Felony DUI Defense in Riverside

Begin Your Riverside Felony DUI Defense Without Delay

A felony DUI charge can involve allegations of impairment, injury, causation, or a qualifying criminal history. DeLimon Law represents individuals facing these charges in Riverside, California, and can begin examining how law enforcement and prosecutors developed the case immediately after contact.

We return calls the same day, sometimes within minutes. We explain the charges, legal process, and realistic outcomes in plain language, then provide frequent updates so clients and families know what’s happening between court dates.

Call (951) 777-9104 to discuss the charge and the defense steps available in your case.

When California Treats a DUI As a Felony

A DUI can become a felony because of an injury allegation, qualifying DUI history, or certain felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter convictions. Each path requires a separate analysis of the prosecution’s evidence.

DUI Causing Injury

Vehicle Code Section 23153 addresses DUI causing injury and carries more serious exposure than most charges filed under Vehicle Code Section 23152. Prosecutors must allege that an impaired driver committed an unlawful act or neglected a legal duty and that the conduct proximately caused bodily injury to someone other than the driver. Proximate cause means the conduct was a legally significant cause of the injury.

Vehicle Code Section 23153 is a wobbler, so prosecutors may file the charge as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The decision can depend on the severity of the injuries and circumstances such as the driver’s DUI history or blood alcohol concentration.

Felony Filing Based on DUI History

Vehicle Code Section 23550 makes a fourth DUI-related conviction within 10 years a felony when the person has three or more qualifying prior convictions. Vehicle Code Section 23550.5 provides another route to a felony filing. It may apply when a person charged with a new DUI has a qualifying felony DUI or certain vehicular manslaughter convictions within the preceding 10 years.

Felony DUI Penalties & Sentencing Exposure

Potential sentencing depends on the statute charged, the evidence, the number of injured people, the person’s record, and any alleged enhancements. These ranges describe legal exposure, not a prediction of what will happen in a particular case.

California felony DUI consequences may include:

• Felony DUI causing injury: A first felony conviction under Vehicle Code Section 23153 carries a state-prison term of 16 months, two years, or three years, plus fines generally ranging from $390 to $5,000 before penalty assessments.
• Great bodily injury enhancement: Penal Code Section 12022.7 can add three years when the alleged victim suffered a significant or substantial physical injury. The conviction also becomes a strike under California’s Three Strikes law.
• Additional injured victims: Vehicle Code Section 23558 permits another year of exposure for each injured victim beyond the first, up to three additional years.
• Fourth DUI-related offense: A Vehicle Code Section 23550 felony carries up to three years in state prison, fines from $390 to $1,000, a four-year license revocation, and a three-year habitual traffic offender designation.

A felony-to-misdemeanor reduction is case-dependent. We evaluate the injury and causation evidence, criminal-history allegations, and chemical testing and investigative procedures before advising a client about realistic negotiation and litigation options.

What Follows a Felony DUI Arrest in Riverside

A Riverside DUI matter usually proceeds on two separate tracks: the criminal case and an administrative license proceeding through the Department of Motor Vehicles. A driver generally has 10 days after receiving notice to request a DMV Administrative Per Se hearing to challenge the administrative license suspension.

The Riverside Hall of Justice is the primary criminal courthouse for felony and misdemeanor arraignments in western Riverside County. Venue depends on where the alleged offense occurred, and a matter may be routed to another regional justice center within the Riverside County Superior Court system. Bail is determined case by case, so no single felony DUI bail amount applies to every arrest.

Once contacted, we can take over communications with agencies, review available reports and test evidence, and begin gathering facts without waiting for the next court date. When appropriate, we also communicate with prosecutors before charges are formally filed. This pre-filing intervention may affect whether the case enters the court system or how the allegations are charged.

We discuss fees early and directly before clients make decisions. We identify what we can control, explain the risks honestly, and begin investigating the DUI evidence while records and witness recollections remain available.