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Laguna Hills DUI Information

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Laguna Hills DUI Information

If you were arrested for DUI in the City of Laguna Hills, your arrest could have been from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), or from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which patrols Laguna Hills. This page contains Laguna Hills DUI Information that you may find helpful regarding your pending matter, including court information and DUI driver’s license information.

Laguna Hills DUI Information – DUI Statistics

Laguna Hills (which consists entirely of the 92625 zip code) there were 13,407 people, 6,885 households, and 3,957 families residing in the city.  For the last year available (2014), there were 483 DUI arrests in Laguna Hills the 104th highest City in California, out of 105 cities, for DUI arrests.

TYPE OF ARRESTS ARRESTS % RATE OTS RANKING*
Laguna Hills DUI Arrests 483 0.92 104/105

Laguna Hills DUI Information – Police Agencies

California Highway Patrol
32951 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone: 949-487-4000

Orange County Sheriff’s Department
11 Journey,
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Patrol: (949) 425-1800

Laguna Hills Information – DUI Arrest Information

Arrests and other calls for service in Laguna Hills are available at the Orange County Sheriff’s Blotter website. (Select Laguna Hillsfrom the pull-down menu)

Most people booked and held in Orange County jail are listed in the OCSD Who’s in Jail website.

Laguna Hills DUI Information – The Prosecution

DUI cases from Laguna Hills are handled by the Harbor Justice Center branch of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Harbor Justice Center DA’s Office
4601 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-476-4650

Laguna Hills DUI Information – the Courthouse

DUI cases from Laguna Hills are handled at the Harbor Justice Center branch of the Orange County Superior Court.

Harbor Justice Center (HJC/NB)
Newport Beach Facility
4601 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, CA 92660-2595
Phone: (657) 622-5400

Laguna Hills arrests have their DMV hearings set at the DMV City of Orange Office of Driver Safety:

790 The City Drive South, Suite #420
Orange, CA 92868
Phone:  (714) 703-2511
The City of Orange Office of Driver Safety for the DMV handles drivers license hearings for all DUI cases in Orange County, including Laguna Hills.

Your Driver’s License and the DMV:

THE DMV REQUIRES THAT YOU ACT WITHIN ONLY TEN DAYS (not business days)from the date of your arrest to protect your driving privileges. It is best if you are going to retain an attorney, to allow the attorney’s office to schedule the DMV hearing for you. Our fee includes this service, and we can schedule a hearing that works with our availability (court and DMV) schedule. For your convenience, if you cannot retain an attorney within 10 days, the phone numbers for all Orange County DMV matters, to do so, is reproduced here:  (714) 703-2511

When you call, advise them that you are retaining an attorney, that you request a stay on your driver’s license suspension, and that you will be sending a written request for discovery. They will ask if you request an “in person” or “telephonic” hearing, and we recommend that you set it for an in person. By making this request you ensure that your driving privilege will not be suspended until your case is heard.

At the DMV hearing, a hearing officer will conduct the hearing. His or her function is to prosecute the case and make a final decision based on the evidence presented. Your need to drive or your need for a driver’s license for work are not considered relevant and cannot be considered at the hearing. Likewise, you cannot apply for a “hardship” license based upon medical, employment, or education right to drive, unless you are under age 21.

At your hearing, only the following issues will be discussed, by law:
(If you took a blood, or breath test)

  1. Did the officer have reasonable cause to believe you were driving a motor vehicle in violation of Vehicle Code 23140, 23152 or 23153?
  2. Were you placed under lawful arrest?
  3. Were you driving a motor vehicle when you had a 0.08% or more by weight of alcohol in your blood or 0.05% or more if under age 21?

Police Procedures:

The law requires that an officer have probable cause before you are arrested.Typically, the training for officers as well as case law requires police to establish probable cause by a violation of the law, an accident, and observations of the physical manifestation of intoxication. This is subjective, and many agencies require that Standardized Field Sobriety Tests be given, correctly, and perhaps a field breathalyzer, or PAS machine, to establish alcohol in your blood. Your Miranda warnings, or the “reading of your rights”, also require that you be advised or warned before they take testimony from you after an arrest.

Your Rights:

You have the right to refuse the FST’s, and you have the right not to state anything that may incriminate you. You even have the right to refuse a blood, breath, or urine test, but if you do so, your license will be suspended for one year. You always have the right to be treated fairly by the police, and for the police to not use unreasonable force against you during an arrest.

How can I estimate my Blood-Alcohol Level?
Use a Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) Calculator.

DUI Charges (The Law):

The California Vehicle Code, specifically, VC section 23152(a) and 23152(b), sets the law in DUI cases, and states as follows:

VC 23152:

(a) It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.

(b) It is unlawful for any person who has 0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a vehicle. For purposes of this article and Section 34501.16, percent, by weight, of alcohol in a person’s blood is based upon grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.

The two sections above are typically charged together. The first has to do with your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle, regardless of your blood-alcohol level. The second, or (b) count, requires that you have a .08% blood alcohol content, or BAC, by weight, California’s “legal limit”. The term “alcoholic beverage and drug” or “alcoholic beverage or drug” in the (a), or first count,does not mean that you were driving with drugs in your system, but that either alcohol or drugs, or both, were found at the time of driving, not that you, in fact, did have both in your system.

Laguna Hills DUI Information – Laguna Hills DUI Attorney

Our law firm of Miller and Associates, in Orange County, has handled Laguna Hills DUI trials, and cases, since 1995.  Our lead Orange County DUI Attorney, Robert Miller, and our Orange County DUI Lawyers can help your case.  Contact us today. 

Police Agencies, Procedures, and your Legal Rights:

Persons prosecuted in Orange County were likely arrested by one of the following agencies:

Court Locations and Phone Numbers:

Orange County has five court locations where Orange County DUIs may be prosecuted, depending upon which court had jurisdiction over the location where the arrest took place:

Central Justice Center (CJC)
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Phone: (657) 622-6878

Harbor Justice Center (HJC/NB)
Newport Beach Facility
4601 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, CA 92660-2595
Phone: (657) 622-5400

North Justice Center (NJC)
1275 North Berkeley Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92832-1258
Phone: (657) 622-5600

West Justice Center (WJC)
8141 13th Street
Westminster, CA 92683-4593
Phone: (657) 622-8459

What may happen to my insurance?

There are two ways insurance companies generally deal with customers convicted of a DUI in Orange County. First, your insurer may raise your insurance premiums and label you a high-risk driver if it finds out you’ve been convicted of DUI. You’ll likely have to file proof of insurance for three years minimum with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Your insurance company will have to provide the DMV with an SR-22 form, which is required to convert your license suspension with a restricted license. An SR-22 also means your insurance company is required to notify the DMV if it cancels your insurance for any reason during a three year period. Most other state laws require persons that have a DUI conviction to get an SR-22 also.

Insurance Links:

Orange County DUI Legal Research Links:

Orange County DUI Local Service Links:

Professional Legal Organizations and Associations:

We want this Laguna Hills DUI Information page to be as accurate as possible, and thus helpful for others.  This page is updated by the law firm of Miller & Associates.  Please let us know if there are any items that need updating.

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