Drunk in Public After DUI
My question involves criminal law for the state of: California.
I was recently arrested for a Drunk in Public in Los Angeles. I had a DUI 3 years ago, completed my courses, paid my fine.
I was drunk and take responsibility for my actions that resulted in the 647 F PC.
Since it was all a blur until I sobered up the early hours of the morning. I recently went to police station and try to get a copy of my police report and was denied. I had to fill out a request form (10 day process) to see if they would actually give it to me. They said I could get a copy during court which is a month away. This just does not seem right for them to withhold information. The clerk had it right in her hand, read some notes and would not release it.
Should I seek legal counsel? I'm not sure what to really expect now. Will they give me jail time?
Re: Drunk in Public After DUI (3 Years Ago) - California
If you have to appear in court, you should ALWAYS seek counsel. You have the Constitutional right to represent yourself, but the fact of the matter is that defendants are entirely too close to the situation and tend to argue their cases from an emotional perspective rather than a legal one. So, yes, get yourself an attorney.
In California, Public Intoxication is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1000 in fines and up to 6 months in the county jail. Do note the "up to" part. That's worst case scenario. Typically, the punishment is a fine and summary (informal) probation.