Basketball Coach Pleads Guilty to DUI

The DMV hearing process for any Los Angeles DUI case is serious and requires a knowledgeable Los Angeles DUI defense attorney.  A recent high-profile DUI case highlights how important the DUI court process is, as well as the  DMV hearing segment of that process.

Billy Gillispie, the former head coach of the University of Kentucky's basketball team, recently pleaded guilty to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.  The charges stem from an arrest in late August when Gillispie was pulled over in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.  Officers at the scene smelled alcohol on Gillispie's breath and asked him to take sobriety tests, which he refused.  After pleading guilty to driving under the influence, Gillispie was sentenced to a 30-day suspension of his driving privileges, an Alcohol Drivers Education Program and fines and court costs totaling more than $1,000, which is the maximum fine for first-time DUI offenders in the state of Kentucky. 

This is not Gillispie's first brush with DUI troubles, though it is the first time he has pleaded guilty.  Gillispie was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1999 on suspicion of driving under the influence as well as improper lane changing.  He eventually pleaded guilty to reckless driving charges.  Gillispie was also arrested in 2003 on suspicion of driving drunk, but charges in that case were eventually dismissed after it was determined that there was not enough evidence against Gillespie.  Gillespie had also checked himself into the John Lucas Athletes After Care program in Texas for an unspecified period of time for alcohol rehabilitation. 

While Gillispie's DUI troubles occurred in Kentucky, Texas and Oklahoma, they provide a great example for DUI offenders in Los Angeles.  DUI court process in Los Angeles can be extremely complicated, and there is no better way to get through it than by hiring an experienced DUI defense attorney.  An experienced DUI defense lawyer will tell you that for every one charge of driving under the influence in Los Angeles, there are actually two separate trials you will be involved in.  Being convicted with driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol is a serious criminal offense that is often punishable by expensive fines, alcohol treatment programs, community service or even time in a county jail or state prison.  In dealing with DUI charges, you will also need the assistance of a DUI defense attorney in scheduling a DMV hearing in order to keep your driving privileges until after your criminal court proceedings have been completed. 

If you have been charged with DUI, you have just 10 days from the time of your arrest to schedule your DMV hearing, or your driving privileges will automatically be suspended until after your criminal proceedings are completed.  An experienced DUI defense attorney does more for you, however, than simply schedule your two hearings.  Your defense attorney may file pretrial motions either to suppress evidence he or she believes should be inadmissible or to have your charges dismissed altogether.  Lack of evidence and improper police procedure are two of the most common reasons for DUI charges being dismissed.  If you have been charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today to begin preparing your defense.  Call us at 877-781-1570.