The deadline nobody tells you about.
A California DUI is two separate cases. One is criminal, and it's heard in San Joaquin County. The other is administrative, run by the DMV, and it decides whether you keep your licence.
The DMV case has a 10-day deadline from the date of arrest to request a hearing. It runs whether or not you've spoken to anyone. If that window closes without a request, the suspension proceeds without anyone putting your side of it.
If you're inside those ten days, call now and we'll deal with the rest afterwards. (916) 277-8299.
How to choose a DUI attorney in San Joaquin County.
I'm Chris Parkhurst, Esq., State Bar number 203402, and I've been defending DUI cases in Northern California since 1999. You work with us directly rather than with an intake team.
In my opinion the question worth asking any attorney here is simply whether they have actually appeared in this county's courthouse, and how recently. Knowing how this court runs its criminal calendar and how this District Attorney's office evaluates cases is county-level knowledge. You earn it by being there.
What you've actually been charged with.
Most California DUI arrests are charged under Vehicle Code section 23152. Whether it's a misdemeanour or a felony depends on your record and on whether anyone was injured — an injury allegation moves it to a different section entirely.
I'm not going to set out penalty ranges here, because the range that applies to you depends on facts I'd need to read. For how the charge works, see DUI defense. For your licence, see licence and DMV hearings.
Who arrested you matters.
San Joaquin is the southern end of my service area, and it has a split that catches people out: the court and the District Attorney are in Stockton, but the jail and the Sheriff are in French Camp, about ten miles south. If you're trying to find someone who has been arrested, that is the first thing to know.
These agencies work inside San Joaquin County:
- Stockton Police Department
- Lodi Police Department
- Manteca Police Department
- Tracy Police Department
- San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office
- California Highway Patrol — working Interstate 5, Interstate 205 and State Route 99
The report drives the case. Who wrote it, what equipment they used, whether body-worn footage exists and how the stop was documented all vary by agency, even though the courtroom does not. So when you call, tell me who arrested you.
Where your case is heard.
Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin, 180 E Weber Ave, Stockton, CA 95202. (209) 992-5555
Prosecuted by the San Joaquin County District Attorney, 222 E Weber Ave, Suite 202, Stockton, CA 95202. (209) 468-2400
Someone arrested here is generally booked into the San Joaquin County Jail, 999 W Mathews Rd, French Camp, CA 95231. (209) 468-4384
For the wider county picture, see San Joaquin County. Cities I serve here:
How I handle a San Joaquin County case.
- The DMV request first. If the ten days are still open, that gets done before anything else.
- Read the file. The police report, the arrest records, the witness statements — early, while charging decisions are still open.
- Test the case. Whether the stop or search was lawful, whether every element is actually supported, and whether there are constitutional problems worth a motion.
- Investigate. Obtaining surveillance and body-worn footage before it's overwritten, and checking the report against what the physical evidence shows.
- Negotiate. Working directly with San Joaquin County deputy district attorneys. Most cases resolve here, and the leverage comes from knowing exactly what the file supports.
- Trial where the offer isn't reasonable.
Questions I get every week.
How long do I have to act on my licence after a San Joaquin County DUI?
Ten days from the arrest to request a DMV hearing. That is a separate proceeding from the criminal case, it runs on its own clock, and nobody at the roadside is required to remind you. Miss it and the suspension proceeds with nobody arguing your side. More on how a DUI takes your licence.
Where is my San Joaquin County DUI case heard?
At Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin, 180 E Weber Ave, Stockton, CA 95202. (209) 992-5555 More on how that court and that District Attorney work: San Joaquin County.
Who arrested me?
It depends where you were stopped. Stockton Police Department, Lodi Police Department, Manteca Police Department, Tracy Police Department and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office all work this county, and the CHP works Interstate 5, Interstate 205 and State Route 99. Different agency, different report, different equipment. If you're trying to help someone who is in custody, this walks through what to do first.
Is a DUI always a misdemeanour?
No. It depends on your record and on whether anyone was injured. Which section gets charged changes the exposure substantially, so the honest answer is that it depends on facts I'd need to read. See DUI defense.
What will it cost?
It depends on the charge, whether it resolves before filing and whether it goes to trial. I quote a flat fee for a defined scope, agreed in writing before you pay anything. The consultation is free. I've written more on how criminal defense fees actually work.
Get started.
Being arrested is one of the more frightening things that happens to people, and the waiting afterwards is often worse than the arrest itself. In my experience things are rarely as bad as they feel in that first week.
I treat my clients the way I would want an attorney to treat my mother, if she met with one. My Sacramento office is at 701 E Street. Call me and meet me personally. You'll see what I mean.
Call (916) 277-8299. The consultation is free.
