Reader’s Question:

I was told that after being arrested for DUI in Anaheim, California, I would also have a civil case. What is this civil case and what does it have to do with my arrest for DUI?

BJ

Anaheim, CA

Aside from the criminal court trial in your DUI case in California, there would also be a civil case. This would be the administrative law case and it would be heard before the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The administrative hearing has something to do with your driver’s license as this hearing before a DMV officer would determine whether you can keep your driving privileges or not. You should request for this hearing with the DMV within 10 days of the arrest.

You might be confused right now and you probably don’t understand that these are separate cases. It would be possible to win the administrative case with the DMV and loose the DUI criminal court case and on the other hand, it would also be possible to win the DUI criminal case and loose the administrative case with the DMV. But at times, the evidence collected for the administrative hearing could be used to get a reduction of charges in the criminal case.

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