NEWS: October 27, 2009

What happens when you go to court in San Mateo County on a DUI charge?

This depends on they type of charge.  The most serious charges for DUI are felonies, punishable by years in State Prison.

Most DUI cases involve misdemeanor first offense arrests.  You should get a DUI lawyer to represent you in court. Hiring a DUI lawyer usually means you will not have to appear in court in San Mateo County for the first court date.   In most cases that lawyer can enter a not guilty plea and set a new court date a month or so later.

If your case involves a high blood or breath alcohol level, an injury and or accident, or prior DUI convictions, you and your lawyer need to plan ahead.  In these cases you usually end up on San Mateo County supervised pre-trial release program.  Basically you are put on a probation without even being convicted, to avoid having to stay out of jail while your DUI case is pending.

What does this mean?  It means you will be tested for alcohol, and possibly drugs, and have to report in periodically to the San Mateo County probation office for testing.

If you are going to court for the first time on a 3rd or 4th DUI in San Mateo County, you will probably need to take extra steps to stay our of jail and avoid having to come up with a huge bail.   A good DUI Lawyer will probably advise clients to take some or all of the following steps help avoid your being taken into custody at the first court date:

1. Attend as many AA meetings as you can between date of arrest and court date.  I’m talking every      day if possible.  Get proof of attendance and bring it to court.

2. Start individual counseling and bring a letter to court from your therapist.

3. Self enroll with a company like LCA to have a SCRAM alcohol detection bracelet attached to               your ankle for alcohol monitoring.  Make sure to have a letter for the court from the SCRAM                   company that says violations will be reported to the San Mateo County Superior Court.

4. Be on time to court, dress nice, and do not come in with alcohol on your breath.

San Mateo County DUI Lawyer