Murrieta DUI Lawyer

Murrieta DUI Attorney

When you choose to drive while under the influence of substances (DUI), you are taking a significant risk that you may never be able to fully recover from. A DUI conviction could uproot your entire life and cause irreparable damage to your social standing, criminal record, employment opportunities, and personal relationships. When you are facing a DUI charge, you are going to want a Murrieta DUI lawyer by your side to figure out a solid plan.

A DUI or DWI violation has the power to turn your life into a chaotic and unpredictable mess. First, a conviction means you will have a criminal record. From then on, virtually everything you do will be somewhat influenced by that record, which could hold you back from certain opportunities, including finding decent housing or securing a high-paying job. Hiring an experienced DWI attorney could be the most important decision you make during this ordeal.

Getting a DUI in Murrieta

Driving under the influence is taken very seriously in California. It’s no secret that a DUI conviction can have life-altering consequences. Sometimes, depending on the seriousness of your charge and whether there are aggravating factors, the court may seek to make an example out of you and hand down the maximum possible sentence. A good lawyer can mount a strong defense and work to reduce that sentence.

According to California state law, if you are pulled over by law enforcement under suspicion of drunk driving and are found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, you are considered to be over the legal limit to drive, and you will be arrested for a DUI. If you are under the legal drinking age of 21 or on probation for a DUI already, the BAC limit is 0.01%. If you are driving a commercial or rideshare vehicle, the BAC limit is 0.04%.

When you are arrested for a DUI, you need to keep in mind that you are afforded certain constitutional rights that can never be infringed upon. These rights include your right to retain legal counsel and your right to remain silent, both of which you can choose to exercise when you are arrested for a DUI. Depending on the circumstances of your arrest, the police may not have enough to formally charge you until you admit wrongdoing, which you don’t have to do.

You can simply sit quietly and request that you be allowed to contact a lawyer. Don’t let police try to guilt or intimidate you into revealing something incriminating. Never forget that you are always innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. When your lawyer arrives, you can let them do the talking with law enforcement.

Field Sobriety Tests

When you are arrested for a DUI, the way that the police will officially determine how drunk you are will be through the use of one or more standard field sobriety tests. The field sobriety tests used in California are developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and their sole purpose is to keep the highways and roads safe from DUI offenders.

Since California is an “implied consent” state, your ownership of a driver’s license is considered consent to submit to breath and blood tests if you are lawfully detained on suspicion of a DUI. You have the right to refuse these tests, but the penalties for doing so will likely be severe. Along with a breathalyzer test, you may be asked to perform one or more of the following field sobriety tests:

• Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test: The HGN test is used to test a driver’s eye movements. The officer has you stand still and hold your arms at your sides. The officer then has you follow the movement of an object, usually a pen or a small flashlight, using only your eyes and without turning your head. Your eyes tend to move differently when drunk.
• Walk-and-Turn Test: The walk-and-turn test is used to test a driver’s coordination. The officer has you stand in a heel-to-toe position with your arms down at your sides. You are then instructed to take nine steps along a straight line, then turn around and walk back in the same direction. If you are drunk, you will likely stumble or be unable to keep a straight line.
• One-Leg Stand Test: The one-leg stand test is used to test a driver’s balance. The officer will instruct you to stand with your arms at your sides and your feet together. You will then raise one leg about six inches off the ground and count until you are told to stop. If you are drunk, your balance will be thrown off, and you will be unable to stand on one leg.
• Finger-to-Nose Test: The finger-to-nose test is used to test a driver’s accuracy. The officer will instruct you to close your eyes with your arms outstretched and touch your nose with the tip of your finger, alternating hands.

Reach Out to a DUI Lawyer Today

Having to deal with the unfortunate aftermath of a Murrieta DUI charge on your own is frightening and intimidating. You may have no idea what to do next, and you could be feeling overwhelmed at everything that could happen if you don’t handle this correctly. Hiring an experienced DUI lawyer can make all the difference when the time comes to argue your case. You want someone who understands what’s at stake for you and can put everything they’ve got into your defense.

The legal team at My SoCal Lawyers understands the kind of legal strategies you are going to need when defending a DUI charge. We can build your case, gather the evidence you will need to back up your claims, and make sure your interests are protected throughout your case. Contact us to speak with a valued team member about your case. We can schedule a consultation to talk about your charges and the ways we can defend you against them.