IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS BEEN ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH A CRIME OR MAY BE UNDER INVESTIGATION BY POLICE, YOU NEED A PASSIONATE, AGGRESSIVE ATTORNEY ON YOUR SIDE TO FIGHT FOR YOU.  CONTACT US NOW FOR A FREE CONSULTATION WITH A STUDIO CITY CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY.  818-646-8788.

STUDIO CITY CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND DUI LAWYER
Studio City is conveniently located near to the 101, 134 and 118 Freeways at the Southern tip of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.  Nearby cities and neighborhoods include: North Hollywood, Universal City, Burbank, Toluca Lake, Hollywood Hills, Valley Village and Sherman Oaks.  Home to CBS, NBC and Universal Studios, Studio City has a booming entertainment industry as well as excellent restaurants and night life, flowing along Ventura Boulevard and Laurel Canyon.  Many famous Hollywood celebrities have homes in the hills South of Ventura Boulevard.  Studio City has under 40,000 residents, with significantly higher than average income levels for Los Angeles.  The Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar are located conveniently on Ventura Blvd in Studio City, near Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

Studio City has fairly low crime for Los Angeles.  The LAPD's North Hollywood Division provides law enforcement services for Studio City.  Criminal and traffic cases proceed to the Van Nuys Courthouse, where misdemeanors are prosecuted by the LA City Attorney's Office and felonies by the LA District Attorney.  Despite low crime, there are plenty of arrests.  Throughout LA County, and Studio City is no exception, there is very aggressive enforcement and prosecution for DUI and Domestic Violence.  DUI checkpoints are fairly common on weekends, and officers receive extensive training in field sobriety tests, using chemical testing devices and handling domestic violence investigations as well.  Drug crimes are also common, with offenses ranging from simple possession to possession for sale.  With a fairly large retail presence, there are also theft crimes in Studio City.

If you have been arrested and charged with a crime your lawyer can raise a variety of defenses, write, file and argue motions and fight your case at preliminary hearings and trial.  Contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar for a free consultation with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.

EXAMPLE OF A STUDIO CITY DUI CASE:
Two years ago, Noah was arrested for DUI, after being stopped for speeding on the 101 by the California Highway Patrol.  Noah blew a .11, above the legal limit.  Still, his Los Angeles DUI Lawyer was able to get his DUI charge reduced to a "wet reckless" meaning that Noah avoided a DUI conviction, as well as LA County's ignition interlock device (IID) installation requirement.  Now, Noah is driving home from a dinner event in Studio City, when he encounters a DUI checkpoint on Ventura Boulevard.  Noah is still on DUI probation, and his "wet reckless" conviction can be used as a prior DUI.  

Noah is stopped at the checkpoint, and he tells the officers that he is on DUI probation.  The officers immediately ask Noah to step out of the vehicle and blow into the preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) devices, a handheld breathalyzer used by police to determine alcohol intoxication.  It is important to note that most drivers have a right to refuse to blow into the PAS device, but because Noah is on DUI probation, The officer smells some alcohol, but the PAS device is not working properly.  Back at the station, Noah is asked to submit to a breath or blood test.  Noah chooses breath.  He blows a .10 and a .11.

Noah is charged with DUI with a prior in Van Nuys Courthouse and is now facing mandatory jail time and a one year license suspension.  He hires a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney to help him with his case.  The attorney will fight to get Noah the best possible outcome in his case.  First, Noah can avoid the license suspension and jail time if the attorney can negotiate another "wet reckless" reduction with the Los Angeles City Attorney.  Getting the "wet reckless" reduction a second time around is more difficult, but can be done with the help of a skilled lawyer.  Noah's defense lawyer can also file a motion to suppress the evidence, arguing that Noah was arrested without probable cause.  Due to the failure of the PAS device, the lack of bad driving pattern, and the officer not having Noah perform field sobriety tests prior to arrest, the officer did not do what is expected of a police officer in a DUI investigation, making the arrest premature under the law.  

If all else fails, Noah can assert his right to a trial, where his lawyer will call and expert witness and assert the "rising BAC" defense.  Essentially, Noah's breath test resulted in a reading slightly above the legal limit.  However, the law requires the government to prove intoxication at the time of driving.  Frequently, when people drink and then drive very soon thereafter, the alcohol has not begun to affect, and will take two or more hours to actually affect the driver's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.  This means there is a strong likelihood that Noah's BAC was below the legal limit of .08 at the time he was driving a car.  Only after hours of waiting around did enough alcohol get absorbed into his blood to impair his ability to drive.

Noah also has a DMV Administrative Per Se hearing to be concerned about, but his attorney will be able to assert many of the same defenses at that hearing as in court.  In order to keep his license, he has to be successful both in court and at his DMV hearing.

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Studio City, Universal City, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Burbank, Toluca Lake or anywhere else in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar for a free consultation with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.  Being arrested and facing criminal charges is scary.  We can help.

Nicholas M. Loncar, Esq.
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney
Office: 818.646.8788 | Fax: 818.646.8772
Mobile: 323.8034352 | Toll-Free: 888.200.9454
www.iDefendLosAngeles.com
Nicholas.Loncar@iDefendLosAngeles.com
12198 Ventura Blvd | Suite 207
Studio City, CA | 91604

Published By: Nicholas Loncar | Written by Nicholas Loncar