California’s DUI laws can be complex and confusing. In this section, our attorneys break down the rules and explain the process.
DUI Laws A to Z
California’s DUI laws can be complex and confusing. In this section, our attorneys break down the rules and explain the process.
DUI Penalties
The impact of a DUI conviction can haunt a person for years to come. But a good attorney can often get penalties reduced…and sometimes even get the case dismissed
DMV & Licenses
A good DUI attorney may be able to get the license suspension reduced, or even avoided altogether
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Driving while under the influence of hydrocodone can lead to criminal charges for driving under the influence of drugs. The DUID laws in most states apply to all drugs that impair one’s driving abilities. This includes prescription painkillers such as hydrocodone (or the pain medicine more commonly known as “Vicodin”).
A few common prescription painkillers that can give rise to charges of DUID include:
The particular penalties that a person may face for a DUI of painkiller conviction will depend on the state where a person was convicted. A few standard DUID penalties though may include:
Most DUID cases involve misdemeanor charges. However, a prosecutor can file felony charges if a person has multiple DUID convictions on his/her record.
People can legally drive after taking prescription medications if the drugs do not impair their ability to drive safely.
But most states say that drivers are guilty of DUID or DUI of Vicodin/DUI of painkillers if the following are true:
Note that driving under the influence of hydrocodone (or another painkiller) is a crime no matter whether a person:
There are a number of painkillers that, if abused or used excessively, can lead to DUID or DUI of painkiller charges.
Some of the more common painkillers (or prescription drugs used for pain management) are:
Typical signs/symptoms of using pain medicines (which are also what police officers look for when making DUI of pain killer arrests) include:
Note that other healthcare issues and serious side effects associated with prescription pain medicine abuse include:
If you believe you are experiencing life-threatening issues/serious complications/withdrawal symptoms of a prescription painkiller, please seek emergency medical care and consult a healthcare professional as well as your prescribing doctor as soon as possible.
The specific penalties that someone may face for a DUI of painkiller conviction will depend on the particular laws of the state in which a person was convicted in.
Some standard penalties, though, include:
Yes. People facing charges of DUID or DUI of a painkiller can challenge them with a legal defense.
The best defense for fighting a DUI of Vicodin charge often depends on the circumstances of the case and a state’s laws on DUID.
But with that said, some common legal defenses to DUI of painkiller charges include:
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, Court TV, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.
Truvada While it has not yet been proven, it seems that Gilead Sciences, Inc. had the ability to bring safer, TAF-based versions of its HIV pills to the market up to a decade earlier than they actually did. Victims who took the more dangerous, TDF-based versions of the pills and who have suffered from their ...
Yesterday a clear majority of California voters passed Proposition 47, the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.” In a nutshell, here is what Prop 47 does to criminal law in California: Prop 47 changes some California crimes from potential felonies to misdemeanors. These crimes include: Grand theft auto and grand theft firearm IF the car or gun ...
The drug laws of most states say that the amount of jail or prison time that you may face for illegal drug possession will likely vary depending on: the type of drug in question, the quantity of the drugs, whether the drugs are held for personal use or for sales, and the defendant’s prior record. Depending on the particular facts ...
The Ambien defense is a legal defense to charges of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID). The defense is largely based on the fact that some prescription drugs and sleeping medications (such as Ambien) can put a person in a trance similar to sleepwalking. When this happens and a person is driving it is ...