San Bernardino, CA

Call us at (909) 863-5500 for a free consultation.

Were you arrested and charged with a DUI, DWI or drunk driving offense in San Bernardino County, including the cities of Colton, Redlands, Yucaipa, Barstow and Victorville? Are you seeking to prevent a DUI on your criminal record, and to protect your California drivers license? Our top San Bernardino DUI lawyers may be able to assist you in accomplishing both.

This San Bernardino County DUI Defense Law firm handles DUI and drunk driving cases at the San Bernardino Courthouse as well as the desert cities of:

Barstow DUI Lawyer

Victorville DUI Lawyer

The San Bernardino DUI Court Process

For all DUI and drunk driving arrests in the cities of San Bernardino, Colton, Redlands and Yucaipa, the police agency forwards the case to the San Bernardino County District Attorney for prosecution. When the DUI case is filed, it is heard at the San Bernardino Courthouse at 351 N. Arrowhead Avenue. If you were arrested in one of these cities, you should have received a DUI citation that designates an initial court date (called an arraignment).

San Bernardino DUI cases get assigned to particular courtrooms and judges based on the defendant’s last name (a process called an alpha-split). However, one individual prosecutor handles all San Bernardino DUI matters for the purpose of pre-trial plea negotiations (cases that go to suppression motion or jury trial ultimately get assigned to a separate trial prosecutor).

The prosecutor meets daily with San Bernardino DUI Lawyers to discuss and negotiate the drunk driving cases set that day. If the prosecutor has evidentiary problems with a DUI case, or circumstances warrant leniency, he may agree to reduce the charge to a wet reckless or traffic infractions.

San Bernardino DUI Penalties

First time San Bernardino DUI convictions carry fairly standard penalties that are similar state-wide: 3 years of misdemeanor probation, a fine of about $1500.00 and the 4-month AB-541 alcohol program. Also, the San Bernardino court reports the DUI conviction to the California DMV, which then imposes a 6-month drivers license suspension.

San Bernardino DUI penalties in second and third time drunk driving cases become significantly harsher. California state law requires a minimum of 96 hours jail time on a second DUI and 120 days jail time on a third DUI. However, the San Bernardino District Attorney has set a drunk driving policy of seeking 45 days jail on a second offense and 180 days jail on a third offense. This can sometimes be served as a jail alternative such as a weekend release program or house arrest.

In any event, conviction for a San Bernardino DUI or drunk driving charge is never unavoidable. An experienced DUI defense attorney can often negotiate to get the charges reduced, or secure an acquittal at jury trial.

San Bernardino DUI Alcohol Programs & Classes

Persons convicted of a DUI offense in San Bernardino will be sentenced to complete either the four month AB541 or the 18 month SB38 alcohol program. These alcohol classes are offered throughout the state of California. DUI alcohol programs local to San Bernardino include:

Pegasus DUI San Bernardino
2282 North Sierra Way
San Bernardino, CA 92405
(909) 881-1570
Contact: Marcella Wess

Cedar House Rehabilitation Center
18612 Santa Ana Avenue
Bloomington, CA 92316
(909) 421-7120

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