Experienced Drunk Driving Defense by DUI Attorneys in Redondo Beach
Defending South Bay drivers in complex DUI charges involving alcohol and drugs.
Criminal defense attorneys Eugene Hanrahan and Stephen Sitkoff are experienced, well-respected Redondo Beach DUI attorneys who have established reputations as experts in drunk driving defense in the South Bay. Drawing upon their extensive training and experience as former Torrance Court prosecutors, Mr. Hanrahan and Mr. Sitkoff have successfully defended DUI charges in Redondo Beach since 1987. Call our Redondo Beach DUI defense firm today to learn how our over 70 years of combined California drunk driving law and DMV experience can help you avoid jail, a driver’s license suspension, or even a DUI conviction on your record. Call (424) 757-0865 now for a FREE no-obligation case analysis from our experienced lawyers.
Successful DUI Defense Results In Torrance Court
Our Redondo Beach DUI Defense lawyers exclusively practice criminal and DUI defense law. Therefore, our drunk driving defense firm dedicates its skill and expertise to protect the interests of individuals arrested in Redondo Beach for a criminal offense involving the following DUI related offenses:
- DUI Causing Injury — Prosecuted under California Vehicle Code statute 23153, causing an auto accident resulting in serious injuries or death to another while driving under the influence can result in a felony DUI arrest. As a felony “wobbler,” DUI causing injury can also be charged as a misdemeanor if you cause injuries NOT considered serious. However, even a misdemeanor DUI under VC 23153 is a serious matter carrying enhanced court and DMV punishments.
- DUI involving aggravating circumstances — Certain factors in your DUI case can expose you to harsher terms of sentencing if these factors, otherwise known as “aggravating factors” exist in your case. These factors can include driving with a blood alcohol (BAC) level above 0.15, causing an accident involving property damage or minor injuries, or refusing a chemical or breath test, also known as a DUI Refusal.
- DUI Charges Involving Underage Drinkers — Drunk driving charges in Redondo Beach involving minors or persons under the legal drinking age of 21 years old are subject to California’s Zero Tolerance Law. Therefore, juvenile and underage defendants face punishments in line with standard DUI sentencing in adult court. However, all it takes is any measurable amount of alcohol to be found in their systems, even if below the legal limit, to warrant prosecution. Furthermore, persons charged in Redondo Beach for an underage DUI face a 1-year license suspension.
- DUI with previous drunk driving convictions — DUIs are considered priorable offenses and can, therefore, trigger increasingly punitive punishments with every subsequent drunk driving conviction within 10 years of your 1st drunk driving or Wet Reckless offense. DUI convictions from out of state can be counted as priors as well. While the majority of 1st time DUI arrests in Redondo Beach typically do not result in imprisonment, a 2nd or 3rd DUI charge in Torrance Court does carry mandatory minimum jail sentences and much longer driver’s license suspensions.
- Driving under the influence of controlled substances and prescription drugs — Driving while under the influence of a controlled substance, including prescription drugs, is a misdemeanor crime under California DUI law. Drunk driving arrests involving drugs carry similar punishments to alcohol involved DUI charges. However, a DUI case involving a combination of intoxication with drugs and alcohol could result in harsher punishments than a standard DUI with alcohol.
- DUI arrests at sobriety checkpoints — Drunk driving arrests at sobriety checkpoints in Redondo Beach are quite common. Although police officers at most sobriety checkpoints conduct themselves in an experienced manner, they often make mistakes with regard to the specific procedures they must follow when staging a sobriety checkpoint. If Redondo Beach PD fails to follow any one of these procedures, an experienced DUI lawyer can use these violations of your constitutional rights to suppress the prosecution’s evidence against you.
- DUIs involving commercial drivers — A DUI arrest can carry potential career ending consequences for those who drive for a living. Commercial licensees, even if they were arrested in their personal vehicles, face more severe consequences as their license suspension can affect both their Class A and Class C privileges. A commercial license holder’s first time DUI conviction would result in 1-year suspension of his or her Class A privilege with restricted license eligibility limited to his or her Class C privilege.
- DMV APS license suspension hearings — A DUI arrest with a BAC above 0.08 in Redondo Beach, as well as throughout the South Bay involves both an administrative aspect involving the DMV and criminal aspect involving the Torrance Court. Following a DUI arrest, the police officer will confiscate your license and issue you a temporary license or “pink paper,” which advises you that you have 10 days from your date of arrest to request a hearing to contest the DMV administrative suspension. This suspension can be imposed separately from the court proceeding. Therefore, you could potentially suffer a license suspension without a DUI conviction.
- DUI murder — In California, you can be prosecuted for 2nd degree murder if you are arrested for DUI resulting in death to another while having a prior drunk driving or Wet Reckless conviction. Referred to as a “Watson Murder,” the legal basis for the enhanced charge and penalties is based upon your prior advisement of the dangers of drinking and driving along with the threat to human life it poses.
- DUI and child endangerment — If you are arrested for a DUI with a minor child in your vehicle, you would not only be charged with drunk driving but a separate, additional charge of child endangerment. In addition to the harsher punishments you are subject to, a separate investigation into your fitness as a parent could be initiated by Child Protective Services (CPS).
Contact An Expert Redondo Beach DUI Defense Lawyer For A Successful Case Outcome
Call our Redondo Beach DUI Defense attorneys today at (424) 757-0865 for a FREE non-obligation case analysis if you have been arrested for drunk driving in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Lawndale, or Torrance. South Bay drunk driving defense attorneys, Stephen Sitkoff and Eugene Hanrahan have each practiced law for over 35 years with decades of courtroom victories in Torrance Court. Recognized annually by Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and AVVO as two of best DUI lawyers in Redondo Beach, Mr. Hanrahan and Mr. Sitkoff dedicated to aggressively pursuing the best cases results for our DUI firm’s clients. Call us today to learn what your options are and what you should be doing next.
Related Redondo Beach DUI Defense Links
Second Offense DUI
https://formerdistrictattorneys.com//dui-crimes-los-angeles/dui-with-accident/
https://formerdistrictattorneys.com//dui-crimes-los-angeles/dui-commercial-drivers/
