9. Fixing Trigger Problems
If you want to avoid aggravating the judge or making future arrests even worse, you may wish to consider fixing some outstanding problems.
Licensing and equipment
It may very well be in your best interest to get a suspended driver license fixed, properly register any unregistered vehicle, pay off old tickets at the Sonoma County courthouse in Santa Rosa, renew expired insurance, and fix vehicle equipment violations which led to the initial stop in this incident or could lead to police stops in the future.
Under 21 employment or school
If you are under age 21 and lost your license due to a first DUI or zero tolerance case, then you may wish to consider applying for a critical need license to drive in Sonoma County if you believe you can adequately show the Sacramento DMV that public transportation in your area of Sonoma County is not sufficient to accomplish your transport to and from work or school or you are the primary means of transporting a family member to medical appointments.
If you do not currently work or go to school, then you may wish to remedy that situation in order to better yourself and to improve your chances of qualifying for a restricted license. Click here to browse local college classes at Sonoma State University, and Santa Rosa Junior College, and Empire College.
You may also wish to consider applying for a building trades apprenticeship. Click here for comprehensive list of available California Apprenticeship Programs, including contact information. Some Apprenticeship Programs are available in Santa Rosa and surrounding Napa and Sonoma counties, such as cement masons, electricians, operating engineers, plumbers & refer mechanics, and sound & communication; click here for the Building Trades Apprenticeship Website, or here for the California Tooling and Machining Apprenticeship Association. Another viable option may be Santa Rosa's Redwood Empire Beauty College, or click here for information on the Culinary Institute of America St. Helena campus.
To get this restricted license, you and your attorney must be able to demonstrate that alternate and public transportation are inadequate to travel to work and/or school, and, although Sonoma County transit is actually adequate in many areas (click here for Sonoma County Transit Schedules), you may qualify for a restricted license if you live in outlying areas of Santa Rosa such as the Russian River, Bodega, Occidental or Sea Ranch, where a combination of work and school requirements may require that you continue driving.
Click on Ten Tips To Getting Your License Back for a more complete explanation of obtaining a restricted license, including a copy of the DMV application.
Alcohol abuse or addiction
If your alcohol level was high (over 0.15%), or if this is your second or higher DUI, or other aggravating allegations are present such as evading, endangerment or hit and run, then you may wish to consider attending AA meetings to begin addressing issues or to head off continuing problems, particularly if there are no substantial defenses in this case. Often, Sonoma County courts will reward voluntary pre-sentence self-help because it demonstrates personal awareness and responsibility, and a lower likelihood of re-offending. Reward can include credits for jail time or lower fines. One meeting per day or three or more per week, and perhaps additional out-patient counseling may be very impressive to a Santa Rosa judge. You can find AA locations in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County by clicking here: Local AA Meetings, and then select the Sonoma County link. Discuss your individual circumstances with your DUI attorney.
Tip: There are many different types of meetings in Sonoma County so don't be discouraged if your first meeting doesn't seem to fit your issues or personality. Some say that the trick to success in AA is to find the meetings that you can best relate to, with respect to (1) meeting style and philosophy (some meetings focus on 12-step, others share stories, some are more or less religious, etc.), and (2) with respect to the type of people who attend (some are gender or age specific, some allow children, etc.). DUI lawyers often recommend that first-timers try several different meeting locations and times. Whether self-initiated or court ordered, attendance proof is important to help your DUI lawyer to at an opportune moment in court; click here to print out an AA Sign-Up Sheet and keep a record of each meeting attended, signed by the meeting moderator. If you decide to attend meetings, then you might consider sending your Santa Rosa DUI lawyer copies of these partially completed AA attendance sheets on a weekly basis to ensure that they are not lost or stolen, and so that your lawyer will have them at the right time (always keep the originals).
Arrestees with high alcohol levels and/or multiple prior DUI's must understand that the courts will assume you have an issue with alcohol in your life (probably fair considering the increasing trouble you may be facing now). You may wish to seriously consider an additional layer of treatment such as Kaiser Outpatient or residential rehab to avoid increased penalties or being jailed during the court proceedings if there are no substantial defenses in your case. Click here to see A Sample Kaiser Scheduling Commitment. Day-for-day jail credits can often be obtained for controlled residential treatment accomplished prior to sentencing.
Click on Resources on this site, and look at the last section of the first "Self-Help" column for a comprehensive listing of local Sonoma County out-patient and residential rehab services, and also look at relevant links under "DUI Compliance" to view other Santa Rosa and Sonoma County drug and alcohol programs. You may also wish to study the detailed description above of Sonoma County's new "DUI Court" intensive one year out-patient jail alternative.