Redwood City and South San Francisco DUI law

San Mateo County DUI offenses receive different treatment than persons charged with DWI offenses elsewhere.  DUI attorneys should be familiar with the local Redwood City and South San Francisco judges and their practices and interpretations of DWI statutes.

Persons charged with driving under the influence (DUI) cases have court in Redwood City or South San Francisco, depending on the location of the arrest.  A DUI lawyer should inform you that unlike other counties that have one department that always does arraignments, San Mateo County DUI arraignments are done with all the other misdemeanor arraignments with a different judge doing the arraignments on a different day of the week.  When a Redwood City or South San Francisco DUI case is arraigned, the attorney enters a not guilty plea.  The lawyer then sets the case for motions (to suppress the evidence, for example) and a pre trial conference.  The DWI lawyer will attempt to get the case dismissed or reduced.  At the pre trial conference, the attorney will try to mitigate the DUI consequences of any sentence.

DUI attorneys should warn their clients that in Redwood City or South San Francisco, the judges try to add additional jail or work alternative time if the DUI case involves a blood level alcohol reading of .15% or higher.  DWIs with a .20% or higher face potentially more penalties: a nine month DUI school. 

Attorneys should instruct their clients that Redwood City or South San Francisco DWI cases with sentences of 90 days or less of jail may qualify for a non jail alternative, the sheriff’s work program.  The person must apply for such a program by calling the work program and being screened over the telephone.  If the work program rejects the person, the person must serve his DUI sentence in actual jail.

DUI fines are paid through Revenue Services.  A person convicted of a DUI must contact the Revenue Services to arrange payments.  Attorneys should advise their clients that if they elect to make payments, the courts add a one time service charge of $35 as a fee to make payments.

Lawyers who are familiar with San Mateo DUI offenses should know that the judges look very favorably upon persons who enroll into residential DUI treatment programs.  DWI residential treatment programs serve as non jail alternatives.