As a city in Contra Costa County, California, with approximately 30,000 residents, and covering only about 2.6 square miles, San Pablo is almost entirely surrounded by the city of Richmond. San Pablo lies between the northern end of Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Bay.
If you are a resident of San Pablo, you may have spent an afternoon or evening at the nearby Rancho Sports Bar, located on San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante, where the drinks are known to be stout, and the entertainment is stellar.You have spent time at Jerry’s Cocktail Lounge, also on San Pablo Avenue in Richmond. Often called the “greatest bar on the West Coast,” Jerry’s has a great selection of beer, wine and mixed drinks, and a lively crowd. After a relaxing time spent with friends, your evening can end on a jarring note if you are on your way home and see flashing lights behind you. If you were on San Pablo and Broadway Avenues, you could also find yourself in the middle of a DUI checkpoint, with the same end result—DUI charges. If this happens, you are likely to be extremely anxious about your future—with good reason. Even a first-time DUI can bring serious penalties and consequences which last for a very long time.
The Consequences of a California DUI
The officer who charges you with DUI must also issue you an Order of Suspension and Temporary License. This document is extremely important—it gives you only ten days in which to request a DMV Administrative Hearing. You may continue to drive legally for thirty days, then, depending on the outcome of your Administrative Hearing, you may be able to keep your license until your criminal case, or you may lose your driving privileges. The Administrative Hearing and the criminal charges against you are two completely separate issues.
For your criminal DUI case, the prosecutor must show beyond a reasonable doubt that your BAC was above 0.08 percent, that there was probable cause to pull you over, and that the arrest was lawful in every way. If you are convicted of DUI, a first offense carries an administrative license suspension by the DMV for a period of at least four months.
Your criminal penalties for a DUI conviction could include:
- Minimum fines of $390 and maximum fines of $1,000;
- Up to $2,600 in penalty assessments
- Minimum incarceration of three days, with a maximum of six months in county jail
- You will likely be required to complete a three, six or nine-month alcohol assessment and treatment program which will cost you approximately $500
- Installation of an interlock ignition device, costing approximately $800
- Having your vehicle impounded
- Probation of no less than three years and no more than five
- Your DUI conviction will remain on your record for 10 years, influencing any subsequent DUI arrests.
Because the consequences of a California DUI conviction are so severe, it is important that you have an experienced San Pablo DUI attorney by your side from start to finish. Your DUI attorney will know the best defense to present on your behalf, whether that defense is:
- No probable cause for your DUI stop;
- Other mistakes made by police during your DUI stop;
- Rising BAC defense, or
- Other issues with the breathalyzer or field sobriety tests.
Don’t wait for this nightmare will go away on its own—it won’t. Call a knowledgeable San Pablo DUI attorney today.
At the Law Office of Nabiel C. Ahmed, our experienced Oakland DUI attorney defends people throughout San Pablo. We serve the entire East Bay and Contra Costa County, so call us at (510) 907-6600 for a free case consultation or fill out a simple online form.
We also conduct interviews in jail or over the phone if you’ve been detained—contact us online today.