Friend needs a DUI lawyer

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Old May 28, 2013 | 11:51 AM
  #16  
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Man... party got busted up by my house on Sat night. I watched kids... 17-20 years old stagger out of the house and get in their cars and drive away with Santa Cruz County Sheriffs watching them go.

One car... passenger is leaning on the car looked like puking. Staggers back into my bushes. Then tries to walk around the car. Ends up in the middle of the street because he couldn't make the turn.

NO ONE was sober in that house. keg was empty by midnight. Toss in the weed, cocaine and nitrous...

I was BLOWN away. They could have written AT LEAST 5 dui's.

One of the cars was parked in front of my damn drive way. Kid ran out. Grabbed more booze and ran back in the house. Leaving his lights on in the car all night.

But I guess it's cool with them to let teenagers drive wasted. I saw a 19 year old super bowl sunday with his girl and his baby in the car drive through a house.
Old May 28, 2013 | 12:02 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by sigma pi
WOW you got off good!

You forgot the insurance spike.
Yeah i got off decently. BUT!Still one of the stupidest things i have ever done. We drove from my friends house (next to the golf course) to Jack in the box right next to campus. Like a mile, two at most. Could have walked.


And yes i didnt add the insurance spike. Hard to gauge exactly how much it effected our policy cuz they switched around the car i was the primary on and stuff like that to try and make it as cheap as possible.
Old May 28, 2013 | 12:02 PM
  #18  
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I've had a friend hire Mark Blair. His BAC was .11 on the blower and had it reduced to a wet and reckless. Not too sure on the details but I do know it cost him a pretty penny though. Anyone know what exactly is the difference between a full DUI and a wet and reckless?
Old May 28, 2013 | 12:16 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by Snoopy408
Yeah i got off decently. BUT!Still one of the stupidest things i have ever done. We drove from my friends house (next to the golf course) to Jack in the box right next to campus. Like a mile, two at most. Could have walked.


And yes i didnt add the insurance spike. Hard to gauge exactly how much it effected our policy cuz they switched around the car i was the primary on and stuff like that to try and make it as cheap as possible.
I am sure you learned your lesson after that.
Old May 28, 2013 | 12:18 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by sigma pi
Eh that is driving to work and home only, you can file for that yourself. ANYONE CAN GO TO THE DMV TO GET IT!!! You do not need a "good" lawyer

Arrest for Driving Under the Influence DUI General Information


I stopped reading after the first thing you said was wrong wrong wrong.


Edit for this:


Basically what you do:
1. Proof of enrollment in a DUI School;
2. Proof of insurance (SR22 form only); some insurance
companies, notably State Farm, take 5-6 days, and sometimes even longer, to issue you or DMV an SR22 form, so we suggest you advise them at least 10 days in advance of your desire to get such form;
3. Pay a re-issuance fee of $125.00 as of 2006.
I went through one. I sat and listened to stories of hundreds that went through the same. A good lawyer is money well spent. I'll leave it at that. I dont feel like arguing with you.
Old May 28, 2013 | 12:37 PM
  #21  
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I used to intern at the SF Public Defenders office and I think your friend should go with a Public Defender if he/she qualifies. The majority of cases in the misdemeanor attorney team are DUI's. These guys know what they're doing. I seen enough/handle enough misdemeanor in the city to know that most DUI cases get handled the same way (assuming he/she is a 1st time offender).
Old May 28, 2013 | 02:07 PM
  #22  
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It's different now, DUI is 8-10k minimum, so potentially much higher for other places. Since they're really cracking down hard on DUIs, the price went up along with the penalties.
Old May 28, 2013 | 02:33 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by OneManArmy
That's why I said borderline bac.

I.E. my buddy got a DUI. One of his tests came back .6 and the other .8. Had he hired a lawyer he probably could have got a reduction to wet and wreckless. He did not. Got the full DUI.

I.E. 2 of my buddies got them at pretty much the same time. One of them did not hire a lawyer. He got raked over the coals. Cost him about $25k and he had no license for a year. The other one did have a lawyer and had a borderline reading. I think it was around .7 or right close to .8. He got a wet and wreckless.


