what are the punishments for a DUI 1st offense?

[California DUI]

i have recently been pulled over for DUI in the LA area. what are the punishments if i get convicted of this?

trying to determine whether or not i should spend the money on a DUI lawyer.

thanks.

[CA DUI Lawyer]

1st offense DUI in the state of Califronia carries these sanctions:

Jail: Mandatory jail time of 48 hours. Most DUI defense lawyers can arrange for you to do work service in lieu of jail, meaning you pick up trash, etc... instead of sitting in jail.

Alcohol Treatment Program: You will be required to go to DUI School. The length of the dui school will depend on your BAC and a court ordered alcohol assessment. Most 1st offenders with modest BAC levels get a 3 month dui school.

CA Drivers License: You'll have to wait and see on this one as the DMV has been doing strange things lately. But for most you'll get your drivers license suspended and then issued a restricted license which means you can drive to and from work until the DUI school is completed.

Court Fines: from $1,400-$2,000 which some of your jail time will get you credits to reduce the court fines. In addition you can arrange a payment plan to pay the fines off.

Probation: Additionally you'll get 3-5 years of probation and you'll want to ensure you are clear on what the terms of your probation are.

These penalties vary from county to county in California and are frequently changed so this is just a general idea as to what you can expect upon 1st offender DUI conviction.

[steveatl]

If you get a good lawyer, in the Atlanta area, you can expect, for the 1st DUI offense (assuming all other related charges are dropped in the plea bargain):

1: $1200 fine
2: 120 days restricted license, $210 to renew with DUI school info
3: 40 hours community service
4: 24 hours mandatory jail time (usually waived)
5: 1 year of reporting or non reporting probation ($41/month fee)
6: Thur night, Fri night, and all day Sat/Sun DUI school (several hundred dollars)
7: MADD seminar (2 hours - $50)
8: alcohol assessment (depends on you BAC...mine was 0.12) (2 hours - $150)
9: Attorney fees $2-5K
10: increased car insurance if they find out, possible cancelation by the insurance company

[bruinan]

I got a lawyer, referred from someone I met at AA. It wasn't one of my brighter ideas but at least, it waives you through the court process a few hours earlier. Do you think its worth $3000?

Arrested with a very high BAC level, I can tell you that the penalties are a bit harsher. Let me tell you what my penalties were:

Around $3000 in fines.
6 month DUI program.
10 Cal-Trans.
30 AA meetings.
6 month license suspension.
1 day and night in jail.

If your BAC level was relatively low, they will give you a minimum of a few of those items above. If it was about 3 times the legal limit like mine was, then they might try to may an example out of you. Most of the time, it depends largely on the judge as well as on the prosecutor..what their mood or outlook is, etc.

You may want to get a lawyer if you arrive on your court date and the PD gives you very BAD possible outcomes. But still, be wary, that is their job. And getting a lawyer does not really help unless you hire a super expensive one or if you truly have a case against being convicted of a DUI. Otherwise, the whole deal will cost you enough without incurring the cost of a lawyer.