As a California DUI offender, you will be facing either a misdemeanor or a felony DUI charge. Typically, first and even subsequent DUI offenders are charged with misdemeanors however there are chances that even on a first time dui offense, you could be charged with a felony DUI conviction.
Whether or not you could be facing a felony DUI offensedepends on the details of your case: whether you have had prior DUI convictions or whether there were any injuries or deaths as a result of your drunk driving.
Under California’s Vehicle Code Section 23153 “Any person who, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or under the combined influence of intoxicating liquor and any drug, drives a vehicle and when so driving does any act forbidden by law or neglects any duty imposed by law in the driving of such vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than himself, is guilty of a felony.”
Criminal charges are mostly defined by the type of punishment that results with conviction. Misdemeanor California DUIs can result in up to one year in a county jail, while felony California DUIs can result in a year or more in a state prison.
source:
https://www.wklawdui.com/practice-areas/dui-causing-bodily-injury-vc-23153a-and-b/
https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2d/194/335.html
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