The 3 Stages Of A Misdemeanor DUI Court Process

The court process for a misdemeanor DUI may include the following 3 stages:

Watch this video to learn what happens at each stage of the process.

By clicking on the links below you can skip to the section your most interested in reading.

Stage 1 in The Misdemeanor DUI Court Process Is Arraignment

The first court appearance for your DUI is the arraignment. Formally, an arraignment is where the charges against you are read in open court and then you are asked to enter a plea.

Do You Plead Guilty or Not Guilty At Arraignment?

The main purpose of this proceeding is for you to enter a plea of guilty, nolo contendre or not guilty.

Your lawyer will typically ask the court to waive the reading of the complaint against you and enter your plea of not guilty. If you are present, the court will also advise you of your constitutional rights.

What Are Your Constitutional Rights?

• Right to be represented by an attorney
• If you cannot afford one, the court will appoint a public defender to represent you¹
• Right to not incriminate yourself and to remain silent²
• Right to a speedy trial ((Serna v. Superior Court (1985) 40 Cal.3d 239))
• Right to a jury trial
• Right to confront and cross-examine witnesses

Do You Need To Post Bail At Arraignment?

In most DUI cases, the defendant is not in custody and there is no issue regarding bail. Bail is a payment that is made by the defendant to ensure appearances at future court dates.

Bail may be an issue if this is your third or more DUI offense or if there are other charges accompanying the DUI such as possession of firearms, assault, and possession of certain narcotics or others³.

Note: On October 1, 2019, the bail system in California will change with the passage of Senate Bill 10. The bill provides for the elimination of cash bail for misdemeanor DUI.

What Happens If You Appear At Arraignment Without An Attorney?

If you appear without an attorney, the judge will ask if you can afford one. If you are unemployed or low income, you may be asked to apply for a public defender at no or low cost to you.

The court is reluctant to have you represent yourself although you can plead guilty if you wish but only after you are fully advised of your rights and knowingly waive them⁴.

Do I Have To Appear At Arraignment In DUI Court If I Have An Attorney?

If you have an attorney, abenefit is that you do not have to appear at the arraignment, especially if you are entering a not guilty plea. Your DUI attorney will enter the plea for you and obtain discovery documents from the prosecuting attorney⁵.

What Type Of Discovery Can My Attorney Receive At Arraignment?

The documents provided to you or your attorney include a copy of the complaint with the charges against you along with a copy of the police report and any witness statements obtained.

You may also be served with a request for discovery at this time, or shortly thereafter, where your attorney is required to provide the prosecution with copies of witness statements names of witnesses who may testify at trial and documents you plan to introduce at trial.

If you enter a not guilty plea, the court will schedule a future court date for your pretrial conference.

Stage 2 – Pretrial Conference

Within a few weeks after the arraignment, the second stage of the DUI court process called the pretrial conference will be held.

In the interim, your attorney has the option of filing certain motions based on the facts of your case as determined by the evidence that has been made available.

The Following Motions May Be Filed in DUI Court:

• Motion to recuse a judge—based on reputation as being strict on sentencing and/or hostile to defense attorneys for example⁶
• Motion to dismiss based on lack of sufficient evidence, jurisdiction or other grounds
• Motion for discovery if the prosecution objected to turning over certain evidence
• Pitchess motion to discover prior misconduct by arresting officer⁷
• Motion to suppress evidence such as illegally obtained admissions, unlawful search and seizure, failure by the prosecution to provide certain documents or other evidence
• Motion for change of venue (if high profile case for example)⁸
• Motion to obtain preserved blood or urine sample for testing

At the conference, the prosecutor will generally offer a plea arrangement⁹.

What Types Of Pleas May Be Available?

In regards to a plea agreement, your attorney can ask for community service in lieu of jail if jail is a typical sentence.  If you have multiple DUI convictions, then your attorney will advise you that you are looking at months in jail unless you take your case to trial and prevail.

If this is the first offense with no aggravating factors, the prosecutor will advise your attorney of the plea offer. This may be 48 hours in jail or community service, depending on the policies of that court, along with a fine of about $390 and participation in DUI classes.

Can Your Attorney Plea Bargain To Something Lower Than a DUI?

In some cases, a plea to “wet reckless” ((VC 23103.5)) or dry reckless is substituted for a DUI. There need to be circumstances that would incentivize the prosecutor such as problems of proof to agree to a reduction in the charges.

If there are favorable circumstances to you or issues that could make a conviction difficult, a non-alcohol related offense can be negotiated so that you will face no jail time and none of the consequences of a DUI conviction.

What Are Some Examples of Plea Deals?

Two examples are pleas to “exhibition of speed,”¹⁰ or “ Wet reckless or reckless driving”¹¹.

What Happens If You Decide To Plead?

If you decide to plead guilty or enter a plea of nolo contendre (no contest plea that is the same as a guilty plea where you admit there is sufficient evidence against you), you are then asked if you are voluntarily waiving the constitutional rights that you were previously advised about.

