One of the most frightening non-criminal bureaucratic actions the state can impose against you is the suspension of your driver’s license. That suspension may affect not only your sense of personal freedom but your very livelihood. If you find yourself facing a possible loss of your California driver’s license based…
A police officer with adequate training and experience in performing the horizontal gaze nystagmus test (HGN) may testify as to the significance of a defendant’s performance on an HGN test, according to a recent California Court of Appeal decision. Although HGN testing alone cannot determine whether a driver is under…
Everyone who has gone through the (often stressful) process of obtaining a driver’s license knows “the drill.” You have to pass a written test and you must also pass a “behind the wheel” exam to get your license. What’s more, you may have to take (and pass) one or both…
You don’t have to be in a large urban center like San Francisco or Oakland to be somewhere where traffic violations are a concern. In fact, recently, the police department for the northern California city of Eureka announced that it had received a $60,000 grant from the state Office of…
California has something called an “implied consent” law. This means if you are arrested for driving while intoxicated, it is implied that you have consented to a blood or breath test. Your refusal can trigger a suspension of your driver’s license. You may be able to avoid that license suspension,…
On September 21 of this year, the Sacramento Bee reported that Governor Jerry Brown directed the DMV to undergo an audit. The governor’s directive placed the task of handling the audit, which will focus on extremely long wait times and outdated technology, with the Department of Finance instead of the…
If you get on the Internet and use any popular search engine, you’ll find many web pages devoted to attempting to answer the question, “How do I get points on my driver’s license removed?” In California, there are some options. If you have been charged with a traffic violation, you…
In August 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 10, which enacted sweeping reforms to part of the state’s pre-trial criminal process, specifically bail. Under the new process, which will take effect in October 2019, cash bail is abolished. In its place will be a new system that…
Any speeding offense has the potential to inflict a negative impact on your life. However, an offense where you are accused of traveling at 100 mph or greater can have especially bad consequences, from higher fines to a higher number of points on your license to a loss of driving…
For many people, decisions by the DMV to suspend their driving privileges are massive and severe penalties. Many people must drive to earn a living, tend to their loved ones and even secure food to eat. Being left without driving as an option could potentially put them in a terrible…