DUI in Los Angeles with high BAC

DUI in Los Angeles with high BAC

Question:  I was arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles, CA.  It is a first time DUI with 0.13 Blood Alcohol Content.  Should I plead no contest to the DUI charge? Is it possible to  negotiate with the DA Prosecuting attorney to see if I can get the DUI charge changed to something else like a wet reckless? Is that even possible with a BAC as high as .13?

What’s the best outcome of this scenario? I have a spotless record and I’d like to keep it that way if at all.  I realize that is probably not likely, but, if there is any hope I figure it is good to try perhaps?
What options do I have within the Los Angeles Metropolitan court system? What’s the best and worst outcome?

Answer:  Best case scenario is you get the DUI charges completely dismissed.  Worst case scenario is you are convicted of a DUI and they try to add heavy penalties such as jail, high fines, long probation, potentially community labor, etc.

There are a large number of variables in defending against DUI’s. Knowing the alleged BAC is one part, but there are many other factors to consider when assessing the strength of the potential defenses to a DUI case. Why were you pulled over? Was there an accident? Did you do field sobriety tests? Did you do a preliminary alcohol screening test? If so, what were the results.

I would recommend that you speak to a DUI attorney about your case in more detail. If you can not afford a private attorney, then try to talk to the public defender about what defenses there are. It is certainly possible to get DUI charges reduced and dismissed with a .13 BAC or higher, but it doesn’t happen without someone working the case.

And going in and blindly pleading guilty or no contest is not a good idea. Some cases that do not seem great at the beginning can take a turn for the better after some work by an experienced DUI attorney.

I have been successful in defending DUI cases, even with Blood alcohol content levels higher than .20.  Although there are many similarities between DUI cases, there are also a lot of variables.  A case that seems not so good at first glance, can actually become a good case to defend once a few rocks are looked under (ie.  thorough discovery done).

Feel free to call me at (818)336-1384 if you would like to discuss your case in more detail.

Los Angeles DUI Attorney