You will want to meet with your attorney within the first month of having been arrested for DUI so that you can give them all of the information related to the arrest. You should be honest with your attorney about what happened; don't put a spin on things.
You should tell your attorney how you think the prosecutor and the police will tell their version of events, and you should not omit anything. The attorney will then ask you to tell your version of events so that they will be prepared to represent you in the best possible way.
Summary Probation vs. Formal Probation
If you are being charged with a misdemeanor DUI in Los Angeles, then you probably won't be put on formal probation or have to deal with a probation officer. If you are put on summary probation for a case, then you cannot violate the terms of that probation or incur new charges.
If you end up being convicted for a felony DUI, then you will most likely be put on probation, but that would not occur within the first 30 days of the arrest. Instead, that would probably occur later down the road, and your attorney would explain how to interact with the probation department.
Before getting involved with any counseling or AA meetings, you are going to want to sit down with a Los Angeles DUI attorney. Some attorneys will recommend that their clients take certain actions without knowing anything about their case. It's not a cookie-cutter situation; we don't just do the same thing in every DUI case in Los Angeles County.
If your blood alcohol level was very high and you were behaving dangerously, then they might think that you have a problem with alcohol and it may be a good idea to take some AA classes in coordination with your attorney. Alternatively, you may want to enter an inpatient or outpatient program.
If you don't have an alcohol problem and you just made a mistake, then you don't necessarily want to start going to AA meetings. If you do, the prosecutors may assume that you have a problem with alcohol, and as a result, they may add punishments. So, let your attorney be your guide. Give them all of the necessary information and they will properly advise you on how to proceed.
Best Advice To Clients Following A DUI Arrest In Los Angeles
In the days and weeks that follow a DUI arrest in Los Angeles County, my clients and I will have a meeting of the minds in order to discuss what exactly happened and how we are going to deal with it. I let my clients know how they can help me and what to expect.
I find that knowing what they are up against helps give clients peace of mind. We figure out what our goal is and determine how we can go about getting the best resolution and avoiding potentially harsh legal penalties.
Once I have the answer to that question, we put the wheels in motion and start doing things that can help us. For example, I might suggest that the client enter some sort of program or collect character letters from friends and family in order to demonstrate that they are a good person.
There are a number of things that can be done, but the specifics of what those are will depend on the circumstances of the case at hand.
For more information on Meeting With Attorney After A DUI, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (213) 542-0979 today.
