With all the talk today about “fake news” and the quality of journalistic reporting, some have come to question the value of what they read or hear from news sources. One thing news sources do unquestionably well, though, is highlight cases that serve as “what not to do” warnings for others. By learning about the strategic errors others made in handling their legal affairs, you can hopefully learn from those mistakes and avoid the downfalls that occurred to the subjects of the articles. For example, one San Diego man faces jail time in Nevada, in part, because he spent several years trying avoid drunk driving charges. Don’t be like that driver. Instead, if you are facing DUI charges in California, reach out to an experienced San Francisco DUI attorney to handle your case on time, thereby allowing you to obtain closure and move on with your life.
The San Diego man was R., who had experienced several encounters with law enforcement related to drunk driving. While working at a Lake Tahoe ski resort in 2011 and 2012, he was arrested several times for DUI. He made bail and then promptly left Nevada, according to a Record-Courier report.
R. headed to San Diego and was able to avoid punishment for his drunk driving arrests for several years. Just because you can do something does mean that you should do it, however. That’s not just true on an ethical or moral level, it can be true on a beneficial self-interest level, too. At the time, R. probably thought that his effort to avoid punishment for those DUI charges was a successful move. It was not.
R. eventually had to face his Nevada charges. However, by then, it was 2018. Because more than six years had elapsed between the time of the arrests and the time he faced the judge, R. was charged with felony DUI. Had he retained counsel and dealt with the matter at the time, R. would have only faced a misdemeanor charge.
Ultimately, the judge decided to sentence R. to a year in jail.
Here in California, there are three ways that a DUI can be a felony crime. These situations involve (1) if the accident caused an injury to (or the death of) someone else, (2) if you have at least one previous felony conviction for driving under the influence, or (3) you have accumulated three or more DUI or “wet reckless” convictions within the last decade.
Even though the laws in California are somewhat different from Nevada, the key point of this story remains the same: do not simply try to ignore your DUI charges. Chances, they will catch up to you eventually. Instead, deal with them head-on. As part of that head-on process, reach out to the San Francisco DUI defense professionals at Uthman Law Office. Attorney David Uthman has over 20 years of experience as a litigation attorney and almost a decade of experience as a police officer. Put our knowledge of the law and the system to work for you. Call us today at (415) 556-9200 to schedule your FREE initial consultation to get the help you need.
More blog posts:
Military Diversion: One Extra Option Available to Some Veterans Charged with DUI in California, San Francisco Criminal Lawyer Blog, June 6, 2018
When Blood Evidence Collected Without a Warrant Should Be Excluded in a California DUI Trial, San Francisco Criminal Lawyer Blog, May 30, 2018