By author on September 27th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
How come some car insurance companies want me to get them after I have been convicted with DUI here in Los Angeles, California? Do I have to expect my rates to increase and what is SR22?
Herman
Los Angeles, CA
After your DUI conviction in Los Angeles, California, you probably know by now that the financial ramifications of DUI don’t stop with the fines, assessment and fees that you paid for during the course of the proceedings of your DUI case. You would also be required to provide the court with a proof of insurance (SR22 insurance), which comes from your insurance company. You may consult with your lawyer as to how you can get the SR22 insurance without raising an alert or better yet, go on and get an online rate quote now from this website for your SR22 insurance.
You have to expect increased car insurance rates for many years to come. It would be nearly impossible to avoid increased car insurance rates after a DUI and consider yourself lucky if you are able to maintain your current car insurance at all. A number of car insurance companies want you after your DUI conviction but don’t just jump ship from your current policy until you hear the premium rates that these “high-risk driver” insurance companies offer because they are significantly higher.
By author on September 26th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
I need an SR22 auto insurance after being charged with DUI here in Los Angeles, California. How long do I have to maintain it and how long will my DUI stay on my record?
Virgil
Los Angeles, CA
It’s a good thing that you are now thinking about getting SR22 auto insurance after being charged with DUI in Los Angeles, California. You need the SR22 auto insurance so that you can get your driver’s license back at the end of your suspension period. That is actually a requirement by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to reinstate your driver’s license. You have to carry the SR22 auto insurance for three years under normal circumstances. But the terms can be extended with the presence of stricter enforcement of DMV laws and lobbying against drunk drivers.
The bad part about your DUI charge is that this violation would stay on your driving record for 10 years. It would be rated for points by auto insurance companies for three years, so that would be some relief, but most preferred insurers don’t take drivers with DUI violations, so it may be a long wait until you get that kind of policy. But you can absolutely get a free online rate quote for your SR22 auto insurance from this website.
By author on September 24th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
I have a DUI conviction here in Los Angeles, California and my ultimate concern now is my auto insurance. How do auto insurance companies handle things such as DUI convictions?
Marcelo
Los Angeles, CA
Your ultimate destiny with regard to your auto insurance after your DUI conviction in Los Angeles, California rests with your auto insurance company. Let’s take an instance like one auto insurance company’s action concerning your DUI depends on which subsidiary you’re with. The auto insurance company would review rate-increase decisions on a case-to-case basis. If you currently have a preferred policy with your insurer and you receive a DUI, the auto insurance company will likely move you to its standard policy for riskier drivers and higher rates.
On another auto insurance company, you may not face a cancellation or non-renewal because of your DUI, but you may face a rate increase. They will also review rates on a case-to-case basis, with multiple factors such as gender, your vehicle model, age and driving history going into your rate. Not only that you will have increased rates because of your DUI conviction, but the premiums on your life insurance may be affected, too. Get an online rate quote now from this website and I am sure you’ll find out great deals for your auto insurance.
Tags: auto insurance, DUI, DUI conviction
By author on September 17th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
I know that on my first court date for my DUI charge here in Los Angeles, California, I would have to plead guilty or not guilty for the charge. What other things usually happens during the first court hearing?
Izzie
Los Angeles, CA
Aside from the advisement of your rights, reading the charges against you and entering a plea of guilty or not guilty, there are some other things that would happen on your arraignment or first court date for your DUI charge in Los Angeles, California. This is when the court will decide whether or not to set bail, or whether any preliminary bail amount set by the police must be changed.
You driver’s license will also be confiscated and your California driving privileges will be suspended. If you have refused a blood alcohol test, the judge will schedule an administrative hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles to determine if your privileges should be revoked for refusing the test. During the arraignment, the court will also schedule a future date and time for further proceedings regarding your DUI case. The judge would specify what the reason is for the next court appearance or proceedings. The reasons could include a preliminary hearing, a pre-trial conference, pre-trial motions, or trial.
By author on September 17th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
I have a DUI charge here in Los Angeles, California and I think they have a strong case against me? Do you think I should simply plead guilty to my DUI case?
Jackson
Los Angeles, CA
No, you don’t have to plead guilty to your DUI case in Los Angeles, California even if you think that they have a strong case against you. The truth is that a DUI conviction in the state of California carries significant penalties and ramifications which you will feel for many years if you simply plead guilty to your DUI case. It would be very foolish to assume that there would be no chance of success in a DUI case yet we are repeatedly faced with this common mistake.
Every Municipal Court Judge encourages those who are accused of DUI to retain a DUI defense lawyer at the time of arraignment because they know that there is something that could be accomplished by a defense lawyer in a DUI case. An experienced DUI lawyer would tell you that there are a lot of defenses to DUI charges and the honest truth is that you will never have the advantage if utilizing those possible defenses unless you consult a knowledgeable DUI defense lawyer. And I’m pretty sure that any DUI lawyer you consult will tell you that you don’t have to immediately plead guilty on your DUI charge.
By author on September 15th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
I wonder how police officers work in Los Angeles, California in finding out those who are driving under the influence. How do police officers detect drunk drivers on the road?
