Santa Ana DUI Attorney

Charged with drunk driving in Santa Ana?

If you have been charged with DUI in Santa Ana, you need an experienced attorney to take action immediately. Drunk driving is very severely punished in California. In fact, the state is known to have some of the harshest penalties in the country. If you have been arrested for DUI, whether a misdemeanor or felony, a conviction can result in jail or prison time, fines, mandated community service, DUI school, and license suspension or revocation. If you get probation, any failure to pay fines in a timely manner or a failure to adhere to any of the terms of your probation will result in you being taken into custody. A Santa Ana criminal lawyer from our firm has extensive DUI trial experience and 30 years of success to bring to the table.

Our lead attorney at Thomas Tears, Attorney at Law has served as a Santa Ana DUI lawyer for over 30 years. We have an extensive history of success in court, and a thorough understanding of the legal process in DUI charges. Our firm has a reputation as one of the most effective and aggressive DUI defense teams in the Santa Ana area, and we can take action for your defense at once. We have the legal knowledge and experience necessary to help you pursue a better outcome for your charge, and have often achieved positive case results, such as a case dismissal, reduced charge or an acquittal in court.

How to Fight Santa Ana DUI Charges

Though you have been arrested for DUI, this does not mean you are guilty. It certainly does not mean that you should be convicted or that you should accept a plea bargain without first consulting with an attorney. There are various DUI defense strategies that may be employed by a competent lawyer in order to protect you from the negative consequences of a drunk driving conviction or a finding of guilt at your DMV hearing in Santa Ana.

Following are some of the types of issues that a Santa Ana DUI lawyer may consider when defending a client against drunk driving charges:

Was the defendant lawfully arrested, or subjected to an unlawful DUI stop?
If the arrest occurred at a DUI checkpoint, was this checkpoint being operated in accordance with the law?
Were field sobriety tests conducted with proper instructions? Was the driver's performance evaluated fairly and properly?
Did a physical injury, high heeled shoes or another factor unrelated to intoxication affect the driver's performance on field sobriety tests?
If a breath test was administered, was this done properly?
Was the breath test device properly calibrated?
If a blood test was taken, was the sample handled properly?
Were the blood test results properly evaluated?
Was there some other reason a breath or blood test result is in accurate or should not be allowed as evidence against the defendant?
Was the defendant actually operating a motor vehicle?

Let a Santa Ana criminal lawyer fight for you!

When you are arrested for DUI, there are two separate issues that require legal help. The first is the criminal case against you, which will be addressed in criminal court. The second part of any DUI charge is the administrative action of driver's license suspension. This takes place through the DMV, and to challenge the suspension, it is necessary to act at once to schedule a hearing. You have only 10 days in which to schedule the hearing, or your driver's license will be automatically suspended. Our firm provides legal representation in both the criminal charges and the DMV hearing.

No matter what type of DUI charges you are facing, we offer our professional defense services. A conviction on a second, third or fourth DUI or a felony DUI or DUI with injury will result in extremely harsh penalties being imposed by the court. The situation is extremely serious. You need the most experienced and effective DUI defense lawyer fighting for you at every step of the process. We know the business of DUI defense and are prepared to review your case and advise you what we can do to protect your rights and freedom.

Contact a Santa Ana DUI lawyer from our firm immediately after your arrest.