Otherwise what krinkov said is dead right. Generally speaking its not worth it. You'll get the minimums. The only thing a lawyer can do is help make sure that's all you get and walk you through the process.

Only time I'd really go through it is if there were abnormal circumstances.

My buddy for example... the .6 guy. He partied. Slept at the place until 5am. Fell asleep on his way home and wrecked his truck. He actually called CHP on himself. He blew the .6 onsite and they still arrested him.

I would have hired one for his instance.

But... say getting pulled over and blowing a .13 or something... no lawyer is gonna be able to help you beyond helping you get the minimums and not the maximums.
+1. the consequences are still there. but a lawyer helps in the smooth sailing and jibberish. at least thats how i saw it. Granted, he WAS able help lower the case, from a felony to misdemeanor. This is after many classes, volunteer work, etc. Still had to do all that, but my lawyer was able to tell me what to do, when to do, what to say, when to say, etc. Had i not had a lawyer, i deff would have dug myself a deeper hole.

Anyways, what im trying to say, look at a lawyer as not an immediate problem solver, but one who helps you understand the law in their eyes and acts on your behalf. What a lot of people think is that: Oooh, if i pay the big $$$, ill be relieved of this charge completely" wrong.

ill add t hat my situation was not alcohol related but 420 related. im not sure how the laws differ between those two, but both are potential DUIs that come with very generous consquences. LOL GL bud!
Old May 28, 2013 | 02:57 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by iLoqin
It's different now, DUI is 8-10k minimum, so potentially much higher for other places. Since they're really cracking down hard on DUIs, the price went up along with the penalties.
Yeah... especially with them trying to get it lowered to 0.05.
Old May 28, 2013 | 11:25 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Smiley_Face
I used to intern at the SF Public Defenders office and I think your friend should go with a Public Defender if he/she qualifies. The majority of cases in the misdemeanor attorney team are DUI's. These guys know what they're doing. I seen enough/handle enough misdemeanor in the city to know that most DUI cases get handled the same way (assuming he/she is a 1st time offender).
Lmao, you must work for the prosecution. Good luck with a public pretender. They don't give a **** about your case, and all you are to them is another file on their already backlogged case load. They will try to get you to plead guilty and take whatever deal the city/district attorney offers you at pre-trial.
Old May 28, 2013 | 11:39 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by wrxBRAH
wrong, wrong, wrong. A ****ty lawyer wont do him any good. A good lawyer can put him back in his vehicle and give him the ability to drive to work and go about his life. A good lawyer will also get the blood retested at an independent facility to make sure the proper anticoagulent was used. As stated earlier a good lawyer can get him out of jail time/community service hours with a house arrest ankle monitor. A good lawyer can find a discrepancy and get the case thrown out.

Whichever lawyer he uses, he needs to ask all those questions before hand after finding out his BAC. Its usually 100$ for the consultation and its well spent.
yeah sorry, I was only speaking about the mandatory fine/punishment that the court must impose IF you are convicted of a DUI. But yes if you talking about trying to fight the charges or at least try to get it reduced to a WW then by all means talk to a lawyer.
Old May 29, 2013 | 12:24 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by 02RS25
+1. the consequences are still there. but a lawyer helps in the smooth sailing and jibberish. at least thats how i saw it. Granted, he WAS able help lower the case, from a felony to misdemeanor.
It's only a felony when you are DUI, crash and hurt someone other than yourself. A regular DUI is a misdemeanor, both the A and B sections.
Old May 29, 2013 | 06:53 AM
  #28  
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Hey.. my cousin vinnie is a lawyer....
Old May 29, 2013 | 08:57 AM
  #29  
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Used to share an office with this guy. Very cool dude.

Thomas Mueller

State Bar of CA :: Thomas Frederick Mueller

P.S. Tell your friend to not drink and drive.

Last edited by Prettym1k3; May 29, 2013 at 02:49 PM.
Old May 29, 2013 | 09:45 AM
  #30  
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I'm sure I sound like an *******.


Maybe if your friend doesn't try to go fight it and accepts his punishment, after spending a year of total inconvenience will do him some good and help him grow up.



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