Oakland Criminal Defense Attorney
Free Consultation 510.894.6626
Dedicated. Experienced. Reliable.

DUI Penalties in Oakland

Explained by an Oakland DUI Attorney

DUI is the most common offense that normal, everyday people get arrested for, many of whom don't have any prior criminal history. If you were recently arrested for DUI, it's critical that you engage an aggressive DUI lawyer such as Ernesto Castillo who represents both misdemeanor and felony DUI cases.

Attorney Castillo's tenacious and dedicated representation has earned him inclusion in the Super Lawyers® Rising Stars℠ list for 2013. He was honored with the Client Distinction Award for 2013 by Martindale-Hubbell® and the Elizabeth Rose Bird Award for Professionalism and Integrity in 2002. His high-profile cases have been featured in major media outlets including CNN, FOX, NBC, and the San Francisco Chronicle. When you choose to work with Attorney Castillo, your DUI case is in highly capable hands.

California DUI Penalties

Under VC § 23152-23229.1, it is against the law for a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or more to drive a motor vehicle. For commercial drivers, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .04%, and for drivers under the age of 21, that threshold goes down to just .01% due to California's zero tolerance law.

In addition to alcoholic beverages, it is unlawful for someone under the influence of any drug to drive a motor vehicle, or under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs:

  • The penalties for a California DUI (over 21) are as follows:
  • First DUI offense – 4 month driver's license suspension, up to 6 months in jail, and up to $1,000 in fines.
  • Second DUI offense within 10 years – 1 year driver's license suspension, 90 days to 1 year in jail, and up to $1,000 in fines.
  • Third DUI offense within 10 years – 1 year driver's license suspension, 120 days to 1 year in jail, and up to $1,000 in fines.

If the driver was under 21 and their chemical test revealed a BAC of .01% or greater, their driver's license will be suspended for 1 year.

You can fight your DUI charges!

If you have been arrested for DUI, the important thing to remember is that DUI cases are not hopeless and they can be fought and won. However, you will need to engage an aggressive Oakland DUI attorney such as Ernesto Castillo who knows how to challenge things such as the legality of the traffic stop, field sobriety tests, the breath testing equipment, and how chemical evidence was collected, stored and analyzed, and any possible police misconduct.

Contact our Oakland law firm to fight your DUI charges by calling (510) 894-6626 today!

Hear it From A Few
Of Our Clients

  • I would recommend Mr. Castillo without any reservation.

    “Ernie Castillo was highly recommended to us. I researched and interviewed a few attorneys before making a decision of who we were going to select. It's so tough selecting when you're skeptical with the horror stories of attorney's not feeling the passion for their work but the money. After long conversations my husband and I decided to go with Ernie to represent our son in a serious case with multiple charges. We were not disappointed at all. Mr. Castillo expertise exceeded our expectations. His was thorough, he kept us up to date on the case, answered all our questions, returned our calls in a timely manner, he's truly a genuine and sincere person. Most of all his knowledge in handling the case was remarkable. I can't express thanks enough to Ernie for the spectacular job he did defending my son who was facing years in jail. He took a stressful situation and relieved it with a positive outcome. I would recommend Mr. Castillo without any reservation.”

    RE

  • I can't thank Ernie enough for investing his time and sincere efforts to helping my family out. He truly is a master of his craft.

    “A few years back, Ernie Castillo represented a family member of mine who was charged with a vehicular offense. Although minor compared to the high profile cases Ernie is accustomed to, Ernie took the case with the utmost professionalism and was able to reduce the charge so that my family member's record was not affected. I can't thank Ernie enough for investing his time and sincere efforts to helping my family out. He truly is a master of his craft.”

    MS

  • I would highly recommend Mr Castillo to anyone.

    “Mr Castillo represented me on a criminal case in which I was falsely accused in 2012. He took over the case from a previous lawyer who was less aggressive and not actively pursing my defense. Mr Castillo is a confident, aggressive and very persistent lawyer. He kept my family and I up to date on the case and also returned our calls on time. Mr Castillo persuaded me not to take any deal and wanted take the case to trial because he was confident that he would win. With the Lord's guidance and Ernie's aggressiveness my case was dismissed. I would highly recommend Mr Castillo to anyone.”

    DC