ESCONDIDO DUI ATTORNEY - MICHAEL REHM
FREE CONSULTATIONS - (619) 787-3456
Compared to other cities of its size, Escondido has one of the lowest arrest rates in California for driving under the influence (DUI). The Escondido Police Department nevertheless conducts periodic DUI enforcement patrols, while the California Highway Patrol watches for erratic drivers on I-15 and Route 78.
In the most recent year analyzed by California's Office of Traffic Safety, almost 500 DUI arrests were made within the city limits of Escondido. Roughly 5% of DUI arrests each year are for driving under the influence of drugs. The large majority of arrests are based on driving with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.08.
Prosecution of Escondido DUI Arrests
Arrests for DUI in Escondido are prosecuted by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. The 500 Escondido arrests are a small subset of nearly 10,000 annual San Diego County DUI prosecutions.
While prosecutors hope to get a conviction in every case, everyone in the system understands that a significant number of drivers will avoid a DUI conviction. The police make mistakes that DUI defense attorneys are able to exploit. When lawyers get critical evidence thrown out, prosecutors are forced to dismiss cases.
In some cases, a driver is so close to the legal limit that a prosecutor doesn't want to risk having a jury find the driver not guilty. Prosecutors often plea bargain those cases to a lesser offense. In other cases, drivers go to trial and benefit from “not guilty” verdicts.
In San Diego County, about 77.3% of DUI prosecutions end with a DUI conviction. The most common plea bargain results in a conviction of “wet reckless,” a form of reckless driving that counts as a prior DUI if the driver is arrested for another DUI. A wet reckless exposes the driver to less jail time and a lower fine.
More than 10% of San Diego County prosecutions end with no conviction at all. A DUI defense lawyer may use a variety of defenses that result in a dismissal or acquittal. Drivers who are arrested for DUI in Escondido can learn about potential defenses from Attorney Michael Rehm at (619) 787-3456.
ESCONDIDO DUI LAWYER – MICHAEL REHM
FREE CONSULTATIONS – (619) 787-3456
Escondido DUI Resources: