What is the Court Process for a DUI in Orange County, California?

The court process can be very confusing to someone who is not accustomed to the judicial process. Most criminal DUI cases are not resolved in one day or one appearance in court. In fact, it is generally not a good idea to attempt to rush the process. Don't be hasty. The criminal court process in California follows general due process procedures. The first appearance will generally be an arraignment. The next appearance(s) will generally be a pretrial hearing(s), which ultimately culminate to a trial. The trial is your day in court so to speak.

What is an Arraignment? An arraignment is the criminal procedure where the state charges a defendant with violating a certain criminal law or statute. At the arraignment the defendant charged with a criminal offense (DUI) enters a plea. The plea entered is in the form of a guilty plea, not guilty plea, or a no contest (nolo contendere) plea.

What is a Pretrial Hearing? The pretrial stage is generally the stage of the DUI proceeding in which discovery is conducted, pretrial motions are filed (such as a motion to supress evidence), and the parties (the Defendant and the state) position their respective cases for trial.

What is a Trial? Almost everyone understands waht is a court trial. However, few understand the amount of work and preparation involved in the trial process or how the rules of evidence apply. Moreover, most people do not understand their legal rights at and before the DUI trial. This is extermely important if you are the criminal defendant in a DUI case by the state. As in all criminal cases, in a DUI trial, the burden of proof is on the state to prove the case that the defendant commited the (DUI) offense alleged in the complaint.

For more detailed information on Criminal Procedure Law visit occriminallaw.com. If you require the assistance of a DUI Defense Attorney for Driving Under the Influence charges in Southern California, please feel free to contact a DUI lawyer in our Orange County office for further assistance. We will fight for your rights.

PS: Please Drink Responsibly & Don't Drink & Drive!!!!

What can I do to properly address a DUI charge by the state of California? How complicated is the (Court & DMV) procedure? Will I lose my drivers license? How much work will I have to miss?

You may have legal defenses to charges of (DUI) driving under the influence. Just because you are accused of DUI does not mean you are guilty of DUI. Accordingly, you should consult with a knowledgeable attorney to adequately protect your interests.