DUI at the Metropolitan Courthouse, Los Angeles

DUI Defense at the Metropolitan Courthouse (Los Angeles)

If you were arrested for DUI in downtown, Hollywood, or central Los Angeles, your misdemeanor case is heard at the Metropolitan Courthouse on Hill Street — the highest-volume misdemeanor DUI court in the county. Ron Chini defends DUIs there, and the 10-day DMV clock is already running.

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Reviewed by Ron Chini, Esq. · CA State Bar No. 263308 · DUI defense attorney in Irvine, CA since 2009.
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The Metropolitan Courthouse — 'Metro Court' — on Hill Street is the busiest misdemeanor DUI courthouse in Los Angeles County, handling cases from downtown, Hollywood, and the central-LA neighborhoods. Here's what to know, and the deadline that can't wait.

Metropolitan Courthouse — court & DMV details

Courthouse

Metropolitan Courthouse (LA Superior Court — Central District)

Address

1945 S. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Serves (misdemeanor DUI)

Downtown, Chinatown, Echo Park, Hollywood, Mid-City, Mid-Wilshire, Westlake, Pico-Union & South LA (central-LA neighborhoods)

Prosecutor

LA City Attorney (misdemeanor DUI in the City of LA); felony DUI goes to the downtown Clara Foltz Criminal Justice Center

DMV hearing

Request within 10 days — schedule via DMV Driver Safety at (833) 543-7703 (regional, by phone/video)

Local agencies

LAPD (Central, Rampart, Hollywood, Wilshire, Southwest divisions), CHP Southern Division, LA County Sheriff

Why your case is here

Metro Court at 1945 S. Hill Street, near the Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, is the dedicated misdemeanor courthouse for central Los Angeles. DUIs from downtown, Hollywood, Echo Park, Mid-Wilshire, Westlake, and South LA are heard here, and it reportedly handles the largest volume of misdemeanor DUI filings in the county. One key point: it is a misdemeanor court — a felony DUI (such as a DUI causing injury) from central LA goes instead to the Clara Foltz Criminal Justice Center downtown.

The LA City Attorney prosecutes here

Because most of Metro's docket comes from arrests inside the City of Los Angeles, your misdemeanor DUI is prosecuted by a Deputy LA City Attorney — not the District Attorney. The City Attorney's office runs its own DUI policies and plea practices, which an experienced defense attorney needs to know going in.

The 10-day DMV deadline

Your Metro Court case is separate from the DMV's case against your license, and the DMV's 10-day deadline to request a hearing starts at arrest. How the DMV hearing works →

How Ron defends a DUI at the Metropolitan Courthouse

Central-LA DUIs often involve LAPD stops and the City Attorney's high-volume calendars. Ron works directly with you from his Irvine office, scrutinizes the stop and the chemical testing, negotiates with the City Attorney, and runs the DMV hearing alongside the court case, in English or Farsi.

Where will my downtown or Hollywood DUI be heard?

At the Metropolitan Courthouse, 1945 S. Hill Street — the misdemeanor DUI court for central Los Angeles.

Who prosecutes my case at Metro?

For a misdemeanor DUI in the City of Los Angeles, the LA City Attorney's office — not the District Attorney. The DA handles felonies, which go to the Clara Foltz courthouse downtown.

What if my DUI is a felony?

Felony DUIs from central LA (for example, a DUI with injury) are heard at the Clara Foltz Criminal Justice Center, not Metro, and are prosecuted by the District Attorney.

How do I keep my license?

Request a DMV hearing within 10 days of arrest — see our DMV hearing page.

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Ron Chini, Esq.

DUI Defense Attorney · CA State Bar No. 263308

Ron defends DUI cases across Southern California from his Irvine office — and works directly with you, not a call center.

Learn more about Ron Chini →