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A DUI in Los Angeles County starts a criminal case at one of the county's many courthouses and a separate DMV case against your license. Two things make LA different from anywhere else: there are a lot of courthouses, and the prosecutor isn't always the District Attorney. Here's how to find your courthouse — and who you're up against.
Where your Los Angeles County DUI is heard
LA County hears criminal cases at courthouses spread across the basin, the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, the South Bay, and the harbor. The ones that handle the most DUI cases include:
The county runs many more criminal courthouses too — San Fernando, Burbank, Norwalk, Compton, Pomona, Alhambra, and others. If your arrest was elsewhere, call and we'll point you to the right court.
Who prosecutes your LA DUI: city attorney vs. DA
This is the LA-specific twist. A misdemeanor DUI committed within the City of Los Angeles is prosecuted by the LA City Attorney, not the District Attorney. Several other cities — Long Beach, Pasadena, Torrance, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach and more — have their own city prosecutors. The LA County District Attorney handles felony DUIs countywide and misdemeanors in unincorporated areas. Knowing which office holds your case shapes the whole defense.
Los Angeles County cities we defend DUI cases in
Los Angeles County is a patchwork of 88 cities — some with their own police and city prosecutors, others policed by the Sheriff and prosecuted by the District Attorney — feeding more than a dozen courthouses. Who prosecutes your DUI, and where it's heard, turns on the exact city. Pick yours:
The 10-day DMV deadline applies countywide
Wherever in LA County you were arrested, the DMV gives you only 10 days to request a hearing or the suspension proceeds. California now runs these APS hearings by phone and video through its statewide Driver Safety line, (833) 543-7703 — not the old walk-in offices — so don't let the 10-day window pass. How the DMV hearing works →
Why work with Ron Chini in Los Angeles County
Ron defends LA County DUI cases from his Irvine office, working directly with you in whichever courthouse — and against whichever prosecutor — your case lands. He serves LA County from Irvine; no local office is implied, and no result is guaranteed.
Why isn't the District Attorney prosecuting my LA DUI?
Which LA County courthouse will my DUI go to?
How long do I have to protect my license?
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Ron defends DUI cases across Southern California from his Irvine office — and works directly with you, not a call center.
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