SOUTH LAKE TAHOE DUI LAWYER
MICHAEL REHM - (530) 410-6474
FREE CONSULTATIONS
South Lake Tahoe is known as the residential and tourism center of El Dorado County. Located on the beautiful south shore of Lake Tahoe, tourists use the city as a base for water sports and for winter skiing. Tourists and residents alike enjoy the city's renowned restaurants, cocktail and wine bars, and brew pubs.
Drivers who end their day with too many drinks may face arrest for driving under the influence (DUI). Contacting a DUI defense attorney who handles cases in South Lake Tahoe should be the arrested driver's first priority.
DUI Arrests in South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe has one of the lowest DUI arrest rates in California, when cities are compared by population and miles driven. Nevertheless, in the most recent year reported by the Office of Traffic Safety, the police arrested 133 drivers for DUI in South Lake Tahoe. About 7% of DUI arrests in El Dorado County are for driving under the influence of drugs.
A driver who is arrested for DUI in South Lake Tahoe will be taken to the El Dorado County South Lake Tahoe Jail for booking. That jail is located at 1051 Al Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe. Arrested individuals are many times given the option to bail out immediately once arriving at the jail.
Prompt contact with an attorney can help drivers avoid or delay an automatic suspension of driving privileges. Acting quickly can also help a lawyer plan a defense while the facts are still fresh in the driver's memory.
DUI Charges in South Lake Tahoe
The decision to charge a driver with DUI is made by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office. In the most recent year reported by the DMV, that office charged a felony in 5% of cases. In 95% of the county's DUI cases, prosecutors charged one or more misdemeanors. Typical charges are one count of DUI and one count of driving “over the limit.”
Charges are filed with the El Dorado County Superior Court. Drivers will usually be required to attend at least one court appearance. When arrests are made in South Lake Tahoe, court appearances are usually held at the South Lake Tahoe Branch Courthouse, located at 1354 Johnson Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe. Three or four Superior Court judges are assigned to that courthouse, one of whom presides over DUI cases.
DUI Convictions in South Lake Tahoe
The goal of a DUI defense lawyer is to help drivers avoid a DUI conviction. Drivers who are not represented by a lawyer are almost always convicted, at a minimum, it is highly advised to have a public defender represent you. In the most recent year analyzed by the DMV, 79.5% of drivers who were charged with DUI in El Dorado County were convicted of DUI.
El Dorado County prosecutors agreed to plea bargains in 6.7% of their DUI cases. The “wet” form of reckless driving was the most common reduced charge.
Almost 14% of El Dorado County DUI prosecutions ended with no criminal conviction. Defense attorneys use a variety of tactics avoid convictions. An early assessment of the facts and careful strategic planning give DUI defendants the best chance of a favorable outcome.
Summary:
If you have been arrested in South Lake Tahoe, time is of the essence, the DMV needs to be contacted, and the police report and chemical test results obtained, in order to be properly prepared for the first court date in South Lake Tahoe. For more information on how the law will apply to the facts of your case, call Attorney Michael Rehm at (530) 410-6474 for a free, confidential consultation.