Contra Costa DUI Attorney Contra Costa DMV Hearing Lawyer

Contra Costa DMV Hearing vs. Court Trial

You may not be aware, but in the State of California, a DUI arrest generates two formal proceedings that determine your driving privileges and your guilt or innocence. If you were arrested for drunk driving in Contra Costa County, California, it is imperative you seek the legal help of a competent and experienced DUI defense attorney.

Within ten (10) calendar days of the date of your DUI arrest, you, or preferably your drunk driving defense attorney must contact the DMV’s Driver Safety Office to request an Administrative License Revocation hearing. If the request is not made within the allotted time period, you loose your right to a hearing resulting in an automatic suspension of your driver’s license, and your thirty-day temporary license becomes void.

The purpose of the DMV hearing is to discuss the details of your DUI arrest, including whether the arrest was lawful or not. Your criminal court trial, not the DMV hearing, will determine if you are guilty of driving under the influence. The proceedings are not related, and the outcomes will not affect each other.

Some of your rights in the ALR hearing and in your criminal case are similar, but some are very different. During an ALR suspension hearing, a “hearing officer” of the DMV serves as the judge and prosecution. In your criminal court case, you will have the right to a judge and jury. You also have the right to legal representation in both cases, but only in your criminal case will a public defender be provided for you if you so choose.

The Law Office of Robert Tayac highly recommends you retain a qualified criminal DUI attorney to represent you in both cases. We have been successfully defending clients for over a decade.

For a free consultation, please contact our Contra Costa office as soon as possible at:

Address:
600 Montgomery Street, Suite 210
San Francisco, California 94111

Phone: (800) 901-1888

Email: Contra Costa DUI Attorney

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