Liz
Los Angeles, CA
Building upon a previous research of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), researchers did some interview with officers from across the country and developed a list of more than 100 driving cues that have been found to predict blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. The list was later on reduced to 24 driving cues during three field studies involving hundreds of officers and more than 12,000 enforcement stops. The driving behaviors identified by the police officers are divided into four categories: problems in maintaining proper lane position, speed and braking problems, vigilance problems, and judgment problems.
The cues that are presented in the four categories predict that a driver is under the influence at least 35% of the time. For example, if a driver is weaving or weaving across lane lines, the probability of DUI is more than 50%. But if you observe any of the weaving cues and any other cue, the probability of DUI jumps to at least 65%. This is how police officers in Los, Angeles, California observe motorists to find out those who are driving under the influence.
By author on September 14th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
My brother was charged with DUI here in Los Angeles, California and his DMV hearing is in three days. What are the things that are involved in this kind of hearing and where is this held?
Renz
Los Angeles, CA
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hearing of your brother’s DUI case in Los Angeles, California would take place in a closed room at one the local DMV Drivers Safety Offices. A DMV hearing officer would preside at the course of this hearing. Your brother will be required to be present, along with his DUI lawyer and any witnesses that may be called by either side. The hearing officer should decide three things, all of which should be true before the driver’s license could be suspended. They must prove that your brother was driving a motor vehicle, he was lawfully arrested and his blood alcohol content was at or above a .08% at the time of driving.
Normally, a DUI lawyer would provide the hearing officer with a written legal motion as to why a license suspension should not be imposed. In appropriate cases, the DUI lawyer may call the arresting officer, the defendant and/or their own toxicologists to testify. Questioning the arresting officer at the DMV hearing would generates a transcript that could be used later to negotiate the case with the prosecutor, and/or to prepare the DUI case for a possible trial.
Tags: blood alcohol content, DMV, driver’s license, DUI, DUI lawyer
By author on September 13th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
One thing that we need to worry about my daughter’s DUI case here in Los Angeles, California would be the costs that it entails. We even worry if we will get a DUI lawyer to defend her because we know it would cost us too much. Aside from the fines that she might be paying if she gets convicted, what other costs does my daughter has to worry about?
Eddie
Los Angeles, CA
Your daughter’s DUI case in Los Angeles, California, without a doubt, would cost her a lot. Aside from the fines and court fees, there are other indirect costs that would be involved whether she gets convicted or acquitted on her DUI case. One of the indirect costs includes time lost from work by going to court appearances and serving jail time. There are also some required conditions of probation such as restitution for injuries and property damage in wreck cases. Transportation costs would include bus or cab fare while her driver’s license is suspended. Occupational license costs hundreds of dollars as well.
The other things that your daughter would have to consider would be possible job loss or limitation of opportunities. I hate to mention this but marriages and other personal relationships could also be seriously and deeply wounded. So given the extraordinary impact that a DUI conviction could have, it would be crucial to obtain legal assistance. A lot of people believe that they could not afford a lawyer and simply walk into the court and plead guilty without a lawyer. But your daughter doesn’t have to do it alone because in the long run, the DUI lawyer fee may not seem so much after all.
By author on September 10th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
I heard my mom and my sister talking about getting an SR22 auto insurance or something like that. I kinda have an idea about it but I don’t really know exactly what it is. Is this one required after my sister’s DUI charge here in Los Angeles, California?
Harriet
Los Angeles, CA
Yes, Harriet, an SR22 auto insurance is required after your sister’s DUI charge in Los Angeles, California. This form would be an agreement between the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the insurance company which states that they are providing the required coverage for your sister. This also means that if for any reason the insurance company is no longer providing the coverage for her, they would have to notify the DMV about it. If this happens, the DMV could suspend her driving privileges again for not maintaining the required high risk auto insurance coverage.
So the SR22 auto insurance could be basically considered as a contract between the DMV and the insurance company. The first thing that your sister should do is to work out a deal with her insurance company if they could be able to provide her the SR22 auto insurance. If they can’t file the SR22 form for her, she would have to seek out other insurance company that could provide her the necessary coverage. I recommend that she get an online rate quote for her SR22 auto insurance directly from this website.
By author on September 10th, 2008
Reader’s Question:
In Los Angeles, California, would it really help if law enforcement officers would be tough in DUI arrests or it would not make any difference?
Nico
Los Angeles, CA
Car culture, obviously, increases in Los Angeles, California so vehicle sales have been shooting through the roof. A lot of people are owning a car and one problem with it is that the roads are not correspondingly increasing. But if this would happen, everyone will be driving like those F1 drivers on the roads. There are also those drunken motorists who drive breakneck speeds in the middle of the city. As we all very well know, drinking and driving would never go hand in hand. A motorist could be convicted for DUI if the blood alcohol level is 0.08% or more.
This would simply put tremendous social pressure on the law enforcement agencies to make the necessary DUI arrests. After all, driving under the influence is a criminal offense and could be considered a social menace. This would somehow force the law enforcement agencies to get tough on DUI arrests. In my honest opinion, getting tough in DUI arrests are being beneficial in slowly, but still, reducing the social problem.
