San Bernardino County Felony DUI Lawyers

Defending Clients from Serious Felony Charges

If you were accused of driving under the influence, you should take your charges seriously and hire a skilled DUI defense lawyer immediately. This is especially critical if there’s a chance you’re facing felony DUI charges because a felony DUI conviction could send you to state prison. If you want to avoid serious criminal penalties, contact Patrick Silva, Attorneys at Law for legal assistance.

Our legal team has an extensive understanding of California DUI laws, making us your ideal allies when facing a devastating DUI offense. If you have prior DUI convictions or caused severe injury because of drunk driving, you could face catastrophic legal penalties as a result of your felony DUI charge. We will guide you through the investigation process and represent you with confidence during DMV hearings.

When you hire a criminal defense attorney from our San Bernardino law firm, you will get personalized legal help from a criminal defense attorney who has handled dozens of DUI cases. We understand how stressful a felony DUI arrest is and will work hard to give you fast answers to your questions or concerns.

Don’t take any chances when there is so much at stake. Felony DUIs can ruin your hopes of education, a career, and a family. You may also face social stigma that stops your progress, all because of a DUI conviction. Contact our law firm for legal counsel you can trust and aggressive representation you can rely on. Call 909-500-4819 to talk to an experienced criminal defense lawyer about your felony charges.

What’s the Difference Between a Felony DUI and a Misdemeanor DUI?

The first step to take after your DUI arrest should be to call a San Bernardino or Los Angeles DUI lawyer to get started on the legal defenses that could get your DUI charges dismissed or reduced. While you await your free consultation with a criminal defense attorney, read your paperwork regarding your DUI case to learn if you’ll be charged with a felony or misdemeanor DUI.

If this is your first DUI charge and you didn’t cause an accident while driving under the influence, you’ll likely be charged with a misdemeanor DUI. This is how most DUIs are charged in California. However, it could be a felony charge if any of the following are true:

• This is your fourth DUI in ten years
• You already have a felony DUI conviction on your criminal record
• You caused an accident that resulted in bodily injury to someone while driving under the influence
• You caused an accident that led to someone’s death

If one of these applies to your DUI case, you may be facing felony DUI charges. It’s important to know this because the penalties for a felony DUI are harsher than for a misdemeanor DUI in California. Our San Bernardino DUI lawyers will examine your case before letting you know what legal defenses would be suitable.

What If You Have One or More Prior DUI Convictions?

If this is your first, second, or third DUI charge, and you were not involved in an accident causing injury or death, you’ll likely be charged with a misdemeanor DUI. However, if you have had three or more DUI convictions in the last ten years, you could be charged with felony DUI.

Even if one of the convictions were in a different state or reduced to a wet reckless driving charge, it would count as one of your prior drunk driving convictions. This would mean the latest accusation of driving under the influence is a felony DUI.

Another way your past convictions could affect your current DUI charges is if you have a prior felony DUI conviction. For instance, if you were charged with a DUI causing injury or death and got a felony DUI, your current DUI would be elevated to a felony, too.

You should do everything possible to avoid a felony conviction because it comes with penalties that include 16 months to 3 years in state prison. You’ll also have to pay up to $10,000 in fines and get your California driver’s license suspended for up to four years. If you want a chance to avoid prison time, driver’s license suspension, and other consequences of a felony DUI offense, contact an experienced DUI lawyer.

Will a DUI Accident Be Charged as a Felony Offense?

If you’re accused of causing an accident while drunk driving, you could be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. This depends on whether you severely injured or killed someone in the accident. If no one suffered bodily injury in the crash, you’ll likely be charged with misdemeanor DUI.

But if you’re at fault for an accident causing injury or death, you likely have a felony DUI case to deal with. If your charges result in a felony conviction because someone was injured, your penalties may include 16 months to 10 years in prison, plus between $1,000 and $5,000 in fines. You can also expect driver’s license suspension for up to three years.

If your felony DUI accident caused someone’s death, it’s possible you’ll be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The penalties include up to $5,000 in fines, up to 10 years in state prison, driver’s license suspension, and restitution to the victim’s family. Another possible charge is second-degree murder, resulting in 25 years to life in prison. Contact experienced criminal defense lawyers to determine what you’ll likely be charged with and how to defend yourself.

What Defenses Are Plausible Against Felony DUI Charges?

