5 Questions You Must Ask Your Los Angeles DUI Attorney

If you just got arrested by the police for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you need to quickly hire a Los Angeles DUI attorney to assist you as soon as possible, as criminal justice system proceeds faster than a civil lawsuit.

A good way to finding a reliable Los Angeles DUI attorney is through referral from someone who has used the service of the attorney in the past. If you cannot find one through this means, then you find one online or through your local bar association

Irrespective of how you found an attorney, you must interview him or her to ensure they are the right fit to assist you in your case.

Here are five questions you must ask your Los Angeles DUI attorney before you make the decision to hire:

Are you a specialist in DUI cases? How many of them have you won?

Usually, the more an attorney practices in one area, they more experienced they get there. So if the attorney is a specialist in DUI cases, there is a tendency they will handle your case better than other generalist. It is not enough for the attorney to have handled many cases, they must have also won most of them.

Will you be the one to actually handle my case?

It’s possible that the attorney you are speaking with is a member of a large team. You should find this out and know if they are the ones to handle your case or they will be assigning it to another attorney.

If they will be assigning it to another attorney, you should request to meet with and interact with that attorney. This will enable you know if you will be comfortable having the attorney work on your case or not.

Do you have any special training in the administration of field sobriety test?

Prosecutors of DUI cases always present the result of a field sobriety test. Your attorney should be able to know which of the test they presented is actually approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If the attorney is also trained in the operation of breathalyzers used by the police departments, it will also be an advantage for you, especially if you were given a breath test.

 

How do you charge?

Usually, your attorney shouldn’t charge you on your initial consultation. You should use that initial consultation to find out what his charges are, whether it is hourly rate or flat rate. You also need to know if there will be additional charges that will come up, example, when a motion is filed.

If you would want to pay over an extended period, you should also find out from the Los Angeles DUI attorney if they offer payment plans.

What is the worst and best case scenario that can happen?

It’s impossible for any Los Angeles DUI attorney to guarantee the success of your case. But the attorney you wish to hire should be able to tell you what will likely happen with your case based on his past experience with similar cases. In addition to helping you win your case, your attorney should also help you get back on the road and regain your driving privileges as soon as possible,

The success of your DUI case depends largely on the type of Los Angeles DUI attorney you hire. You should therefore ask any prospective attorney these questions and make your inference on whether to use his service or not from the feedback you receive.

Requesting a DMV Hearing

You should challenge the suspension of your driver’s license following a DUI arrest. To start the process, you or your attorney should contact the DMV Driver’s Safety Office to request a DMV Hearing, within 10 days of your arrest. We are available to assist you with the DMV Hearing Process, however it is important that a hearing request be made within 10 days.

The loss of your driver’s license can have a devastating impact on your life. The suspension of your license could cause hardship to your family, social life and possibly cause you to lose of your job. This is why the Law Offices of Arash Hashemi works so hard to help our clients avoid having their driver license suspended. An experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyer will work aggressively to defend your rights at the DMV hearing. We will challenge the evidence and will raise all the proper defenses in an effort to have the suspension set aside.

If you fail to request the DMV hearing within 10 days you will be waiving your right to the hearing and suspension of your California driver license will begin in 30 days. If you have an out of state license and a DMV hearing is not requested within 10 days your driving privileges are likely to be suspended in your home state.

Common DUI Myths

MYTH: Time and/or Food will lower BAC.
NOT True. Even though eating food can help with combating the narcotic effects of alcohol, it actually does absolutely nothing to assist with lowering BAC. The best chance that someone has at lowering their BAC is to just wait it out more than an hour. Studies have shown that the highest spike of a BAC occurs an hour after the last drink as the body is steadily catching up with the food it consumed. Therefore, just waiting is not a reliable way to avoid a DUI. It is much better to not drive.

MYTH: Putting a Nickel in your mouth can trick the Breathalyzer.
Commonly believed and a popular strategy with no merit. Thinking the presence of metal will change the way the Breathalyzer works at detecting alcohol is an urban myth. It’s also standardized practice for the  officer to remove everything from your mouth before the administrating the test.

MYTH: Breath spray can help lower BAC levels.
Again, this is not a true way to lower BAC. Actually the opposite is true in most cases. This is because most breath sprays contain traces of alcohol and other active ingredients that can actually aggravate a BAC level rather than lowering it. Besides, most law enforcement officers will be suspicious if they can tell that you’ve used breath spray. This will just complicate the situation.

MYTH: Your chances will improve if you refuse to cooperate with the police.
This could not be further from the truth. The best thing that you can do after being pulled over is to be cooperative and to work with the police. Be polite and do what you can to avoid confrontation; being uncooperative will only make the situation worse and raise suspicion. By acting civilly, you only make things easier.

Breathalyzer / Ignition Interlock Device: (IID)

A DUI court conviction in Los Angeles County will result in the DMV requiring you to install an IID on your car. The IID is a breathalyzer that is hooked into the car’s ignition and will not allow the car to start if it detects alcohol.

Car Insurance Rates:

As a result of a DUI conviction, your car insurance rates will go up. This could potentially cost you thousands of dollars in increased premiums. The driver’s license suspension from the DMV and the court can be minimized by asking for the suspensions to run “concurrently.” A Los Angeles DUI attorney can go over the process with you and discuss your best options. DUIs are expensive so it pays to avoid the most harsh penalties associated with DUI cases.

Los Angeles DUI Attorney - Call Arash Hashemi (310) 448-1529

Protecting Your Rights Since 2023

To schedule a consultation with a lawyer at our firm, contact us 24 hours a day at (310) 448-1529 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Our office is conveniently located in the Westside Towers in Los Angeles, within minutes of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, and steps away from the Expo/Bundy Station. We have flexible hours and weekend appointments, and we will visit you in jail to discuss your case.