You’ll work directly with a senior DUI attorney who knows the LA courts and the people in them.
We keep our caseload low so we can focus on every detail of your case — the body cam footage, the reports, the tests, and the DMV paperwork — nothing gets overlooked.
We have a 98% client satisfaction rate, a five-star Google rating, and a record of successful outcomes for our clients.
We know the LA courts system and the key prosecutors and judges, plus we handle representation at all area courts, including:
- Airport Courthouse (LAX)
- Metro Courthouse (DTLA)
- Van Nuys Courthouse
- Long Beach Courthouse
- Pasadena Courthouse
- Glendale DMV / Covina Driver Safety Office (DMV hearings)
We fight for dismissals and reductions by challenging illegal stops, flawed tests, and procedural mistakes — and we move fast, because you only have 10 days to protect your license.
Most importantly, we’re available to answer your questions 24/7, we return most calls and texts on the same business day, and our team is honest and compassionate. We don’t believe in scare tactics – we offer clear guidance, real answers, and a team that treats you like a person, not a case number.
LA's DMV APS Process
In Los Angeles, you have to take action within 10 days of your DUI arrest to protect your driver's license. That's because of the state's DMV Admin Per Se (APS) process.
- 10-day deadline: Request a DMV hearing within 10 days or your license is automatically suspended.
- This hearing is separate from your criminal case: The DMV decides your driving privilege; the court handles the criminal case. This means that your license can potentially be suspended twice.
- Lower standard of proof: A DMV hearing officer evaluates the legality of the stop, arrest, and your BAC/refusal.
- Winning your hearing is possible: We can use evidence of faulty breath tests, blood contamination, illegal stops, rising BAC, and missing documentation to challenge your license suspension. And if you don’t win the APS hearing, we’ll help you get an Occupational License.
APS Suspension Lengths
- First DUI: 4 months (IID available)
- Second DUI: 1 year
- Refusal to test: 1 to 3 years
Los Angeles DUI Penalties
First DUI
- Up to 6 months in jail
- $390 to $1,000 fines (often $1,800–$3,000 total)
- 3 to 5 years probation
- 3 to 9 months DUI school
- 6-month suspension or IID
Second DUI
- 96 hours to 1 year jail
- 18 to 30 months DUI school
- 2-year suspension
- 1-year IID
Third DUI
- 120 days to 1 year in jail
- 30-month DUI school
- 3-year suspension
- Habitual Traffic Offender status
How We Beat DUI Charges in Los Angeles
We attack every weakness in the prosecution’s case, including:
- Illegal traffic stops by LAPD, LASD, or CHP
- Incorrect or subjective field sobriety tests
- Faulty or uncalibrated breathalyzers
- Blood test contamination or chain-of-custody errors
- BAC testing issues
- Violations of the required 15-minute observation period
- Missing, inconsistent, or flawed police reports
By exposing these errors, we regularly win dismissals, charge reductions, and DMV hearing victories for our clients.
What Happens After You Contact Michael & Associates?
1. We offer a free consultation – one of our senior trial attorneys will review your case.
2. After you’ve chosen to retain us, we will immediately request your DMV hearing
3. We obtain all police reports, videos, and lab records
4. We challenge evidence and negotiate
5. We represent you at your DMV hearing and all court appearances
6. Your case is resolved – whether through a dismissal, a reduction in charges, a plea agreement, or a trial.
Types of DUI Cases We Handle in Los Angeles
- First-time DUI
- Repeat DUI
- High-BAC DUI
- DUI with accident or injury
- Felony DUI
- THC & drug DUI (DUID)
- Under-21 DUI
- Refusal cases
- Commercial driver DUI
- Hit-and-run DUI
- Probation violations
If it involves DUI in LA County, we handle it.
California DUI Statistics: Why Los Angeles Drivers Need Serious Defense
After a long decline since 2010, California has started seeing a dangerous rise in alcohol-related crashes and DUI arrests. These numbers show how aggressively the state prosecutes these cases—and why having a top-tier DUI lawyer matters.
According to California DMV annual reports:
- 125,000+ DUI arrests statewide in 2023
- 124,141 DUI arrests in 2019
- 68.9% of California DUI defendants in 2019 were convicted
- 5.6% of DUI convictions in 2019 were due to DUID (driving under the influence of drugs)
- Of those convicted in 2019, 72.8% were first-time offenders
- 27.2% of DUI convictions in 2019 involved repeat offenders
- The median BAC (blood alcohol concentration) among those convicted in 2019 was 0.16%, double the California limit of .08%.
- 1,159 alcohol-impaired crash deaths in 2020 — a 20% increase from 2019
- 13,599 total traffic fatalities in 2021, up 16% from 2020
- 88,043 DUI convictions in 2019
For Los Angeles drivers, these trends mean stricter enforcement, tougher prosecutors, and more aggressive DMV action—making experienced representation essential.
Sources: Michael & Associates research, California 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the California DUI Management Information System from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), nhtsa.gov
