Many of our clients call for an update on their Los Angeles Driving Under the Influence case in between hearings. The truth is, the work in between Court appearances is constant. There are several things that need to be done, in addition to preparing for Court and DMV hearings.
One of the biggest things that needs to be done is obtaining discovery. Discovery is any kind of evidence that may be used for or against the client in Court. This could include audio and visual tapes, police reports, potential testimony or otherwise. Audio and visual recordings are of huge importance in a DUI case. Many officers have recorders on their belt that record all conversations they have with the driver. Visual recordings are getting to be a lot more common. The officer records the entire stop from beginning to the end. These recordings are important because they can give the Los Angeles DUI lawyer great insight into your DUI case and the potential strengths and weaknesses of your case.
For example, an officer may state in his report that you were speeding and that was his reason for pulling you over. Yet he does not mention anything about speeding on the visual or audio recording. This may be used in Court to discredit the officer’s testimony as well as his report. If the officer is discredited, there may not be any reason for you to be pulled over in the first place. An officer needs probable cause to pull you over for an initial stop. This can be anything from weaving in and out of lanes, to no license plate. If the officer states one thing on his report but never mentions it as a reason for pulling you over, it will appear to the Court that he may not have had a reason to pull you over, much less arrest you for a DUI.
All discovery is crucial to a case and it is necessary that it all be reviewed and discussed by your attorney before your case before the Criminal judge or the DMV progresses. All discovery must be formally requested through written request. Once the request is received, the attorney must check in on the status of the discovery, especially if a hearing or DMV date is rapidly approaching. In fact, continuing a court or DMV date because discovery has not yet been received is quite common.
Be sure that you have an experienced legal professional working on your behalf to get all necessary documents prior to your court appearance or DMV hearing date. It is necessary and crucial to your case that all the information has been reviewed before any plea is entered.