San Bernardino DUI Defense Lawyers

Our society doesn’t look kindly on those accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you’re stopped for a first-time DUI in San Bernardino County, you can expect serious criminal and civil penalties, including up to six months in jail, years of probation, more than $1,000 in court fees and fines, months of DUI classes and the loss of your driver’s license for at least four months. If you have a prior DUI within the last ten years, were under age 21 or had special circumstances like speeding, your penalties will only increase. And then there are the personal problems a DUI can cause, which include an immediate and sharp increase in your car insurance premiums, trouble at work and social problems.

Wallin & Klarich can help. We have practiced criminal and DUI defense law in Southern California for more than 30 years defending thousands of clients accused of DUI in the Inland Empire and elsewhere. Thanks to that long experience, we know exactly what the prosecution needs to show that you’re guilty of intoxicated driving -- and we know how to show that they don’t have the evidence. We understand that blowing a 0.08 blood-alcohol concentration isn’t the same as driving drunk, and we can prove it, using scientific evidence that shows just how unreliable these tests can be. Even if you believe a guilty plea is your best option, we can negotiate with prosecutors to get the lightest possible charges or penalties.

The breath test used by San Bernardino County and California law enforcement is notorious among San Bernadino DUI lawyers for its unreliability. The results of a breath test can be thrown off by any one of a number of factors, including how recently and what foods the subject has eaten; certain health problems; any medications; lack of training for the arresting officer; even the amount of humidity in the air. You cannot decline a breath or blood test in California without facing additional penalties, but you should never be convicted by the results of these flawed tests alone. Wallin & Klarich will use these and other circumstances surrounding the test to aggressively defend you in court, demanding a reduction in charges anytime the prosecution can’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were over the limit.

We can also help with the DMV license suspension faced by the majority of DUI arrestees. In most cases, law enforcement will take away your license at the scene, before you’ve even been convicted, in anticipation of a license suspension of at least four months. That can be catastrophic for many in the Inland Empire, who rely on driving to get to work, run errands and perform other everyday tasks. You can fight the suspension by requesting an administrative hearing from the DMV, but you have just ten days to make that request. Wallin & Klarich will defend you at both the DMV hearing and the San Bernardino criminal DUI case -- frequently using the same arguments. Our goal is always to minimize the effect a DUI arrest has on your job, your family and your life.

At Wallin & Klarich, we approach each case with the belief that we could easily be defending one of our own family members. Because we’ve defended DUIs in California for more than three decades, we’ve seen firsthand how stressful the charge can be to our clients and their families. That’s why we’re committed to always being available when our clients call: 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year. And we offer free initial consultations, so there’s no risk to you in calling Wallin & Klarich for an expert opinion on your case. We promise to be there when you call.

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