There are a few important steps you need to take if you’ve just been arrested for a DUI in California. Fortunately, the award-winning DUI defense attorney Joe Coimbra of Second Chances Law Group, APC is ready and willing to reveal his secrets for beating DUI charges.
Second Chances Law Group, APC ((626) 827-7222) has repeatedly won DMV hearings and secured countless case dismissals for clients facing DUI charges. While this is all subjective advice, we still believe this can be instrumental in securing a positive case result. For this reason, we’re providing it on our website and YouTube channel. Please choose whichever format best suits your needs.
Tip #1: Create a List of Everything You’ve Eaten in the Last 24 Hours
The first thing you should do is put together an inventory of everything you’ve consumed in the last 24 hours. What you eat can contribute to a false positive reading of your blood alcohol content level.
The following foods can lead to a false positive reading:
- Protein bars
- Fruit (when ripened)
- Sugar-free gum
- Hot sauces
- Certain sweet foods (like Honey Buns)
- White or sourdough bread
- Foods sauced with white or red whine
- Fermented sodas
- Energy drinks
Your lawyer can use this information as part of your defense strategy.
Tip #2: Research Applicable Automobile Recalls
It’s also crucial to research any automobile recalls that reflect the make and model of the vehicle you were driving on the day of your arrest. Oftentimes, prosecutors will try to use a defendant’s driving pattern as a sign that they were driving under the influence. Examples of this include: speeding, driving too slow, or failing to apply your brakes. You’d be surprised at how many defective cars are manufactured every year. Also, even if your vehicle hasn’t been recalled, its individual components – accelerator, brakes, power steering, etc. – could have been.
Have your car inspected for any mechanical, computer, or electronic failures or problems. It may be that this factor contributed, if not entirely, to your allegedly erratic driving. By the way, this can also be a compelling defense argument if there was any sort of accident or accident-related injuries involved.
Tip #3: Make a List of Your Medications
The medications and products you use every day can influence the outcome of your case. Once you’ve finished making your food inventory, you can get started on a list of any and all medications you regularly take. For example, if you have a respiratory illness, you should put down that you use inhalers for asthma or COPD. This list should also include your daily vitamin supplements, mouthwash, and any scented products you use on your face, such as cosmetics or aftershave lotion.
Tip #4: Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to Request a DMV Hearing
This is one action that you should take immediately, or, at most, within 10 days of your DUI arrest. The phone number you need to call usually appears on the top corner of your temporary license (the thin pink sheet of paper you are given by the police officer). However, Attorney Coimbra admits that he is not a big fan of these phone calls. You’ll need to write down very specific notes and information just in case the DMV later disputes that the call took place.
The best option is to submit your DMV hearing request in writing. We prefer sending written requests because we always receive confirmation of delivery. This can be essential in protecting your legal rights.
Tip #5: Avoid Lawyers that Claim the DMV Hearing is a Lost Cause
Stay away from any attorneys that try to convince you that the DMV hearing is a lost cause, or that the DMV just rubberstamps denials. This mindset, in our experience, is absolute nonsense. Just because these hearings are difficult for some lawyers does NOT make them unwinnable. Lawyers who have this attitude are usually the ones who charge too little to put up any sort of meaningful defense. Winning at the DMV can have immensely positive consequences and may even help your court case. This victory not only lets you keep your driving privileges, it also gives your lawyer leverage to use against the prosecutor. A successful hearing can shake the confidence of the prosecutor in your case, quite possibly resulting in an all-out dismissal without the necessity of having to enter a guilty or no contest plea. At minimum, a good attorney knows how to use a DMV victory as plea-bargaining power to get a meaningful charge reduction.
Facing DUI Charges? Call Second Chances Law Group Today.
Being arrested for DUI can be a life-changing event. It’s imperative that you contact a qualified and experienced attorney at your first available opportunity. Our DUI lawyer has shaped his career by following one key philosophy: At our firm, we won’t judge you for your current situation and legal circumstances. We know that terrible things happen to good people. Our mission is to defend you with diligence, zealousness, and competence. You have a legal right to counsel and we’re prepared to litigate aggressively on your behalf.
Attorney Coimbra has earned the following public and professional accolades:
- The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys designated Second Chances Law Groups as one of the “10 Best Law Firms”
- Pasadena Magazine has voted Attorney Joe Coimbra as “Top Attorney” for five years straight
Second Chances Law Group, APC has achieved results (acquittals and dismissals) that other lawyers believed to be impossible. Attorney Joe Coimbra is THE authority on getting criminal charges thrown out in California. Check out what our clients are saying about us!
Contact Second Chances Law Group, APC at (626) 827-7222 to schedule a consultation.