CALIFORNIA DUI-Drugs
Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles & Orange County DUI Criminal Lawyer & Attorney
According to the California Vehicle Code, Section 23152(a) applies not only to driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, but also to driving under the influence of drugs. When we refer to “drugs,” it can mean anything from marijuana to methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, etc… Likewise, this code section can apply to driving under the influence of prescription drugs such as vicodin, Percocet, oxycontin, etc…
If a police officer/sheriff’s deputy
contacts you and he/she believes you
are exhibiting signs/symptoms that
you may be under the influence of a
narcotic (ex. rapid speech, sweating,
trembling, twitching or frequent movements,
dilated pupils, etc…), he/she may arrest
you for what is commonly referred to
as “DUI-Drugs”. Many of the same procedures
apply to a “DUI-Drugs” case as to an
alcohol related DUI case. An arresting/investigating
officer will still have asked you a
series of investigative questions and
most likely to perform FST’s. To rule
out alcohol and/or determine whether
both alcohol and drugs are potentially
involved, the arresting/investigating
officer may have even requested that
you submit to a PAS or breath test,
in addition to a blood draw.
The mere fact that a person is found
to be driving under the influence of
a narcotic/controlled substance in
their system carries much harsher penalties
than had that person been driving solely
under the influence of an alcoholic
beverage. The penalty for being convicted
of a drug-related DUI offense will
generally include many of the same
punishments as an alcohol-related DUI
but statutorily carries mandatory,
and high jail penalties.
If you have been charged with a “DUI-Drugs” offense, do not worry. The experienced and knowledgeable DUI-Drugs defense attorneys at WILL & WILL, LLP can help you. We have criminalists that will re-test your blood to determine whether the results of the state’s blood test were correct. We will also request that a quantitative analysis be done to determine how much of the drug is actually in your system and if you could have been legally deemed “under the influence” of that drug at the time of driving. Many drugs stay in your system but show increasingly lower levels of toxixity as time goes by. This may be a valid defense in your case. There are many ways to try and attack drug test results. The DUI lawyers of WILL & WILL, LLP will leave no stone unturned in our fight to help you!
