A prosecutor has the discretion to offer to reduce a Orange County DUI charge to exhibition of speed, depending on the merits of the case.  One of the most important decisions to make as a drunk driving defendant is whether or not to accept a plea bargain if it is offered.  Some cases that can not be resolved informally will to trial, but a plea agreement with diminished consequences or a reduced charge is sometimes in the client’s best interests.  An experienced California DUI defense lawyer can determine whether a plea bargain is the best course of action.

One of the best plea deals that can be made in a drunk driving case is to plead guilty to exhibition of speed.  This reduced charge is typically offered only when the prosecutor’s case is particularly weak.  Exhibition of speed is a low-level misdemeanor charge that carries substantially less serious penalties than DUI / DWI, wet-reckless, or dry-reckless charges.

One big benefit of accepting an offer to plead to exhibition of speed, is that the guilty plea will not count as a prior conviction if the driver faces another DUI within the next 10 years.  It carries no automatic license suspension or SR-22 filing requirement unless the driver is unsuccessful at a DMV hearing.

Exhibition of speed is typically offered as a reduced charge when the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) is equal to or lower than the legal limit of .08 percent.  A driver who pleads guilty to exhibition of speed usually must pay only a fine. The driver does not have to attend alcohol education classes, although he or she may have to agree to some educational requirement.

If a driver has been charged with a DUI, a reduced charge of exhibition of speed conviction is clearly preferable to having a drunk driving charge on the record.  An attorney who specializes in drunk driving defense may be able to broker a plea bargain that includes this reduced charge.