DUI

DUI Attorney in Santa Barbara County, California

Getting arrested for a DUI means dealing with the criminal courts, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and your insurance company. It can be costly and complicated, so anyone with a DUI needs a lawyer to get through the process. The Steele Law Firm can help with all of the issues that need to be addressed. It is important to consult with a lawyer right away so that evidence can be preserved and you don’t waive any rights that could help your case.

  1. An overall assessment of the criminal charges will determine if there are issues that can be used to defend the case. If there was not sufficient probable cause for the stop, an experienced lawyer can file a suppression motion, and if successful, your case will likely be dismissed. If the case has issues that may require a jury trial, such as whether the district attorney can prove who was driving the car or whether the blood alcohol level was, in fact, beyond the legal limit, an attorney can seek video evidence that may have been missed by law enforcement or retain experts to help interpret blood alcohol results. The district attorney will often charge an enhancement for a high blood alcohol level, which carries additional consequences, but there are times when that can be challenged by an experienced lawyer.
  2. If your car was impounded, in many circumstances, a lawyer can arrange for a hearing to have the car released even before the thirty-day impoundment has been completed. 
  3. A DMV hearing can be requested to avoid suspension of your license. The DMV requires that these hearings are requested within ten days of your arrest so you must act fast. However, an experienced lawyer can often request a DMV hearing even if the ten-day required period for requesting the hearing has passed. These hearings can be difficult to win, but the Steele Law Firm will do everything possible to preserve your right to drive. 
  4. Experience counts. There are a lot of attorneys that handle DUI cases, but there are few that have done more than 100 jury trials, including DUIs, and successfully kept their clients from a DUI conviction. 
  5. If your case is resolved with probation, the requirements can feel complex and difficult to navigate, but the Steele Law Firm will be on your side even after your court case has finished. We want to see our clients succeed on probation and move forward with their lives. Terms of probation typically require a driving program and sometimes require drug or alcohol counseling as well as fines and fees. An experienced attorney can help you cut through the bureaucracy and make the process painless.
  6. If you do have your license suspended, the Steele Law Firm will assist you with the process to get your right to drive back as quickly as possible. 
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