Santa Cruz County DUI and Courthouse Information

The Santa Cruz County Superior Court has two locations which both handle local DUI cases.  Most DUI cases are handled at the main courthouse located at 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz while some South County DUI cases are also heard at the Watsonville Courthouse at 1 Second Street in Watsonville.  The Criminal Division Clerk's Office can be reached at 701 Ocean Street, Room 120 in Santa Cruz, California 95060.  Clerk's telephone number is (831) 420-2200.  There's a large parking lot which is generally free at the main courthouse.  DUI arrests from Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond, Capitola, Felton, Aptos and the surrounding area are handled in this county.  

Santa Cruz County driving under the influence arrests involve two distinct cases: a criminal case and an Administrative Per Se or "APS" case or "DMV Case" which is handled at the Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV Driver's Safety Office it 90 Great Oaks Blvd. in San Jose.  A DMV hearing must be requested within ten days of service of the Temporary License, which is typically on the date of arrest.  The Temporary License is usually a pink colored carbon copy type of document and is served on the arrestee at the time of release from jail along with a citation or notice to appear in court.  If the DMV hearing is not requested within 10 days, a request can still be made, however the individual is likely to be denied a hearing and a stay of suspension which means that their Temporary License will expire thirty days from the date of arrest. 

Upon release from jail or custody you will be given a citation or notice to appear in court at some future date.  If your case involved injuries or a felony enhancement, you may be held in custody until your court date unless you post a bail bond.  If your arrest is a first offense DUI misdemeanor, it's likely and advisable that your DUI defense attorney appear at this hearing on your behalf a pursuant to the authority of California Penal Code Section 977.  This hearing is your arraignment and it is the first hearing in a driving under the influence case and the purpose is to advise the defendant of the charges, provide initial case discovery, i.e. police reports, blood results, etc., to defense counsel.  Additionally, the judge may be asked to impose release conditions like attending AA meetings or wearing an ankle monitor while the criminal case proceeds.  The court will then schedule your case for a "Pre-Trial Conference." 

The Pretrial Conference is likely the first hearing that a Santa Cruz driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs defendant might actually attend.  The purpose of this hearing is to conference with the district attorney about the case generally, inquire about outstanding discovery or investigation, discuss possible immigration and/or employment consequences and ultimately discuss possible settlement of the case.  A settlement offer is typically conveyed and the client either accepts the offer, continues the Pretrial Conference or sets the case for jury trial and/or motion hearing. 

Santa Cruz is a liberal jurisdiction, but can tend to look toward the more conservative Santa Clara County which it neighbors.  Nevertheless, it's crucial to not accept just any settlement offer.  I've fought a number of DUI cases in this county and have seen the District Attorney reduce DUI charges to drunk in public deals and/or dismiss DUI cases outright  

If you or someone you know is facing a DUI charge in Santa Cruz County, you need an experienced Santa Cruz DUI lawyer on your side.  DUI Attorney Nors Davidson has handled several DUI cases in Santa Cruz County and has won DUI jury trials.  Please review Nors Davidson's recent Santa Cruz County DUI case results below and feel free to contact us for a Santa Cruz DUI case evaluation today.

RECENT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY DUI CASE RESULTS

Santa Cruz DUI .10% BAC First Offense DUI

Outcome: DUI CHARGES DISMISSED: Case reduced to Reckless Driving: One Year Probation, $1500 Fine; 12 Hour DUI School; & Sixty Hours of Community Service

Description: Client, a college student, was stopped by the Santa Cruz Police Department for an expired registration tag. After a driving under the influence investigation, Client submitted to a single blood test which returned a result of .10% BAC. Initially, the district attorney wanted a plea to the DUI, but after much negotiation, I was able to get the offense reduced to Reckless Driving ("Wet"). As a result, Client received a substantially reduced sentence: One year informal probation, fine of approximately $1,500, 12 hour DUI school and 60 hours of volunteer work with a non profit. Client's license suspended for 4 months and full license reinstated with the filing of an SR-22.

Santa Cruz DUI .21% BAC First Offense DUI Collision High BAC Enhancement

Outcome: DUI CHARGES DISMISSED: CASE REDUCED TO PUBLIC INTOXICATION 647(f)

Description: This law school bound client consumed a lot of alcohol with her boyfriend at a local bar. Afterward, she and her boyfriend were involved in a property damage only collision. The boyfriend, who had been previously convicted of driving under the influence, promptly fled the scene before Santa Cruz Police arrived. Client had no memory of the events and this was born out by her .21% BAC breath tests. Client subsequently charged with Enhanced High BAC DUI and actually hired another attorney to represent her. After a few hearings, her prior attorney advised her that she had to accept the District Attorneys DUI offer. Client decided to fire this lawyer and hired me. After four hearings, I was able to settle the case today for a DUI DISMISSAL. Client pleaded to a Public Intoxication misdemeanor pursuant to Penal Code Section 647(f) for two years probation, thirty hours community service and a three Month DUI School.

