Pasadena DUI Penalties

PASADENA DUI LAWYER

 Individuals facing charges of DUI in and around the Pasadena area need to be aware of what Pasadena DUI Penalties they may face. Those convicted of DUI at the Pasadena Courthouse, located at 300 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, could expect to be sentenced as follows:

For first time offenders, Pasadena DUI Penalties include jail time between a minimum of 48 hours in custody and a maximum of six months in a Los Angeles County Jail facility. There are fines and penalty assessments that are charged by the sentencing court. The maximum fine for a first time DUI is $1000, and the penalty assessments required by law end up being significantly more than the base fine amount.

Pasadena DUI Penalties impose several other requirements upon those sentenced. A first time Pasadena DUI conviction will carry a driver's license suspension unrelated to the suspension that may be imposed administratively by the DMV. This suspension could be up to a year, depending on the circumstances of the underlying DUI case. Because Pasadena is part of the Los Angeles County DMV IID pilot program, there is also a requirement that first time DUI offenders install and maintain an Ignition Interlock Device ("IID") in their automobile.

The court will impose DUI classes as part of any first time DUI sentence in Pasadena. The length of the class may range from 3 to 9 months, depending on the sentence and factual circumstances of the DUI.

The Court will sentence the Pasadena DUI defendant to a probationary term that can range from 36 months to 60 months or more. Probation may be formal, where the defendant has a probation officer and must check in, or informal, where there is no probation officer assigned, but the defendant is expected to meet his or her various deadlines.

Probation will also carry many terms by which a DUI defendant must abide. These may include search and seizure, which would allow law enforcement to search the defendant or his property without probable cause. Also, a DUI defendant will typically be ordered to obey all laws, maintain valid insurance on his or her vehicle, and not to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their system.

For those who have had a prior DUI conviction within the last ten years, enhanced Pasadena DUI Penalties will be assessed.

Second time DUI offenders in Pasadena will be sentenced to a minimum of four days in County Jail and a maximum of six months jail time. The DUI class required is longer as well. The minimum length of the class would be 18 months with a maximum of a 30-month class.

A second conviction will trigger a two-year driver license suspension. However, in certain circumstances a driver may be eligible for a restricted license with an IID device after serving a 90 day suspension. This is only available if they did not refuse testing and were not on probation at the time of the second DUI. The Court will also impose an IID requirement independent of any DMV action. In addition, fines are significantly higher for second Pasadena DUI convictions.

This would cover Pasadena DUI defendants who have two prior DUI convictions within the past 10 years. A minimum jail sentence of 120 days (with a maximum of 1 year) would be imposed.

Pasadena DUI Penalties would also include a DUI class, with the 18-month class as the minimum and the 30-month class as the maximum. Installation of an IID device would be required on any vehicle owned or driven by the defendant. A third conviction would cause a three year license suspension without the opportunity to get a restricted license. Additionally all fines and assessments would be significantly higher.

This would include Pasadena DUI offenders with three previous DUIs in the last ten years and can be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor. Jail/Prison may range from a minimum of 180 days in jail (for misdemeanors) to up to 3 years in prison (for a felony DUI conviction).

Other conditions that would be included as Pasadena DUI Penalties include a driver's license suspension of four years, a DUI class (minimum of 18 months and maximum of 30 months), mandatory installation of an IID device, and significantly higher fines.

Due to the severity and magnitude of Pasadena DUI Penalties, it is important that you have a skilled Pasadena DUI Defense attorney working on your case as soon as possible. Pasadena DUI Defense Attorney Michael Kraut is highly effective at limiting his clients' exposure to Pasadena DUI Penalties. As a former deputy district attorney with over 14 years of prosecutorial experience, Mr. Kraut maintains good relationships with prosecutors and law enforcement officials and has a deep knowledge of the DUI law.

For more information about Pasadena DUI Penalties, and to schedule your free consultation, contact Pasadena DUI Defense Attorney Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers located at 790 East Colorado Boulevard, 9^th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101. Mr. Kraut can be reached 24/7 at 888-334-6344 or 626-345-1899.