Riverside DUI Attorney

Riverside remains one of the few counties in California to impose jail time systematically for first-time DUI offenders. That is why our Riverside DUI lawyers use every defense strategy available to get your charges reduced to a lesser offense or dismissed.

Below our Riverside DUI defense attorneys answer these frequently-asked-questions:

• 1. Do I lose my driver’s license?
• 2. What is the criminal DUI sentence in Riverside?
• 3. What is DUI School?
• 4. Who makes DUI arrests?
• 5. Where is the jail?
• 6. Where is the Riverside courthouse?
• 7. Who is Riverside DUI attorney Michael Scafiddi?

1. Do I lose my driver’s license?

California DUI law cases have two prongs: 1) The criminal case, and 2) The DMV case. Following a DUI arrest in Riverside, the police officer exchanges the defendant’s driver’s license with a pink, temporary license good for thirty days. Defendants then have ten days to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to ask for a DMV hearing to contest the license suspension.

During the DMV hearing, the defendant’s criminal defense attorney can cross-examine witnesses and present evidence in an effort to show the defendant was not driving under the influence. Typical defenses are that the police did not administer the field sobriety tests correctly or that that the breathalyzer used for the chemical test was defective.

Note that even if defendants lose their DMV hearing, they may be able to continue driving with an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in their vehicle.

Misdemeanor DUI defendants are typically charged under Vehicle Code 23152(a) for driving impaired and under and Vehicle Code 23152(b) for driving with excessive blood alcohol.

Lincoln Station
8181 Lincoln Ave
Riverside, CA 92504

DUI arrests on the I-215 or SR-91 are often made by the California Highway Patrol.

5. Where is the jail?

Riverside DUI inmates are usually held at either of these jails:

Robert Presley Detention Center
4000 Orange Street
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 955-4500

Southwest Detention Center
30755-B Auld Road
Murrieta, CA 92563
(951) 696-3050

Generally, drunk driving suspects in Riverside County get released from jail within a few hours of arrest. In a felony DUI, DUI with injury, or vehicular manslaughter case, inmates may be held in custody until posting bail.

Juveniles may be held at the Riverside Juvenile Hall, located at 3933 Harrison Street, Riverside, CA 92503. The phone number is (951) 358-4200.

Search for inmates here.

6. Where is the Riverside courthouse?

Riverside DUI cases are heard in one of the following five courthouses:

Riverside Hall of Justice
4100 Main Street
Riverside, CA. 92501
(951) 777-3147

Banning Justice Center
311 E. Ramsey Street
Banning, CA. 92220
(951) 777-3147

Blythe Courthouse
265 N. Broadway
Blythe, CA. 92225
(760) 393-2617

Larson Justice Center
46-200 Oasis Street
Indio, CA. 92201
(760) 393-2617

Southwest Justice Center
30755-D Auld Road
Murrieta, CA. 92563
(951) 777-3147

DUI cases are typically prosecuted by the Riverside District Attorney’s Office.

7. Who is Riverside DUI attorney Michael Scafiddi?

Riverside DUI defense lawyer Mike Scafiddi spent more than a decade as a police officer. In that role, he conducted hundreds of DUI stops, investigations and arrests. He knows the procedures Riverside County police are required to follow in drunk driving cases — and he can quickly identify it when they do not.

Riverside DUI attorney Mike Scafiddi is a certified drug recognition expert and has substantial experience in California DUI of Drugs cases, including DUI marijuana, DUI Ambien and DUI Vicodin. Defense lawyer Michael Scafiddi has testified as an expert witness in court as to whether DUI defendants were intoxicated at the time of driving.

Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice on your criminal charges.

If you or a loved one has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, our Riverside DUI lawyers will do everything to achieve the best possible outcome in the case. Do not rely on a public defender. Our legal team includes former prosecutors, and we have years of experience in lessening your DUI charges or getting them thrown out while fighting to keep your driver’s license. Our top rated attorneys are also prepared to take your case all the way to trial.

Phone our Riverside Attorneys DUI Defense Office at (951) 734-1600 to schedule a free consultation.

Our criminal defense firm is located at:

4480 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92501

Our criminal defense attorneys also serve DUI / DWI clients throughout Murrieta, Temecula, Moreno Valley, Banning, Palm Springs, Corona, Norco, or Indio. The law offices of Shouse Law Group create attorney-client relationships in Los Angeles, San Bernardino County, West Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Long Beach, San Jose, Barstow, Inland Empire, Orange County, Redwood City, Morgan Hill, Fontana, Hemet, San Diego, Alameda, Fremont, Ontario, Campbell, San Francisco, and elsewhere in northern California, central California, and southern California state.

Our law offices defend against all types of charges, from traffic tickets, violent crimes, and drug crimes to sex crimes, domestic violence, and white collar crimes. Our legal team’s practice areas include personal injury and family law in addition to criminal law.