Santa Cruz DUI .20% BAC Second Offense DUI High BAC Enhancement

Outcome: Settled case today for Probation Granted, Three Years, $2500 Fine & 17 Days  Weekend Work

Description: Client arrested by Scotts Valley Police Department after being observed driving too slowly. PAS .20% BAC and Blood test of .20% BAC resulting in an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and a DUI enhancement for excessive blood alcohol concentration. Successfully settled DUI case today for Probation Granted, 3 Years, $2500 Fine & 17 Days SWAP and 18 month multiple offender DUI school.

Santa Cruz DUI .21% BAC Third Offense DUI Probation Violation High BAC Enhancement  Driving on Suspended License CVC 14601.2

Outcome: ENHANCEMENT DISMISSED & 180 DAYS HOUSE ARREST: No Actual Jail Time

Description: Client was a real mess. This sixty something year old had been though many things in life, but came to me on the brink of existence as she was suffering from a lifetime of alcohol abuse. This time, she was arrested in her home after a call to the Santa Cruz Police that a woman was acting erratically after driving a vehicle until is stopped for want of gasoline. Eventually, client provided a .21% BAC breath sample, which ordinarily would be an aggravating factor, but of greater significance still was that client was still on active driving under the influence probation for another high BAC DUI conviction in Santa Cruz County a year earlier. Indeed, client had TWO PRIOR DUI convictions in the last two years making this her third and she was also charged with driving on a suspended license pursuant to Vehicle Code Section 14601.2, the most severe offense of that section. Client had suffered from alcoholism for long time and had personal loss which only exacerbated the problem. Seeing this as the root cause of her present DUI situation, we immediately began a course of treatment which she responded to positively. Today, months later, I convinced the District Attorney to dismiss all charges except the DUI, including the high BAC enhancement. Client received 5 years of probation, fines of approximately $2,600, and 180 days of jail for which she's been accepted to HOUSE ARREST electronic monitoring (NO ACTUAL JAIL), which will allow her to continue with her rehabilitation. Client was referred to the 18 month Multiple Offender DUI School, but it was not ordered as a part of her probationary sentence. She'll need to complete this school to have a chance at getting her California Driver's License reinstated after all of these DUI's as this is a three year revocation of her driver's license, but I'm optimistically hopeful that this time we've pulled the weed out from the root and there won't be any future DUI's. 

Santa Cruz DUI .10% BAC First Offense DUI Driving on Suspended License CVC 14601.2

Outcome: DUI CHARGES DISMISSED & CASE REDUCED TO RECKLESS DRIVING

Description: Client was arrested by the California Highway Patrol for driving under the influence of alcohol after he was observed driving with a headlight out. Client blows a .10% BAC and is served with the pink temporary license, which is only good for thirty days. He fails to request a stay of the suspension within ten days and his license then becomes suspended. Thereafter, he's stopped again and arrested for the even more serious driving on a suspended license for DUI (CVC 14601.5). Between the DUI and 14601.5 cases, Client was looking at actual jail time, long license suspension and ignition interlock device. Today, we successfully settled the case for a reduction to reckless driving and an INFRACTION for driving without a license in possession ($100 fine). Client received 3 years informal court probation, fine of $2,300, 3 month DUI school and no jail or SWAP or community service. Client got his license back after thirty days and it will be restricted to driving for work purposes or to and from the DUI school for five months.

Santa Cruz DUI .08% BAC First Offense DUI

Outcome: DUI CHARGES DISMISSED. Case Reduced to Reckless Driving

Description:  Client was stopped after attending his high school reunion in Santa Cruz for having a burned out headlight. Client performed well on field sobriety tests and submitted to four breath samples of .08% blood alcohol concentration. After multiple court appearances, the client accepted a plea bargain for a reduced sentence to reckless driving (wet). Client received 3 years of informal court probation, fine of $1,515 and a 12 hour DUI school. NO JAIL, SWAP OR COMMUNITY SERVICE. Client suffered no mandatory license suspension. We subsequently won the DMV hearing so client faced NO LICENSE SUSPENSION.

Santa Cruz County Reckless Driving CVC 23103 Misdemeanor

Outcome: RECKLESS DRIVING DISMISSED. Client pled to citation for speeding.

Description: Client was cited for reckless driving for speeding and following too closely on Highway 17 during a period of "black ice" and otherwise dangerous roadway conditions. I negotiated a settlement of the case where the prosecutor dismissed the reckless driving charge and reduced the case to a speeding infraction. Client chose traffic school and a fine of approximately $450. NO POINTS ADDED TO DMV RECORD!

Santa Cruz DUI .19% BAC First Offense DUI Collision High BAC Enhancement

Outcome:  Three Years Probation, THREE MONTH DUI SCHOOL, Two days Weekend Work

Description:  Case involved a rear end collision with parked vehicle. I  settled this difficult first offense case for minimal sentence: five years probation, fines of $2,100, THREE MONTH SCHOOL, and only two days of of weekend work, so no actual jail time.. License suspended for thirty days pursuant to the DMV APS hearing and restricted for five months for driving for work purposes and to and from the DUI school.