California Criminal Law | California DUI law | California Traffic Tickets

What happens if I refuse to take the test when stopped for DUI in California?

It’s amazing how much confusion there is around what you should do if you get pulled over after having had something to drink.  Whether it is from family, friends, or even clients who are facing multiple DUI convictions, I often hear “so if I get pulled over, I should refuse the chemical test, right?” It…

California Criminal Law | California DUI law | California Traffic Tickets | Constitutional Rights

Should I talk with a police officer when I’ve been pulled over and drinking?

What do I do? If you are pulled over and you have been drinking then I recommend you skip the field sobriety test and do not answer any questions as to drinking. In fact, you should tell the officer to cite you for what you were pulled over for and let you continue to your…

California Criminal Law | California DUI law | California Traffic Tickets

The importance of a DUI Lawyer doing the Widmark calculation and questioning assumptions.

It’s important to know how to do a widmark calculation manually. By doing this, you will know where they expert will be and what the prosecutor will ask. The most common calculations are number of drinks and what will a person alcohol level be with this amount of drinks, time, weight, etc, and the retro…

California Criminal Law | California DUI law | California Traffic Tickets

WTF is the “Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus”?

It’s not a distant planet. It’s not a Kama Sutra move. It’s a DUI field sobriety test. And it’s coming to hipster parties near you. The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus is one of many field sobriety tests given by law enforcement to determine whether you are under the influence of alcohol. “Nystagmus” means a jerking of…

California Criminal Law | California DUI law | California Traffic Tickets

Driving Under the influence of Drugs in California

Most people don’t realize that driving under the influence of drugs, even completely legal, over the counter drugs, can result in arrest and conviction of driving under the influence.The key element that must be proved to be convicted of a DUI is that the driver suffers a physical or mental impairment such that he or…

California Criminal Law | California DUI law | California Traffic Tickets | Constitutional Rights

2nd DUI offense in California Staying out of Jail

This is a question I get A LOT.  How do I stay out of jail on my 2nd DUI offense in California? If you have been charged with a 2nd DUI offense in California within 10 years you are subject to enhanced sentencing under the California Vehicle Code and part of the mandatory minimum sentence…

California Criminal Law | California DUI law

If You Are Serving Probation Time In Riverside County, Don’t Trust the D.A. to Let You Off Early.

Probation is a pain in the ass, especially if you are looking for a job.  Employers don’t like to hire employees who are on probation – especially because probation requirements can often get in the way of job requirements, but also simply because of the stigma attached to probation (i.e., you’ve broken the law).  The…