by the jury.
• Expungement: After a DUI conviction, an Orange County DUI lawyer can work to have the conviction expunged from public criminal records. DUI expungement is often a complex process, but it can be done with the help of an experienced lawyer.

DUI Lawyer Serving Orange County, CA

Throughout the DUI court process, the legal team at Gold & Witham take care to keep our clients informed at every step of the way. With over forty years of combined criminal experience in this area, it allows us to provide accurate legal advice and aggressive representation during the entire court process. This often runs in conjunction with an individual’s DMV hearing, and our defense lawyers offer representation throughout both branches of each client’s DUI charges. DUI defense can be complex and difficult, but with the representation of a capable Orange County DUI lawyer, a positive result can be reached in many cases.

To learn more about the court process, contact an Orange County DUI attorney at our firm.