Two cases, running at once.
After a DUI arrest there are two separate proceedings on two separate clocks. Most people only find out about the second one after they have already lost it.
1The criminal case
This is the one with the judge, the charges and the possible sentence. It moves slowly and there is room to negotiate.
- Arraignment, then pretrial conferences
- Evidence reviewed for suppression issues
- Reduction or dismissal negotiated
- Trial only if the offer is not acceptable
2The DMV case
Entirely separate from the court. If nobody requests a hearing inside ten days, the suspension takes effect automatically.
- Ten-day window, no extensions
- Hearing requested the day you call us
- Different rules of evidence to the court case
- Restricted licence often available
The sentence ends. The record doesn't.
What happens to the charge matters far longer than what happens to you in the weeks afterwards.
Employment and background checks
Most employers run them. A reduction to a lesser offence frequently clears a screen that a conviction would not.
Professional licences
Nurses, contractors, teachers and drivers all report to boards with their own rules, separate from the court's.
Immigration consequences
Some pleas carry removal consequences no matter how light the sentence looks. This has to be checked before any plea.
Expungement afterwards
Many convictions can be dismissed later. Knowing which ones changes what you should agree to now.
Flat fees, quoted before you decide.
You will know the full cost of your defence before you retain us, and it does not change because the case takes longer than expected.
Case review
Any time, including nights and weekends
Misdemeanour and DUI
Quoted upfront, payment plans available
Felony defence
Staged by phase, agreed in writing
The first 48 hours do the most damage.
Three things happen fast after an arrest, and all three are easier to influence before they are settled.
Questioning
You are not required to explain yourself, and almost nobody improves their position by trying. Ask for counsel and stop.
Arraignment and bail
Usually within 48 hours. Having someone appear who is prepared to argue bail changes whether you wait at home or inside.
The DMV clock
Ten days from the arrest to request a hearing, whatever is happening with the criminal case.
The attorney you meet is the attorney who handles your case.
Andre Castellanos is a former prosecutor who has tried more than 60 cases to verdict and answers his own phone at night.
Straight answers.
Not before someone has reviewed the evidence. A great many cases have problems that are invisible from the outside.
Not automatically — but only if a DMV hearing is requested within ten days of the arrest. After that the suspension is automatic.
Often. Dismissals, reductions and later expungement are all routes, and which ones are open depends on the charge.
A flat fee, quoted before you retain us, with payment plans available. It does not increase if the case takes longer.
Find out in one call whether you qualify — and what you get to keep.
No cost. No obligation. No judgment.
(800) 555-0142