Driving on a Suspended License
California criminal defense attorney Thomas Wallin handles Driving on Suspended Driver's License ("DSDL") cases in all Southern California counties. If you have been arrested or cited for a DSDL charge, please call our toll free number at 1-866-857-5900 today for a free consultation.
There are many reasons why a person can have their driver's license suspended or revoked by the DMV, including DUI, failure to appear (FTA) warrant, too many traffic violation points, medical issues, vandalism, possession of drugs, minor in possession of alcohol, failure to pay child support, civil default judgment, failure to carry an auto liability insurance policy, failure to file an SR1 traffic collision report after an auto accident, and so on. In a few cases, a person may not even know that his/her driver's license is suspended or revoked until after he or she has been arrested or cited for DSDL.
The potential consequences for being caught driving on a suspended driver's license can be alarming:
- a DSDL charge is a misdemeanor criminal charge, not a traffic infraction.
- you can be arrested for a DSDL charge, whether you knew your driver's license was suspended or not.
- if arrested, you can be handcuffed and taken into custody and ultimately housed at the county jail until you post bail or appear in court.
- if arrested or cited for a DSDL charge, your vehicle can be impounded for up to 30 days and possibly sold.
- if arrested or cited for DSDL charge, you will be required to appear in the criminal court unless you hire an attorney to appear on your behalf.
- if convicted of a DSDL charge, you can be placed on probation for years and be required to pay fines of up to a thousand dollars (not including a penalty assessment) and serve county jail time of up to six months.
- if convicted of a DSDL charge, the court and prosecutor's office can use that conviction as a "prior" to increase your punishment in the future if you ever get a second or subsequent DSDL charge.
In order to prosecute a DSDL charge, the District Attorney must prove the following:
- you were driving a vehicle, and
- your driver's license was suspended/revoked at the time of driving, and
- you knew that your driver's license was suspended/revoked at the time of driving.
Even though a DSDL charge may not be a serious criminal charge, the charge itself can be a very stressful ordeal and a conviction amplifies your stress. So consult with an experienced California criminal defense lawyer immediately. Call Thomas Wallin at 1-866-857-5900. He has the knowledge and expertise to secure a favorable outcome in DSDL matters.
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