You have ten days to act on your license — the DMV clock starts the day of the arrest, on a separate track from the court case. Talk to a defense attorney today, before either deadline passes.
Ten days · then it narrows
The first conversation is free, confidential, and with Aaron — not an intake service. You will leave it knowing what you are facing, what happens next, and the flat fee in writing.
What you’re facing
These are the things people actually say on the first call. Each has an answer, and none of them require you to have decided anything yet.
A number is a reading, not a verdict. Breath instruments carry a documented accuracy-check history and blood carries a chain of custody and a lab record — both are discoverable, and both are testable before anything is conceded.
That deadline is real, and it is separate from the court case. The APS hearing is requested inside the ten days, which ordinarily stays the suspension while the hearing is pending — so the license question stays live instead of lapsing by default.
Restricted licenses, IID installation and enrollment timing are worked alongside the criminal case rather than after it — because by sentencing the options have usually narrowed.
Why this firm
The lawyers you speak to on the phone are the lawyers who stand up in court. There is no intake centre between you and your representation, and no unknown associate you have never met.
The first conversation is with Aaron. Four people work your file and you will know all of them by name — the same team from the first call through to resolution.
No family law, no personal injury, no side practice. Over fifteen years spent in Los Angeles County courtrooms on criminal matters and nothing else.
You know the number and the plan at the start. The strategy is agreed with you rather than presented to you, and nothing is agreed on your behalf without your say-so.
The line is answered 24/7, and written case reviews are answered within one business hour between 8am and 10pm, seven days a week.
If you call today
From the first call to the last hearing you always know what is happening, why, and exactly where you stand.
Send the case review or call the line. The team who will argue your case is the team you speak to — not an intake service.
The charge is assessed, your exposure explained plainly and every option set out — including the ones that need no lawyer at all.
Reports, body-cam, priors and procedure read in full. Strategy and a flat fee confirmed in writing before anything is filed.
Motions, negotiation or trial — whichever the record supports. Nothing is agreed on your behalf without your say-so first.
In their own words
“Attorney McAllister goes above and beyond. It is clear he is very passionate about his work and getting justice and the most favorable outcome for his clients. I have hired him personally and referred him to family and friends.”
Al — hired attorney
Avvo review · March 2025
“Attorney McAllister exudes Professionalism and I felt as though I knew him personally starting on Day One. He listened intently and came up with a strategy to move forward and address our case.”
Hired attorney
Avvo review · November 2024
“Not only did he take me under his wing IMMEDIATELY and without hesitation after hearing my situation, he didn’t judge me, he was quick, and was the 1st attorney out of dozens whom I called, that didn’t interrupt me nor put me on the backburner.”
Christian — hired attorney
Avvo review · November 2021
“You can tell Aaron cares about his clients and will fight tooth and nail to get the best result. He explores every avenue in a defense looking for motions to file. I’m an attorney myself, Los Angeles native, and if any of my family members need help, I would trust them in Aaron’s hands.”
Givelle Lamano — criminal defense lawyer
Peer endorsement · Avvo
This testimonial or endorsement does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter. Reviews excerpted from the firm’s public Avvo profile; the peer endorsement is by a fellow attorney, as published on Avvo.
Why now
If the ten-day window is still open, a defense attorney can tell you in the first minute of the call — that is the part that cannot be recovered later.
Common questions
Almost never. A first DUI with no injury is charged as a misdemeanor. It becomes a felony only where someone was injured, where there are enough priors, or where a prior felony DUI exists.
Two things, separately. The DMV can suspend administratively regardless of the court case — that is the ten-day clock. The court can also order a suspension on conviction. Resolving one does not automatically resolve the other.
Sometimes — a wet reckless (VC 23103.5) or dry reckless (VC 23103) are the usual reductions, and whether either is available turns on the facts of the stop and the reading. A wet reckless still counts as a prior for ten years.
If you are over 21 and not on DUI probation, field sobriety tests and the handheld roadside breath test are voluntary. The chemical test after a lawful arrest is not — refusing it carries its own consequences.
A DUI is priorable for ten years for sentencing purposes. The conviction stays on the criminal record, and it remains on the DMV driving record for its own separate period.
Nothing is required — bring what you already have. Most useful: the citation and the pink temporary licence, the arresting agency and report number, your own account written the same week, and any medical or prescription record relevant to the reading.
Want the full picture? Read the full guide to DUI defense in California ↗