Under Age Drinking and Driving

California Underage Drinking Driving Defense Attorney

With its zero tolerance policy, the state of California takes underage drinking and driving very seriously. A person becomes an adult in California at the age of 18, yet these adults are underage for the purposes of possessing or consuming alcohol until they reach 21. (Matters for individuals who are under the age of 18 are heard in Juvenile Court, which has altogether different rules and procedures).

Did you or someone you know get charged in San Diego with underage drinking? Do you need a underage drinking lawyer in San Diego to help you?

Did you know that under California law and throughout San Diego County, it is illegal for a person under the age of 21 to drive a vehicle while having a measurable blood-alcohol content of .01% or more. While the suspension period for over 21 year old first offenders in San Diego is substantially shorter, at issue in an under 21 case is whether the drivers license is suspended for a full year. Both the Court and the DMV have concurrent jurisdiction over one's driving privilege and the power to suspend an underage driver's license for a year.

There are provisions in the law concerning obtaining a restricted license from both the court and the DMV, but it is the goal of San Diego DUI/DWI lawyer Mark R. De Yoe is to avoid these suspensions from ever being imposed in the first place. This is particularly important concerning the California DMV's suspension action because as a practical matter, the DMV has carried the burden of proving a "critical need to drive" much farther than traditionally required by Superior Court Judges - who were at least willing to allow one to drive to college and/or work.

San Diego drunk driving lawyer Mark De Yoe offers a valuable free initial office consultation to those charged with DUI and related offenses. To find out more about the defense of a DUI/DWI case in San Diego and DMV Hearings, call San Diego DUI attorney Mark R. De Yoe at 619-237-0555. Mark often answers his own phones, even on evenings and weekends.