Aggressive DUI/DWI Defense For Northern California Clients
Drunk driving is a serious crime that should not be taken lightly. If you have been charged with driving under the influence (DUI), we can help. At Hansen & Miller Law Firm, we use our comprehensive knowledge of California DUI law and our combined 40 years of experience to make sure your constitutional rights are protected in the course of a traffic or DUI stop. (DUI can include alcohol, marijuana, Ambien or another impairing agent.)
Our firm’s founders, former prosecutors Monte L. Hansen and Roy E. Miller put their experience and insight to work in drunk driving cases. We carefully analyze all evidence in a DUI case, including the initial stop and evidence from a field sobriety test or breathalyzer test. We strive to safeguard your driving privileges and ensure that your rights are protected if you are charged with drunk driving.
Drunk Driving Overview
- What Happens After A Drunk Driving Arrest?
- Drugged Driving
- Felony DUI
- Penalties For DUI
- Mistakes Police Make During DUI Stops
- Contact Us
Trust Our Attorneys From First Hearing To Final Outcome
Our firm understands the many ways in which a DUI/DWI arrest can go wrong. Factors that may work in your favor include road and weather conditions, a preexisting medical condition or malfunction in your motor vehicle.
We explore every avenue to free you of these charges. Our skilled DUI/DWI defense attorneys protect your rights during every phase of your drunk driving case, including:
- DMV hearings
- Motions to suppress
- Motions to dismiss or reduce charges
- Examinations of illegal stops and probable cause
- Validity of field sobriety, breath, blood and urine testing
- Substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation, if necessary
- Driving with license suspended or revoked
- Uninsured and underinsured motorists in DUI/DWI accidents
- Driver’s license revocation hearings
- DMV hearings to reinstate driver’s license
DUI Drug Defense Attorneys in Santa Rosa
In the state of California, a person may be convicted of driving under the influence if they are impaired by alcohol or drugs. Whereas drunk driving cases typically involve evidence from a Breathalyzer machine, DUI drug cases may involve evidence from a blood or urine sample which is analyzed for the presence of drugs.
In a drunk driving case, any person over a .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) level is over the limit and subject to criminal sanctions. In a driving under the influence drug case, however, there is no bright-line test that determines when a person is impaired. While people know that they may be arrested for driving under the influence of illegal street drugs, many people are surprised to discover that they can be arrested for a DUI if a law enforcement officer believes the driver is impaired by prescribed medication.
Santa Rosa Felony Drunk Driving Defense Lawyers
While any drunk driving charge is a serious matter, felony DUI charges significantly raise the stakes for a criminal defendant. A conviction for felony DUI in California may result in enhanced civil and criminal penalties, including incarceration in a state prison, driver’s license revocation, court-ordered alcohol treatment, installation of an ignition interlock system on your vehicle and numerous other court sanctions.
If you have been charged with felony DUI in California, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. In Northern California, contact the DUI defense attorneys at the Hansen & Miller Law Firm.
Requirements For Felony DUI
In California, drinking and driving may be a felony offense in a number of ways, including:
- A fourth DUI in a 10-year period
- A DUI causing bodily injury
- A DUI committed by a person with a previous felony DUI within the last 10 years
Potential Consequences For A Drunk Driving Conviction
You can trust our lawyers to be at their best when the stakes are high. And the stakes are high when you are facing the consequences for DUI. We understand the negative impact a drunk driving conviction can have on your future — possible jail time, substantial fines, loss of your driver’s license, and the stress this creates on your family. If your livelihood depends on the status of your commercial driver’s license (CDL), a conviction could mean the end of your career.
The more DUIs that are on your record, the more severe the consequences are. For instance, a first-time DUI offender may be facing up to six months in jail, while a second-time offender is sentenced from 96 hours to one year in jail. The monetary fines, length of driver’s license suspension, probation and other consequences increase with each DUI. This is why it is so important to have qualified representation fighting for you. We work to see that the charges against you are minimized or dismissed whenever possible.
Mistakes Police Make During DUI Stops
Far too often, police officers make mistakes during drunk driving stops. They are to follow a very specific set of protocols and procedures that are in place to protect the rights of the individuals being stopped. When they fail to do so, the charges that they file against the arrested individual can be contested.
To be successful in contesting these charges, however, you need the representation of a skilled criminal defense lawyer on your side to uncover any mistakes made in the investigation or any illegal stops and/or detentions. Even if the police acted properly, it is important you have a skilled lawyer to negotiate with prosecutors for the best possible outcome. Hansen & Miller Law Firm provides aggressive criminal defense and protects the rights of individuals who have been arrested for DUI.
If you’ve been arrested for DUI, you deserve to know whether your arrest was legal. Call our law offices today to learn more at 707-387-0966.
Common Mistakes
These are some of the most common mistakes made by law enforcement in DUI stops:
False reasons for stopping the car in the first place — Police officers must have reasonable suspicion for stopping a vehicle based on a vehicle code violation. Once stopped, police can then use what they observe to elevate a simple traffic stop to a DUI investigation. All too often, cars are stopped and drivers are tested without reasonable suspicion to stop the car in the first place.
Demanding a field sobriety test — Remember, all field sobriety tests are voluntary. You do NOT need to answer questions or do field sobriety tests in California. The only requirement is to submit to a chemical test if arrested for a DUI. You may simply decline to participate in the officer’s investigation. The tests are difficult for a reason and often, drivers perform poorly regardless of how much they had to drink due to fatigue, age, illness, injury or simply being nervous. You should be calm, polite and you must produce your license, registration and insurance upon a peace officer’s request.
Inaccurate results from Breathalyzer tests — There are often problems with the equipment used in Breathalyzer tests, from the manner in which it was administered to issues with calibration and cleaning. These can affect the outcome of the test.
Improper blood testing — It is not uncommon for police officers to cut corners in obtaining a warrant to draw blood for blood alcohol content testing.
Our attorneys carefully investigate exactly how the stop and arrest took place to determine if the driver’s rights were violated. We use any errors or mistakes to contest the arrest and fight for a more advantageous outcome to ensure your rights are protected.
Contact Our Santa Rosa Law Offices
Your initial consultation is free of charge. If you reach us from a police station, we can meet with you there or arrange for you to meet with a bail bondsman. Call us at 707-387-0966 or contact us by email. We handle cases for those who have been arrested for drunk driving in Sonoma County, Napa County, Mendocino County, Marin County or Lake County.