San Francisco DUI Lawyer California DMV Hearing Attorney

• Introduction
• What To Do First
• Elements of the Offense
• BAC Calculator
• Misdemeanor DUI Case
  • Investigative Considerations
  • Miranda Warnings
  • Pretrial Motions
  • Plea Bargains:
    • Felony vs Misdemeanor DUI
    • DUI Pleas
    • Wet-Reckless
    • Dry-Reckless
    • Exhibition of Speed
    • Traffic Infractions
• Criminal Jury Trial
• Criminal Court Punishment
• Alternative Sentencing
• Sentencing Enhancements
• Refusal Cases
• Felony DUI Case
• Medication Cases
• Drug Cases
• Federal DUI Case
• Out-of-State Drivers
• Drowsy Driving
• Post-Conviction Relief
• Ignition Interlock Devices
• Motorcycles, Boats, Planes
• California Highway Patrol
• California DUI Resources

Exhibition of Speed

A plea bargain in a California driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI) case, is a compromise that is reached between the prosecution and a defendant and his/her lawyer. The compromise is generally based on the strength of the prosecutor's evidence in the DUI case. If the prosecution has a weak case they will generally offer a driver the chance to plead to a lesser charge. When a prosecutor has a particularly strong case, they are likely to be less generous in their plea bargain negotiations. It takes the skills of an experienced San Francisco drunk driving defense attorney to successfully get a prosecutor to reduce charges or compromise on the punishments for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) charges.

Pleading guilty to a charge of exhibition of speed is one of the most exceptional outcomes available in a California DUI case. Exhibition of speed is a misdemeanor charge that carries substantially fewer consequences than a felony DUI, wet-reckless, or dry-reckless charges and will commonly be offered when the driver's blood alcohol content was .08 percent or lower.

A guilty plea to a charge of exhibition of speed does not count as a prior DUI conviction if the motorist faces another drunk driving charge within the next 10 years. It carries no mandatory license suspension or SR-22 filing requirement except when the driver is unsuccessful at a California DMV Administrative Per Se (APS) hearing.

A driver who pleads guilty to exhibition of speed typically must pay only a fine. The driver does not have to attend alcohol education classes, although he or she may have to agree to some educational requirement.

Nearly all California criminal defense lawyers would agree that pleading guilty to a lesser charge of exhibition of speed is an outstanding outcome in a driving under the influence (DUI) case. In fact, a California DUI defense lawyer in San Francisco will attempt to negotiate such a deal if they see weakness in the prosecutor's case.

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