Many DUI cases are filed at the Van Nuys Courthouse, located at 14400 Erwin Street in Van Nuys (Van Nuys is a community within the city of Los Angeles).  The high volume of DUI cases in Van Nuys is due, in part, to the large jurisdictional area of the Van Nuys Court, which covers a sizable geographical area of the San Fernando Valley.  DUI arrests which occur in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Van Nuys, Valley Village, Valley Glen, North Hollywood, Universal City, Granada Hills, West Hills, Northridge, Topanga, Malibu, and Woodland Hills are within the jurisdiction of the Van Nuys Courthouse.  Both the Los Angeles County District Attorney and the Los Angeles City Attorney prosecute DUI cases at the Van Nuys Courthouse. The prosecuting agency depends on the location of the DUI arrest and/or the severity of the offense.  For example, misdemeanor arrests within the city of Los Angeles will be prosecuted by the Los Angeles City Attorney, while misdemeanor DUI cases occurring in Malibu, Universal City, and unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County are handled by the District Attorney.  All felony DUI cases, regardless of location, are prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

There are several different courtrooms at the Van Nuys Courthouse where misdemeanor DUI cases are heard.  DUI arraignments are held in Dept. 103.  If the case does not resolve at the arraignment stage it will be assigned to a pre-trial department.  The judges at the Van Nuys Courthouse have a reputation for being tough on those charged with DUI.  For example, at the arraignment (the first court appearance), the Court may order conditions of OR (own recognizance).  A person may have to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings or wear an alcohol monitoring device (SCRAM) if they wish to remain out of jail custody while the case is pending.  These conditions are usually reserved for repeat offenders and/or those with an alleged high blood alcohol content.  In certain cases, the Judge may set bail.  Bail is money that a person charged with a crime must pay to the court in order to be released from jail custody while the case is pending.  This is rare on misdemeanor DUI's but could happen on 3rd time offenses or those involving probation violations (for example, a person gets charged with a DUI while already on DUI probation for a previous case).  Bail is almost always set on felony DUI cases.  

If you have been arrested for DUI and charges have been filed against you at the Van Nuys Courthouse, call our Los Angeles DUI lawyer today at (877) 667-1205 or submit our CONTACT form to receive a free and confidential consultation.  DUI lawyer Robert D. Berglund will personally call you to discuss your DUI arrest and what you can expect to happen going forward.  The outcome of your DUI case will be determined by a number of factors, including the results of the breath or blood tests, the accuracy of those test results, whether or not there was an accident, the driving pattern, the performance on the field sobriety tests, and other evidence related to alcohol or drug impairment.  If you are facing DUI charges, do not go to court alone and represent yourself  CONTACT an experienced and knowledgeable Van Nuys Court DUI lawyer today.