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Substance Abuse Experts can help with DUI / DWI cases, drug cases, domestic violence cases and other criminal cases in California.

Alcohol and/or drug use is often at the heart of many California criminal offenses. The role that substance abuse plays in offenses such as drunk driving or drug possession is obvious. However, other offenses, such as domestic violence, are often rooted in alcohol or drug abuse. California courts increasingly recognize that steering defendants into treatment benefits society as well as the offender.

Many driving under the influence, drug cases, and domestic violence prosecutions are punishable with jail or prison time. However, few offenders receive the help they need to overcome substance abuse problems during lengthy incarcerations. This is where a Substance Abuse Expert's assistance on the criminal defense team is critical - his or her recommendation may pave the way for the offender to be given alternative sentencing. The expert's recommendation may lead to the offender being sent to an appropriate treatment facility instead of jail or prison.

However, while many California criminal defendants have problems with alcohol or drugs, others are arrested after suffering a momentary lapse in judgment. Often, a drunk driving arrest can occur after an individual has one too many cocktails at a neighborhood restaurant and decides to drive the few blocks home. A simple drug possession arrest can stem from similar circumstances. In those types of cases, a skilled Substance Abuse Expert's evaluation may assure the court that the offender's arrest was a fluke that won't be repeated.

In either case, an experienced Substance Abuse Expert may be able to help California criminal defendants minimize the consequences of the offense. In driving under the influence cases, a plea bargain may be in the driver's best interests. Whether or not the driver accepts a plea bargain, it may be possible to obtain alternative sentencing that can help them to avoid jail time. There are many options available - the driver may be sentenced to electronic monitoring or residential treatment in lieu of jail time.

Another sentencing option in DUI / DWI cases is an ignition interlock device. Ignition interlock technology is a device that prevents a vehicle from being started unless the driver provides a breath sample that shows that his or her blood alcohol content (BAC) is below a pre-set level - usually none at all.

Substance Abuse Experts are also invaluable assets in drug cases. Regardless of the charge - simple possession, under the influence of drugs, sales, distribution, or manufacturing - a skilled California criminal defense lawyer may be able to broker a plea bargain that will reduce or eliminate jail time.

There are many types of alternative sentencing available in California drug cases - residential treatment, electronic monitoring, a deferred entry of judgment, Proposition 36 diversion, drug court, or informal diversion may be available. an experienced criminal defense attorney will work with a Substance Abuse Expert to determine the best option available in a California drug case.

An experienced Substance Abuse Expert is also a crucial asset to the defense team in California domestic violence cases where one or both intimate partners were using alcohol or drugs. An evaluation by a Substance Abuse Expert may lead to a favorable plea bargain and/or alternative sentencing. There are many alternatives to jail available in California domestic abuse cases - the offender may be sentenced to electronic monitoring, residential treatment, or informal diversion.

Regardless of the offense, criminal defendants need an expert legal team defending their rights if they're going to avoid the harsh sentences that can be handed down in California drug, DUI and domestic violence cases. The skilled criminal defense lawyers at the Kavinoky Law Firm have experienced Substance Abuse Experts at hand who can evaluate the role that drugs and/or alcohol played in an offense and fight for the minimum possible sentence in any California criminal case.