Law Office of Louis J. Goodman Attorney At Law

Absolutely, but be aware of what that means. What is an expungement? An expungement in California is a dismissal of charges after a conviction pursuant to Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code. Any conviction (including felonies) that did not result in a State Prison commitment is eligible for expungement upon completion of probation. Will my DUI no longer be held against me as a prior conviction should I pick up another DUI within 10 years? No. The prior will still be charged. Will it clean up my DMV record? No. Should I go through the time and expense of doing an Expungement? Yes. Your record will look better with the expungement. Just be aware that it is not a perfect solution and be aware of what an expungement really means. I’m happy to discuss the specifics of your case with you. Give me a call at 510.582.9090.

Call a lawyer as soon as possible after your arrest because there are things that need to be done immediately. Do not discuss your case with anyone, including your insurance company or any other investigator. There may be ways to avoid a conviction. It is also critical to contact, or have a lawyer contact DMV, to set a hearing (that's on the Pink License). To more specifically answer your question, assuming a conviction: Your license will be suspended - but you can get it back almost immediately with ignition interlock and an SR22 from an insurance company. You'll be on 3 years of Probation You'll have to do a few days of Community Service in lieu of Jail. You'll have to go to a DUI school. You'll have to pay a fine (usually about $2000) - they'll give you time to pay it. There may be other terms and conditions of probation depending on the circumstances of the case: accident, injuries, blood alcohol level. No two cases are exactly alike.

False allegations of domestic violence are actually unusual, but then again a particular incident can be seen differently by the two people who were there. Often times, an allegation of domestic violence will be made in an effort to leverage a family law situation where one spouse is alleging DV in an effort to gain child custody or more favorable financial terms. The only way to fight it is to aggressively litigate. Ultimately, it becomes a swearing contest between two individuals. Get a good lawyer and prepare your testimony carefully and then get prepared for cross examination. A lawyer can help you do it. Juries tend to figure out the truth.

Not really. Most Courts will give Credit For Time Served if the Defendant was in jail overnight, that is arrested before midnight and released the next day. That's considered 2 days in jail. If arrested after midnight it is considered one day of jail time and the Court may just deem it to be 2 days, or allow some sort of work alternative for the additional day. However, if there is some aggravating factor, such as a very high Blood Alcohol, resisting arrest, accident, high rate of speed, or children in the car, the Court and DA may require some jail or jail alternative as part of the sentence. As always, it is best to consult with a Criminal Defense Attorney before you go to court. Most of will see you at least once without fee. If you can't afford a lawyer, make sure to ask the Judge to refer you to the Public Defender. You don't want to go to jail.

It can be. If you have 3 prior DUIs within 10 years, the 4th is a Felony. Or, if you have a prior DUI Felony within 10 years the next one is a Felony. Or, if there is a serious injury or death involved in the DUI, it can be charged as a Felony.

It depends on the case and how the client wants to handle it. More litigation will result in larger legal fees. My office offers a no fee consultation in DUI cases. We’ll talk about you, your case, how you’d like to handle it, what options you have, and how my office can help you through this difficult moment. Note that this is a difficult moment that we will get through together. It’s not where you are staying. Things will soon be better.

You are on probation for 3 years, but it is a chargeable prior for 10 years. There are significant increased penalties for 2nd & 3rd offenses within 10 years.