If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence in the Bay area, it’s in your best interest to retain the services of an experienced and reputable San Francisco DUI attorney. Peter Fitzpatrick has been successfully defending those charged with DUI for over 15 years. Since DUI arrests are so common, some people mistakenly believe they are relatively inconsequential. Not only is your freedom in jeopardy, but you stand to face numerous harsh legal penalties if you are found guilty of driving under the influence. You can potentially lose your driver’s license for up to 10 years, and the fines you’ll be required to pay are excessive and can range from $500 to $25,000 in some cases. The best way to avoid these circumstances is by hiring a highly skilled San Francisco criminal attorney who can rigorously defend you throughout the DUI process.

As a veteran San Francisco DUI lawyer, Peter Fitzpatrick has the track record necessary to successfully defend you in your DUI case. People who find themselves arrested for DUI are seldom hardened criminals. They are usually decent and otherwise law abiding citizens who do not deserve to be incarcerated for their error in judgment. With many successful DUI cases handled in his criminal law career, Peter Fitzpatrick has saved time, money and driver’s licenses for many that have been arrested for driving under the influence.

San Francisco DUI Sentencing

The laws of California consider it illegal to operate any type of motor vehicle if your BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is .08% or higher. Motorists under the age of 21 are charged with DUI if their blood alcohol concentration is .02% or higher, since they are not legally able to drink.

Generally speaking, on a first DUI charge you can expect to have up to 3 years of informal probation, a fine that will range from $1,500 to $2,000, a suspension of your driver’s license for a varied period of time and mandatory alcohol classes. If someone refuses to take a Breathalyzer test, or had a surprisingly high blood alcohol content, the penalties can be more severe for a first time offender.

If convicted of a second DUI, the penalties become much more serious. At this point, the accused is looking at a 2 year suspension of their driver’s license, as well as mandatory jail time and an 18 month mandatory alcohol class.

On a third offense, the penalties grow exponentially and become even more serious. After a third DUI offense, a person will be looking at a 3 year suspension of their driver’s license, and mandatory jail time of at least 120 days. There will also be an 18 month mandatory alcohol class and considerable fines.

San Francisco DUI Defense

The first line of defense in any DUI case is the traffic stop. A police officer can only arrest you if there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a traffic violation has occurred or a crime has been committed. If there is no valid reason to stop the vehicle, a good DUI attorney will file a motion to suppress evidence. What this means is, if the traffic stop is illegal, then no evidence that was gained after the illegal search can be used against you at trial.