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DUI Defense Attorneys in Merced County, California
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A San Joaquin Valley county where dairy and row-crop agriculture anchor the economy and UC Merced, opened in 2005, is the University of California's newest campus; the courthouse sits in the city of Merced. The court of record is the Superior Court of California, County of Merced — counsel who appear there regularly read the local calendar better than any brochure.
The law also keeps time: ten days from arrest to request the DMV administrative hearing under Cal. Veh. Code § 13353.2. The DMV's administrative per se suspension is separate from the criminal case — missing the 10-day window forfeits the hearing. Most misdemeanor DUI charges must be filed within one year (Cal. Penal Code § 802). The plaque below carries the citation; the roster that follows carries the rest.
The clock & the court
Ten days from arrest to request the DMV administrative hearing.
Cal. Veh. Code § 13353.2
The DMV's administrative per se suspension is separate from the criminal case — missing the 10-day window forfeits the hearing. Most misdemeanor DUI charges must be filed within one year (Cal. Penal Code § 802).
Superior Court of California, County of Merced.
County seat: Merced
Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.merced.courts.ca.gov
DUI Defense · Merced County roster
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DUI Defense questions, cited
What happens to my license after a DUI arrest in California?
Two tracks run at once. The DMV's administrative per se process moves to suspend the license for driving at 0.08% BAC or higher (Cal. Veh. Code § 13353.2) — you have ten days from arrest to request a hearing, or the suspension takes effect automatically. The criminal case in superior court proceeds separately, and its outcome triggers its own license consequences (Veh. Code § 13352).
What are the penalties for a first DUI in California?
A first misdemeanor conviction typically carries three to five years of informal probation, fines and penalty assessments, a three-month (or longer) DUI program (Cal. Veh. Code § 23538), a license suspension with restricted-license options, and possible jail up to six months (Veh. Code § 23536). Most first offenders can drive with an ignition interlock device or restrictions under Veh. Code § 13352.4.
Can a DUI become a felony in California?
Yes — when it causes injury to another (Cal. Veh. Code § 23153, chargeable as a felony), when it is a fourth DUI within ten years (Veh. Code § 23550), or when the driver has a prior felony DUI (§ 23550.5). DUI causing death can be charged as gross vehicular manslaughter (Cal. Penal Code § 191.5) or, with prior DUI advisements, second-degree murder under People v. Watson (1981) 30 Cal.3d 290.
Do prior DUIs count against me, and for how long?
California uses a ten-year lookback: prior DUI and "wet reckless" convictions within ten years elevate the penalties for a new offense (Cal. Veh. Code § 23540, § 23546). A wet reckless plea under Veh. Code § 23103.5 reduces immediate penalties but still counts as a prior. Convictions also remain on the criminal record unless later dismissed under Penal Code § 1203.4.
Can I refuse a breath or blood test in California?
After a lawful DUI arrest, refusing chemical testing triggers a mandatory one-year license suspension for a first refusal under the implied consent law (Cal. Veh. Code § 23612, § 13353), on top of any DUI penalties — and the refusal is admissible. Pre-arrest handheld screening tests are generally optional for drivers 21 and over who are not on DUI probation.
Legal information, not legal advice.
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