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Criminal Defense Attorney in South Pasadena, CA

DUI Defense & Administrative Per Se Hearing Attorney in South Pasadena, CA

A DUI in California threatens your license, your job, and your freedom, and it moves on two separate tracks at once: the criminal case in court and an administrative action against your license at the DMV. From the first hearing, I look for the weak points the prosecution and the DMV hope you'll miss.

How a DUI Charge Works in California

A DUI charge under Vehicle Code 23152 usually rests entirely on procedure. A break anywhere in the chain can change or even end the case, so I look hard at each link the prosecution is counting on:

  • A lawful reason for the traffic stop
  • Field sobriety tests administered correctly
  • A breath or blood test from a properly calibrated device
  • A tester actually trained to run the equipment

Challenging the Chemical Evidence

The chemical evidence is rarely as airtight as it looks. Breath machines drift out of calibration, blood samples get mishandled or contaminated, and rising-alcohol or medical conditions can skew a reading. I request the underlying records and go through them line by line:

  • Calibration and maintenance logs for the testing device
  • The arresting officer's reports and notes
  • Blood-draw and chain-of-custody records
  • Medical conditions that can distort a result

The DMV Hearing and Your License

There is also a separate DMV action against your license that starts the moment you're arrested, and you generally have only 10 days to request a hearing before your license is suspended automatically. That deadline is easy to miss, and missing it can cost you your license before the criminal case is ever heard.

I handle that Administrative Per Se hearing alongside your criminal case so one track doesn't quietly cost you the other.

How Penalties Climb With Priors

The stakes climb quickly with prior offenses. A first DUI is treated very differently from a second or third, and certain factors can push a case toward mandatory jail, a longer suspension, and felony exposure. Knowing where your case sits shapes the strategy from day one:

  • One or more prior DUIs
  • A high blood-alcohol reading
  • An accident tied to the stop
  • Any injury to another person

Possible Outcomes

Depending on the facts, there is often more than one path forward. I push each case as far as the evidence allows and make sure you understand your options at every step:

  • A DUI-court diversion program
  • A reduction to a lesser charge such as a 'wet reckless'
  • An outright dismissal

How Luis Valdivia can help with your case

  • Challenge the legality of the traffic stop, the detention, and the arrest.
  • Scrutinize breath and blood testing for calibration, chain-of-custody, and procedural errors.
  • Represent you at the DMV Administrative Per Se hearing to protect your license.
  • Pursue diversion, a reduction, or a dismissal wherever the facts allow.
  • Guide you through DMV requirements, SR-22 filings, and ignition-interlock issues.

Think I can help with your case?

Schedule a free consultation