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A San Diego County DUI can be heard at one of four criminal courthouses depending on where you were stopped — and, unusually for California, who prosecutes the case can depend on the same thing. This page helps you find your courthouse, understand who is on the other side, and protect your license before the 10-day DMV clock runs out.
Where your San Diego County DUI is heard
San Diego Superior Court hears criminal cases — including DUI — at four regional courthouses. Which one gets your case is set by where the arrest happened, not where you live:
A few specifics worth knowing: Coronado DUIs are heard in the South Bay (Chula Vista) court, and Poway DUIs route to the downtown Central courthouse — not North County. The Kearny Mesa courthouse handles traffic infractions only, so a DUI (a misdemeanor or felony) is not heard there, and the old Hall of Justice on West Broadway is now civil-only. If you're not sure where your case will land, call and we'll point you to the right court.
Who prosecutes a San Diego DUI — it isn't always the DA
San Diego runs an unusually clean version of a prosecutor split that only a few California counties have. Misdemeanor DUIs committed inside the City of San Diego — and, by long-standing contract, in Poway and the 4S Ranch area — are prosecuted by the San Diego City Attorney. Every other city (Chula Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Escondido, La Mesa, National City, Coronado and the rest), all unincorporated areas, and every felony DUI countywide are prosecuted by the San Diego County District Attorney, through branch offices that mirror the four courthouses. Knowing which office holds your file shapes the defense.
San Diego County cities we defend DUI cases in
San Diego County routes DUI cases through four regional courthouses, and the city you were arrested in can change who prosecutes — only the City of San Diego files its own misdemeanors, while the County DA handles every other city. Pick yours:
The 10-day DMV deadline applies countywide
Every San Diego DUI is really two cases — the criminal case in Superior Court and the DMV's separate action against your license. You have just 10 days from arrest to request a DMV hearing. California has consolidated its Driver Safety offices and now handles these hearings by phone and video — there is no longer a walk-in San Diego office — so call DMV Driver Safety at (833) 543-7703, or have us request the hearing for you, before the clock runs out. How the DMV hearing works →
Why work with Ron Chini in San Diego County
Ron has focused on DUI defense since 2009 and takes San Diego County cases from his Irvine office, in English or Farsi. You work directly with him — not a call center or a lead-gen middleman — and because San Diego cases are filed electronically and the DMV hearings are by phone and video, you rarely need to appear in person. He serves San Diego County from Irvine; no local office is implied, and no result is guaranteed.
Which San Diego County courthouse will my DUI go to?
Is my DUI prosecuted by the DA or the City Attorney?
Do you have a San Diego office?
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.
Learn more about Ron Chini →