The court will then pronounce sentence.

If you have prior DUI convictions, you may be referred for a presentence report regarding your alcohol consumption habits and other factors that may influence the sentence.

What Happens If You Decide Not To Enter Into A Plea Agreement?

If there is no plea agreement and you continue your plea of not guilty, you and your DUI attorney are scheduled for a trial date.

When Should You Go To Trial For A DUI?

A trial may be advisable in a case absent a satisfactory plea agreement if there are issues of proof in your favor such as the validity of the stop and arrest, unlawful police procedure, police conduct or issues about the breath or blood sample process.

Stage 3 – Trial

In a DUI case where there are issues that your attorney believes can sway a jury in your favor then you may decide to proceed to trial.

Jury trials can be stressful to a defendant and should be considered when making the decision to proceed with a trial.

But if you have some issues that are advantageous to you, then your attorney need only convince one of the 12 jurors to decide you are not guilty since you can only be convicted by unanimous verdict¹².

Who Testifies In A DUI Trial?

Most DUI trials involve testimony from the arresting officer and officer or technician who administered the blood, breath or urine test if drugs were involved. The defense may or may not have you testify and if the chemical test is at issue, may retain an expert who will also testify.

How Long Is a Misdemeanor DUI Trial?

Most trials last between five (5) days and two (2) weeks.

There are a number of stages in a jury trial

• Motions in limine—these are designed to keep certain evidence out such as inflammatory photographs, incriminating statements or even chemical test results (if granted, the trial may be over)
• Jury selection—each side has a number of peremptory strikes and then may strike jurors for cause (bias)
• Opening statements
• Prosecution presents its case with testimonial and documentary evidence
• Defense has opportunity to cross-examine witnesses
• When prosecution rests, defense may make a motion to dismiss
• If denied, defense may or may not present evidence such as putting the defendant on the stand and/or an expert in chemical analysis
• Rebuttal testimony by prosecution
• Defense rests
• Closing arguments by both prosecution and defense
• Reading of jury instructions to jury
• Jury deliberates and delivers verdict or is a hung jury

What Does It Mean If The Jury Is Hung?

A hung jury means that not all 12 jurors have reached the same verdict.

If this occurs, the prosecution has the option of not re-trying the case, re-trying the case or attempting a plea agreement, usually to a non-alcohol related offense and no jail.

The defense could also move the court to dismiss the case, usually if the evidence was weak and all but one or two jurors voted to acquit.

FAQ About DUI Trials

If I take my case to trial and I lose, will the judge impose a harsher sentence on me than if I had taken the plea offer?

Answer:

That can happen in some cases such as where you have prior DUI convictions and the prosecutor offered you little or no jail time in return for a plea. The court is not bound by whatever plea agreement you had rejected.

In first offense cases, it is unlikely the court will impose a harsher sentence other than possibly a higher fine. If you testified and the court felt you were lying, then you may face a stricter sentence. Aggravating circumstances will also enhance a sentence.

I refused the chemical test and did not take any field sobriety tests. How can any jury convict me?

Answer:

If you refused chemical testing, the prosecution can argue that your refusal was motivated by consciousness of guilt. This is embodied in a jury instruction that is read to the jury.

However, the refusal by itself cannot be used to prove guilt. We can also argue that you had a credible reason for refusing such as an inability to blow into the device or confusion over the consequences of taking it.

Also, the prosecution must introduce some other evidence that you were impaired such as slurred speech, unsteady gait, an inability to understand the officer or flushed face along with erratic driving conduct. Otherwise, you may well have an excellent chance of prevailing at trial or receiving a favorable negotiated plea offer.

Shouldn’t you Testify at a DUI Trial?

Answer:

Whether to put you on the stand to testify is up to your attorney. If you have a prior felony, the prosecution will use that to impeach your credibility and try to instill distrust in the minds of the jury.

Typically it is not in the interests of a DUI defendant to testify at trial.

Additional Info:

• How do I get a DUI off my record?
• Can You get a DUI on private property?

1. Gideon v. Wainwright 372 U.S. 335 (1963 [↩]
2. Miranda v. Arizona 384 U.S. 436 (1966 [↩]
3. People v. Arnold (1976) 58 Cal.App.3d. Supp.2 [↩]
4. People v. Douglas (1964) 61 Cal.2d 430, 434 [↩]
5. Brady v. Maryland 373 U.S. 83 (1963). [↩]
6. CCP Section 170.6 [↩]
7. Pitchess v. Superior Court (1974) 11Cal3d 531 [↩]
8. Pickwick Stages System v. Superior Court (1934  ) 138 Cal.App. 448, 449 [↩]
9. People v. West (1970) 3 Cal.3d 596 [↩]
10. Vehicle Code 23109(c). [↩]
11. Vehicle Code 23103 [↩]
12. People v. Freeman(1994) 8 Cal.4th 450, 503-504 [↩]