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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Much of the negotiations between prosecutors and DUI defense attorneys involve reducing a DUI charge to a wet reckless or a dry reckless. Both of these reduced charges fall under California Vehicle Code 23103, the statute defining reckless driving.
A “wet reckless” is a particular form of a reckless driving charge in which the record of conviction specifies that alcohol was involved. The “wet” version of reckless driving counts as the functional equivalent of a DUI conviction.
Suppose, for example, that a person pleads guilty to a reduced charge of wet reckless. Now suppose he gets arrested and convicted of a DUI charge within 10 years. The new DUI will count as a second offense, and second-time penalties are exponentially more significant. Even though the first DUI got reduced to a wet reckless, the law still treats it as a prior DUI conviction.
A dry reckless under California law is when a person charged with DUI agrees to plead to a reckless driving charge, and the record of conviction specifies that alcohol was not involved. A dry reckless does not count as a prior DUI.
If a person with a dry reckless conviction picks up another DUI, the new DUI gets treated as a first offense.
The distinction between wet and dry reckless is important. Many clients say, “I’m not worried about ‘priorability.’ I learned my lesson. I’ll never pick up another DUI.”
But 10 years is a long time. Many things can happen. People unexpectedly pick up second DUIs all the time. For that reason, it’s always better to negotiate a DUI down to a dry rather than a wet reckless. (Refer to our article, “Can a plea bargain help me in California DUI cases?“)
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.
Some Colorado judges give first-time DUI defendants the opportunity to get their cases dismissed via a deferred judgment in Colorado (C.R.S. 18-1.3.-102), though their criminal defense attorneys have to fight for it. Deferred judgments are like probationary periods where defendants complete various court orders – such as abstaining from alcohol and submitting to blood tests ...
Yes, residual mouth alcohol is a defense to Nevada DUI charges. Mouth alcohol can cause breathalyzers to return inaccurately high blood alcohol content (BAC) readings even if the defendant’s actual BAC is legal (below the 0.08% threshold). If the DUI attorney can show that the defendant had mouth alcohol, the drunk driving charges may be ...
Yes. People may appeal the Colorado DMV’s decision to suspend or revoke their driver’s license. The appeals process requires filing a complaint with the local district court within 35 days of the DMV hearing’s decision. Ultimately, the district court judge will review the DMV transcript and legal briefs to determine whether to affirm the DMV’s ...
In California, you can be convicted of aiding and abetting anytime you encourage, facilitate or aid another person in the commission of a crime regardless of how insignificant your role. But aiding and abetting is not a crime unto itself. When the prosecutor believes that you are guilty of aiding and abetting a crime, he/she ...