Arrested for Your First DUI in Nevada County?
If this is your first DUI, you're probably scared, embarrassed, and lying awake wondering what it means for your job, your license, and your good name. Take a breath. A first-offense DUI is frightening, but it is not the end of your life, and you do not have to face it alone. Most people charged with a first DUI have never been in trouble a day in their lives. You are not a criminal. You're a person who needs someone standing between you and a system that feels overwhelming, and that's exactly what I do.
You have only 10 days to save your license
After a DUI arrest the clock starts immediately. You have just 10 days to request a DMV hearing — miss it and your license is suspended automatically, no matter what happens in court.
Call (530) 265-0186 nowA DUI is two cases, not one
Most people don't realize a single arrest sets two separate things in motion. There's the criminal case in Nevada County Superior Court, and there's a completely separate DMV action against your driver's license. They run on different tracks, with different rules and different deadlines, and you can win one while losing the other. The DMV side is where that 10-day clock lives. Handling both at once, so they don't work against each other, is a core part of what I do for you.
What a first DUI can mean in California
A first DUI is charged as a misdemeanor under California Vehicle Code §23152, but the consequences reach well past the courtroom: fines and fees, a license suspension, mandatory DUI education classes, probation, a possible ignition interlock requirement, and in some cases jail (though jail is uncommon on a clean first offense). And the part people forget, a conviction can raise your insurance for years, surface on background checks, and put professional licenses and certain jobs at risk.
That's why "it's only a first offense" is the wrong way to think about it. A first DUI is often the most defensible case, and the one most worth fighting, precisely because the stakes for your record and your future are so high. Often, the goal is getting the charge reduced, and the difference a reduction makes is real:
| Wet reckless | 1st-offense DUI | |
|---|---|---|
| Charge level | Misdemeanor | Misdemeanor |
| License suspension | None | 6 months (10 if 0.20%+) |
| Ignition interlock device | No | Up to 3 years |
| DUI program | None to 6 weeks | 3, 6, or 9 months |
| Jail (statutory range) | 5 to 90 days | 48 hrs to 6 months |
| Fines (before assessments) | Up to $1,000 | $390 to $1,000 |
| Probation | 0 to 1 year | 3 to 5 years |
| Counts as a prior DUI? | Yes (10 yrs) | Yes (10 yrs) |
| Expungement | Yes | After probation |
Figures show statutory ranges; actual outcomes depend on the facts of your case and current law. Jail is uncommon on a clean first offense.
A first DUI is more defensible than you think
The breath machine is not infallible, and the officer is not always right. When I take your case, I go looking for the cracks: Was the traffic stop even legal? Were the field sobriety tests administered correctly (they're far less reliable than juries are told)? Was the breath instrument calibrated and maintained the way Title 17 requires? Was your blood sample drawn, stored, and tested properly? Was your blood-alcohol level actually rising as you drove, meaning you were under the limit behind the wheel? I read the police reports, the maintenance and calibration logs, and the procedures line by line, because that's where first-offense cases are won.
Why work with me
I've practiced law in Nevada County for more than 25 years, including extensive criminal and DUI defense, and I know this courthouse, the prosecutors who staff it, and the judges who hear these cases. I'm a trial lawyer, not a plea mill, I prepare every case as if it's going to a jury, which is exactly what gives you leverage to resolve it on the best possible terms. And you work directly with me, not a rotating cast of associates. When you call, you get the person actually handling your case.
What it costs
I charge a clear, flat fee for DUI defense, so you know your cost up front, with no surprises. Your first consultation is free, and there's no obligation. The point of that call is simple: protect your license deadline, understand your options, and decide whether I'm the right lawyer for you.
Call before the 10-day clock runs out
If you've been arrested for your first DUI in Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee, or anywhere in Nevada County, call now for a free consultation. The sooner we talk, the more I can do, starting with that DMV hearing request.