Fighting the Serious Consequences of Major Drunk Driving Charges
DUI is always a serious criminal accusation, but it can have particularly serious consequences when it is charged as a felony. If you are facing felony drunk driving charges, it is critical that you get an experienced defense attorney working on your case right away.
San Mateo felony DUI lawyer Charles B. Smith has more than 25 years of California criminal law experience. As a former prosecutor and former police officer, he has a well-rounded understanding of how felony cases are investigated and prosecuted.
Understanding the Factors That Can Make DUI a Felony
If you are convicted of a felony offense, you can be sent to prison for more than a year and left with a damaging criminal record. There are a number of factors that can increase a California DUI charge — normally a misdemeanor — to a felony, including the following:
- Bodily injury: You can be charged with a felony for causing an accident, while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, in which someone else was injured. In order to convict you of this charge, the prosecutors have to prove that you drove negligently or were at fault.
- Three prior DUIs: If you have been convicted of drunk driving three or more times in the past 10 years, a fourth DUI charge will be considered a felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of anywhere between 16 months and three years.
- One prior felony DUI: Even if you have only been convicted of DUI once in the past 10 years, if that conviction was for a felony, a new DUI will also be considered a felony.
Our firm has successfully defended many clients against felony drunk driving charges. We will explore all opportunities to defeat the charges against you, as well as sentencing alternatives to reduce the length and severity of any sentence you may receive if you are convicted.
Call a San Francisco Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney at 650-425-7703
If you have been charged with felony DUI in California, it is important to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 650-425-7703 or e-mail us. We accept credit cards, are available outside of regular business hours, and regularly visit our clients who are in jail.
