Van Nuys DUI Attorney

If you've been arrested for DUI in or around San Fernando Valley, you're in good hands. Our Van Nuys DUI defense attorneys are here to do everything to dismiss or reduce your charges so you can avoid a trial. But if you want your day in court, we'll be happy to take your case to a jury as well. Please call us at (818) 904-5900 for a free consultation, and you can visit our office at:

Van Nuys Criminal Defense
14500 Roscoe Blvd.
4th Floor
Van Nuys, CA 91402
Phone: (818) 904-5900
Fax: (818) 647-0327

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When you scroll down, you'll see general information about California DUI Law and what our Van Nuys DUI defense lawyers can do to help you:

Van Nuys DUI lawyer Darrell York

The DMV Hearing

The Criminal Case

DUI Penalties

Van Nuys Jail & Courthouse Information

Van Nuys DUI Schools

Van Nuys DUI lawyer Darrell York, Esq.

Van Nuys criminal defense lawyer Darrell York served as a California police officer for twenty-four years, including manning the DUI task force. From his personal experience of making thousands of DUI arrests and testifying in hundreds of DUI trials, he knows what mistakes cops often make when investigating a drunk-driving incident and performing breath and blood tests. Darrell York now employs this insider knowledge of common police misconduct to challenge the state's case against you and to try and persuade the prosecutor to throw out or reduce your DUI charges.

Van Nuys DMV Hearings related to a California DUI arrest

Perhaps the worst part about being arrested for DUI in Van Nuys is that you're not only hauled into criminal court (which we talk about below), you automatically have a civil case against the DMV as well. No sooner are you handcuffed for DUI does the cop take away your drivers license and replace it with a temporary one good for only thirty days. He'll also tell you that you have only ten days from the day of the arrest to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to schedule a hearing to protest your license suspension.

Our Van Nuys DUI Defense Attorneys will request the DMV Hearing for you and also appear on your behalf, including cross-examining witnesses and presenting evidence. Most importantly, we'll try to get you a restricted license so that you can continue driving to and from work without having to worry about getting arrested again.

For more in-depth information about saving your drivers license, please refer to our page on DMV hearings related to a California DUI arrest.

The Criminal Case resulting from a Van Nuys DUI arrest

If your DUI results in no injury or death, you'll probably be charged with two misdemeanors: Vehicle Code 23152(a) and Vehicle Code 23152(b). However, a fourth DUI in ten years will always be treated as a felony, even if no one was hurt.

After you're arrested, your first court appearance may not be for several months, but we use that time to your advantage by compiling all the evidence in your case and pressuring the prosecutor to negotiate. And in most cases, you'll almost never have to step foot in a courtroom-we go for you.

Van Nuys DUI Penalties and Sentencing

If you're convicted for your first DUI in Van Nuys (under Vehicle Code 23152(a) and Vehicle Code 23152(b)), the judge may order the following sentence (or something close to it):

• Up to six months of jail, but that rarely happens



• Fines that may exceed $1,000



• Three years of probation



• A six-month suspension of your drivers license (with the possibility of getting a restricted license)



• A three month California DUI School program (see below for more info on local schools)

Sentences for successive DUIs in Van Nuys are similar but harsher: bigger fines, longer DUI School programs, mandatory jail time, but you may also have to install an ignition interlock device in your car. (An ignition interlock device is a breathalyzer that won't allow your engine to start if it senses alcohol on your breath.)

Van Nuys Jail and Courthouse Information

Unlike simple traffic tickets, DUI matters require you to be arrested and booked at the Van Nuys Jail until you can post bail:

Van Nuys Jail
6240 Sylmar Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 374-9500

Juvenile arrestees, however, will probably be detained at Eastlake Juvenile Hall:

Eastlake Juvenile Hall
1605 Eastlake Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 9033
(323) 226-8611

The Los Angeles District Attorney is then responsible for prosecuting DUI cases at the local courthouse:

Van Nuys Courthouse West
14400 Erwin St. Mall
Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 374-2903

The courthouse clerks there provide defendants who plead to or are convicted of DUI with information about local DUI schools. Meanwhile, juveniles may have their charges heard at Eastlake Juvenile Court:

Eastlake Juvenile Court
1601 Eastlake Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 226-8927

Van Nuys DUI Schools

Anyone who's convicted of driving under the influence in Van Nuys will be ordered to complete a California DUI school program. Judges typically order three month programs for a first offense, eighteen months for a second offense and thirty months for a third offense.

Three DUI Schools in Van Nuys and San Fernando Valley are:

The High Road Program
Programs: First Offender; Eighteen Month; Thirty Month
14430 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91405
(818) 785-9119

Driver Safety Schools, Inc.
Programs: First Offender; Eighteen Month; Thirty Month
6850 Van Nuys Blvd., Ste. 100
Van Nuys, CA 9140
(818) 787-7878

Northeast Valley Health Corporation
Programs: First Offender; Eighteen Month
1036 N. Maclay
San Fernando, CA 91340
(818) 365-2571

Arrested for DUI in Los Angeles County?

Then allow us to take care of it so you can return to your daily life with the peace of mind that you're receiving first class defense counsel. While you're going about your day, we'll be fighting to save your drivers license and to dismiss or reduce your DUI charges as quickly as possible.

Please schedule a free meeting with a Van Nuys criminal defense lawyer by calling us at (818) 904-5900.

Additional Resources:

Van Nuys District Attorney

Van Nuys Police Department

Van Nuys Airport

Van Nuys High School

Join us to discuss your DUI case at any of our
local offices: You can also contact us 24/7 at
888.327.4652 for a free consultation