Vista Commercial DUI Defense Attorneys

Call jD Law Criminal Defense Attorneys for Legal Help

If you are a commercial driver employed to deliver goods, provide rides to paying patrons, or any other professional duty, you cannot afford to receive a driving under the influence (DUI) conviction. Doing so would jeopardize more than just your freedoms but also your career and livelihood. Commercial drivers in California have stricter restrictions than the average driver when it comes to BAC levels. Even a single offense can drastically change the course of your life.

But you still have options. A DUI charge is not a conviction, and you should do everything in your power to fight it. If you have been charged with a DUI in North County, come to jD Law Criminal Defense Attorneys for aggressive and knowledgeable legal counsel from our Vista commercial DUI defense attorney. Our founding attorney has more than 30 years of combined experience helping people in situations just like yours.

Initial consultations are free – schedule yours today by calling jD Law Criminal Defense Attorneys at (760) 630-2000.

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Commercial DUI Rules and Penalties

California law states that anyone who has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level over 0.08% is legally intoxicated and must not operate a motor vehicle of any kind – otherwise, they can be charged with a DUI. However, commercial drivers are held to much stricter standards, reaching legal intoxication at only 0.04%. If you register 0.04% or above on a breathalyzer test, then law enforcement officers can confiscate your license and charge you with a DUI. Even without a test, officers are also permitted to determine dangerous intoxication on their own, meaning you could be arrested for commercial DUI even if your BAC is below the legal limit.

Commercial driving can refer to any profession that involves the use of a vehicle for the transportation of goods or to complete certain services. In Vista, such professions include:

• North County Transit District (NCTD) bus driver
• Rideshare driver
• Food delivery driver, such as Postmates or Uber Eats
• San Diego public school bus driver
• Truck driver
• Taxicab driver

DUI Penalties for Professional Drivers

There are three different consequences for a commercial DUI in Vista, all of which you could face for a single charge.

First, as a commercial driver, your employer may be able to fire you or revoke certain certifications if you are arrested. As a conviction can show up on a background check, you may be denied employment, even if you work in a separate state. If you earn a living driving commercially, this could drastically impact your livelihood.

Second, there are the administrative penalties of a DUI. After having your license confiscated, which can include both your commercial and class C driving licenses, you will have 10 days to attend a DMV hearing. This hearing will determine if your license will be suspended. Failure to show up for this hearing can lead to an automatic suspension. Even then, if you do appear at the hearing, you will want to have an aggressive and experienced defense attorney at your side. Without one, you could be looking at license suspension for six months or more.

Along with going to an administrative hearing to get your license reinstated, you will also need to retake your commercial driving test, pay additional fees, and become recertified to drive commercially again. These penalties are possible even if you were driving a personal vehicle at the time you were arrested for DUI.

Lastly, there are the criminal penalties for a DUI. Just like any other driver, commercial drivers convicted of a DUI face steep penalties that stack with each offense. As a first-time offender, you face:

• Between 48 hours and six months in a county jail
• Up to $1,000 in fines plus additional fees
• Vehicle impoundment for up to 30 days
• Community service requirements

DUIs are priorable: if this is your second or third offense, you face additional time in jail, higher fines, and more restrictions. While California does offer plea deals and alternative sentencing for substance abuse issues, if this is your fourth offense, your charge can be enhanced to a felony, which could forever change the course of your life.

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Protecting Your Livelihood

Beating a DUI charge is not an easy process, especially for a commercial driver. The consequences of a conviction can follow you for years to come, and you need strong legal counsel to protect your future. That is why you should immediately contact jD Law Criminal Defense Attorneys. Our lead attorney is a former Los Angeles Police Department investigator and has years of experience defending clients from DUI charges. With his aid, you can prepare a strong defense strategy that could include:

• Showing that the breathalyzer test registered a false positive
• Demonstrating that the arresting officer performed an illegal stop
• Explaining how the arresting officer did not follow proper procedures
• Outlining you only showed the objective signs of intoxication

Our founding attorney has experience defending clients in both DMV hearings and Vista criminal courts. If you work with us, you can trust that you will receive a strong and thorough defense.

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Craft Your Defense with a Trustworthy Team

At jD Law Criminal Defense Attorneys, we dedicate each moment of our time to our clients. This is the sort of commitment you should expect and do deserve from legal counsel, and we are proud to say that we deliver on it. Going above and beyond other law firms, we are also led by a board-certified criminal law expert, Attorney James N. Dicks. This certification is only awarded to a small percentage of lawyers who can prove they have the skills, know-how, and professionalism to succeed for their clients. To get that caliber of service on your side, please contact a Vista criminal lawyer today.

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