Orange County DUI Attorney

Orange County is widely regarded as one of California's toughest and most conservative counties when it comes to DUI and drunk driving enforcement. The OC district attorney hesitates to reduce DUI charges to dry reckless or non-alcohol related offenses. And the OC Courts frequently hand out substantial Orange County Jail time for multiple offense DUIs, felony DUI and accident cases.

But this doesn't mean you can't win your case. Many OC DUI cases rest on faulty police investigations by poorly trained officers, and breath and blood testing equipment and techniques prone to error. A good Orange County DUI attorney can expose these evidentiary problems and use them to your advantage in fighting the case.

Orange County DUI Lawyer John Murray

A top young Orange County criminal defense lawyer, John Murray has built his career dissecting and fighting DUI cases. John has prevailed in getting countless DUI charges reduced to lesser offenses or dismissed entirely, and saving drivers licenses at the California DMV.

Featured as an expert legal commentator on Fox News Channel, OC DUI lawyer Murray has received advanced training in field sobriety testing, breath test maintenance and analysis, and roadside investigations to determine alcohol impairment. In many cases, his training is superior to that of the DUI officers who arrest his clients. By knowing the standards and procedures cops must follow in DUI investigations, he can discern where they went wrong and use this to build the strongest DUI defense.

How the DUI Process Works in Orange County

A person arrested for DUI in the OC generally faces two criminal charges: Vehicle 23152(a) driving under the influence, and Vehicle Code 23152(b) excessive BAC. If your BAC falls below .08 or you're accused of DUI of drugs only, then probably just Vehicle Code 23152(a) will be charged.¹

This Orange County DUI arrest brings about two separate proceedings: (1) a criminal case at one of the County's four courthouses, and (2) a DUI DMV hearing at the Irvine Drivers Safety office to determine whether a drivers license suspension will be imposed. Your Orange County DUI lawyer can represent you as to both proceedings. In most cases, your lawyer can appear at court and the DMV on your behalf...though you may be asked to attend for strategic reasons, and especially if the case goes to trial.

The goal of any Orange County DUI case is twofold: (1) to keep the DUI off your record, or at least get it reduced to a lesser charge, and (2) to keep your drivers license from being suspended. To that end, we need to scrutinize each piece of evidence and develop DUI defenses that make you more likely to win if the case goes to trial. Building up the strength of your case can convince both the court and the DMV to give you a more favorable result.

Orange County DUI Penalties & Sentencing

For a straightforward first-time Orange County DUI conviction, one might expect the following sentencing:

• 3 years of informal probation to the court



• Fines and court fees of approximately $1800



• A 3 to 4 month California DUI school



• A 6 month license suspension or restriction

If there are prior DUI convictions, an accident, a high BAC or a chemical test refusal, the DUI penalties will likely be higher, including a longer license suspension, more DUI schooling and some Orange County Jail time. In any case, your Orange County DUI criminal defense lawyer can often negotiate lower penalties with the judge or prosecutor. For example, judges often are willing to let the person attend an alcohol or drug treatment program in lieu of jail time.

Arrested for drunk driving, DUI with injury, vehicular manslaughter or any driving-related crime in the OC? Contact us immediately. Our team of Orange County dui layers, private investigators, forensic toxicologists and accident reconstruction experts takes a very proactive approach. We'd be happy to speak with you by phone, or at one of our local offices:

Newport Beach Criminal Defense
4590 MacArthur Blvd, 5th Floor
Newport Beach, California 92660
(949)644-4692

Santa Ana Criminal Defense
500 North State College Blvd.
Suite 1100
Orange, California 92868
(714)288-9455

¹Orange County DUI officers generally write your BAC level on the court citation (if you took a breath test). If you submitted to a blood test, you can check the blood result online using your last name and vial number. The Orange County Sheriffs Department Forensic Services usually take about 10 days to analyze the blood and publish results.

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