If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), drunk driving, drinking and driving in Los Angeles California, we can help. California DUI defense lawyers at The Law Office of Edward Shkolnikov have knowledge and experience in successfully defending California drunk driving, drinking and driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) cases.

Process of Fighting California DUI Successfully navigating your way through a criminal court process for driving under the influence in California requires a clear understanding of the DUI charges and possible outcome. In other words, knowing what is coming your way will greatly reduce the amount of stress you feel when fighting a DUI charge.

When you get arrested for a crime, there are several court dates to go through. First time in court is called an Arraignment. Your next court date is called a Pre-Trial. You may also have court dates for Motions or Trial.

Arraignment
In a California DUI case, you already know what the charges are. However, there can be additional charges that you were unaware of like infractions for reckless driving or additional criminal charges the prosecution filed after the arrest.

Common sense tells you that if you did something wrong, you should enter a guilty plea and the court system will take it easy on you by not sentencing you as hard as if you fought the charges. Unfortunately, the court system is not always based on common sense. In fact, you will most likely be punished worse if you plead guilty at arraignment rather than fighting the charges. In other words, DO NOT PLEAD GUILTY!

Pre-Trial Hearing
The hearings take place at the court and in front of a judge. During a pretrial, the judge wants to know what the status of the case is: Do the parties (Prosecutor or Defense) want to enter a plea, do they want to set a time for a Motion Hearing, or do they want to have a Trial.

These hearings are administrative in nature. That means that they are relatively low stress because nothing will happen at a pretrial unless the Defendant makes it happen. Your lawyer will discuss with you as to what will take place at the pretrial hearing long before you actually get there.

Motion Hearings
Motions are written legal arguments on why the evidence in your case, and sometimes the whole case, should be thrown out. There are number of motions that could be filed in a DUI case. Your lawyer will know which ones apply to your specific facts.

Trials
At the DUI trial, the prosecution is required to prove each of the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Your lawyer will discuss with you the elements of the DUI offense (what the state has to prove in your case).

If you need a California criminal defense attorney you can trust The Law Office of Edward Shkolnikov to do everything for you, guidance you should expect to get the best possible result.

Los Angeles DUI Defense Lawyer Edward Shkolnikov has established a reputation as one of the region’s premier DUI defense lawyers. Trusted and respected by judges and prosecutors, Edward Shkolnikov takes DUI cases to jury trial and negotiates deals that often save peoples’ licenses, careers and freedom. He practices DUI law extensively in the Beverly Hills, LAX, Metropolitan and Torrance Courthouses as well as San Fernando Valley courts.

The information on this Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney - Law Offices of Edward Shkolnikov website is for general information purposes only. The information on this website should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information on this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.

Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney - Law Offices of Edward Shkolnikov
13245 Riverside Dr., Suite 501, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Phone: 323.655.6005; Fax: 323.655.6030; Email: Attorney@Shkolnikovlaw.com