Many people make the mistake of thinking there is no hope in fighting a DUI that is being charged as a felony. However, this could not be farther from the truth. With DUI murder lawyers by your side, you can increase your chances of having your DUI penalties waived or getting the charges dropped altogether. While it is more difficult to defend yourself as a habitual traffic offender, you still have rights that must be respected. Experienced attorneys can help defend your rights and get you the most favorable outcome possible.

Our highly skilled team of attorneys will investigate your case and develop a defense that matches your circumstances, including one of the following or more:

• Inaccurate breathalyzer test – alcohol from breath fresheners and other complications can render breathalyzer tests inaccurate or flat-out wrong. Our legal team will investigate to determine whether breathalyzer test results reflect your sobriety
• Improperly administered field sobriety tests – Unfortunately, many California police officers fail to properly administer field sobriety tests (FSTs), leaving innocent people suffering from DUI charges they don’t deserve
• Police officers’ failure to read the results of testing – Failing to administer an FST is one-half of the picture. Some law enforcement officers do not adequately analyze the results of the FST, which can cause the test to be thrown out during legal proceedings
• Illegal traffic stop – Police officers must have probable cause when pulling over a driver. If the traffic stop occurred illegally, we may be able to get your charges reduced or dismissed
• Lack of evidence – The burden of proof is on the prosecution in DUI cases. This means that the prosecutor must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty of DUI/DWI. If they cannot provide adequate evidence, we can show the holes in their argument and get your case lowered or thrown out
• Medical conditions cause inaccurate results – Another form of failed test readings occurs when the person’s medical condition causes a failed test

If you are facing criminal proceedings for a DUI in Southern California, please don’t feel that you have to defend yourself alone. Our legal team is standing by to discuss the details of your unique case and investigate further to uncover the truth. We will help develop a defense that protects you from aggravating factors and other scenarios that could increase your legal penalties. We will advise you on your options based on our many years of experience representing clients facing similar charges. Call today to learn more about how we can help.

What Are the Consequences of a Felony DUI?

Since a felony is more serious than a misdemeanor, you can expect the penalties to increase greatly as opposed to a first DUI or a drunk driving incident that does not result in injury. For example, a felony DUI could lead to years in prison as opposed to a short period of jail time. The fines for a felony DUI also increase significantly, up to $10,000 instead of the $1,000 limit for a misdemeanor DUI.

In addition to the legal penalties, individuals convicted of a felony in California face other stringent punishments. For example, the person could lose their professional licensing, costing them the career they hoped to build. They may have a hard time finding employment and housing, as potential employers and landlords often consult the criminal record. Some other losses include immigration status, weapons rights, voting rights, driving privileges, parental rights, and more.

If you are facing such dire circumstances, please don’t do so alone. Call Patrick Silva, Attorneys at Law to schedule a consultation with our helpful, caring DUI defense attorneys.

Why Should I Hire Your California DUI Attorneys?

When you or a loved one is charged with a felony DUI in Southern California, you need immediate help from knowledgeable DUI lawyers. Our law firm is the perfect place to start because we have extensive knowledge of California law and experience helping clients defeat their charges.

Our legal team is prepared to help you from the moment you arrive at the police station. We can assist you in answering police officer’s questions, helping you avoid answers that could jeopardize your case. We can also access evidence, including the police report, surveillance footage, eyewitness accounts, and expert testimony that backs up your defense.

If you have been accused of a DUI felony by operating a motor vehicle while under the influence in California, you don’t have a moment to lose. Contact our law firm to avoid jail time, hefty fines, and other negative consequences of a conviction.

How Can San Bernardino County DUI Defense Lawyers Help with Felony DUI Charges?

If you want a chance to avoid a felony DUI conviction, you need skilled DUI defense attorneys on your side from the start. At Patrick Silva, Attorneys at Law, our team has helped numerous clients with felony DUI cases, getting them reduced to less severe charges or even dismissed. We’re not afraid to provide an aggressive defense for clients accused of felony DUI offenses in San Bernardino County. Whether this includes challenging blood or breath test results or investigating if the arresting officer ignored your rights, you can count on us to create a well-crafted DUI defense strategy.

You deserve legal guidance from caring DUI attorneys who are passionate about defending your rights and will work hard to find a successful DUI defense angle for you. If you’re ready to talk to a trusted DUI attorney about your case, call us at 909-500-4819 to schedule a free consultation with our team.