Over 25 years ago, I graduated from Washington University, a law school consistently ranked by US News & World Reports as one of the top 20 in the country. I worked hard while attending Washington University, eventually serving as a law review editor, one of the highest honors one can obtain in law school. Although I went to a law school outside of California, all of my years as a practicing attorney have been right here in the Bay Area, so that I have vast experience regarding how ALL Bay Area courts work as well as knowing personally the judges that preside over them.

While at the District Attorney's office I was an award-winning prosecuting attorney. I also have published articles, lectured to other District Attorney's offices, and have been interviewed on radio, television and for newspaper articles. Perhaps most importantly, I gained more valuable jury trial experience (approximately 100 trials) in my years as a prosecutor than most other attorneys obtain in their entire careers. All of the above experience assures you that I know which defenses and strategies work best and which are just a waste of your time and money.

Hiring a former prosecuting attorney to defend you in a criminal action is readily acknowledged to have many clear benefits (such a good working relationship with the local prosecutor's office and an inner knowledge of how that office works). Another advantage of hiring a former prosecutor is the credibility and respect gained from the local judges.

More recently as a defense attorney, I have represented people from all walks of life including attorneys, police officers, judges and politicians. There are definite social and employment consequences resulting from an arrest, and even more with a conviction. Problems resulting from a conviction can range from simple embarrassment to actually harming your personal and professional reputation as well as damaging your relationships. Immigration status can be affected by a conviction, as well as your career or even your ability to borrow money. For the above-stated reasons, this office specializes in the discrete and confidential handling of your case to a successful conclusion.

As a former prosecuting attorney, I do not take serious criminals (murder, burglary, robbery or even drug cases) as my clients. In fact, I routinely refer clients with numerous drunk driving convictions on their record to other lawyers. Since my practice is 99% DUI, with most clients having clean records, many judges and DA's look favorably on my clients as normal productive people who will not be in trouble again. Thus, the "powers that be" are not as hesitant to "give my client's a break" knowing they are unlikely candidates to offend again (many times high risk, 'likely to re-offend' defendants are just not "given a break" at least partially because if they do get re-arrested questions may arise for the judge or DA, as to why they were given that "break" the first time).

I am not just an ex-DA with general criminal experience; I specialized in DUI cases while at the prosecutor's office. I have published and lectured statewide on the same alcohol test devise that you had to take either on the street or at the station. Blood alcohol tests are not 100% accurate and actually have built in error margins, though these error margins may not be as wide as some defense attorneys may claim in order to attract your business. Use the blood alcohol calculator on my home page to measure your alcohol level, but be honest with yourself because most people tend to underestimate their drinks leading to inaccurate results. In that I have access to the actual machine that tested you, be it blood or breath, I make it my business to know that machine's weaknesses.

Of course police errors can make a big difference in the outcome of your case. Most people know you must be given your Miranda (you have the right to remain silent.) rights, but did you also know that if you were asked to take the hand held breath test (the portable one on the street) you must be told of your right to actually refuse that test with no consequence. Clearly each case I handle has facts that differ so results can differ, but the vast majority of DUI cases I have handled have resulted in charges being either reduced or dropped (it's actually the rare case when it doesn't happen in some manner).

Even if you decide to plead guilty at some point, there is another way to get the DUI off your record. Upon successful completion of your probation, I can have the conviction ERASED from your criminal record through a process called expungement. Remember that your future options (such as employment, school loans, etc.) well may depend on what people see if they examine your criminal record. You can make sure they won't see a criminal conviction if you take advantage of the expungement process I offer my clients.

Please be aware that many law offices will show you an experienced attorney up front only to assign your case later to a newer (and thus cheaper for them) lawyer. Since I am the ONLY attorney in this office, and one attorney is all you need on a DUI case like yours (after all this isn't a major criminal case like murder, rape or arson that demands a team of attorneys), you can be assured that I will handle your court case to it's successful conclusion.

TYPICALLY YOU DO NOT NEED TO APPEAR WITH ME IN COURT, unless you so desire. Of course I would let you know if personally appearing in court would help your case, and then you can decide if you want to come to court with me. However, in the vast majority of cases your appearance in court would neither be required, expected or in any way favorable to the outcome of your case. The more common option is for me to keep you informed of developments by telephone as they occur in court. Quite often I can arrange to get the DUI reduced or dismissed, arrange no actual jail time (it is extremely rare that a client of mine has to be put in jail for even a day), low fine (with payment normally arraigned at $50 or more a month and no interest charges) and job-related driving (to, from, and during work no matter what time of day or day of the week).

Lastly, my fees are up to 50% less, often with BETTER RESULTS, than more expensive (often larger) offices. Some of these offices seem to specialize in charging higher fees for more paperwork than you need. In reality you pay for unnecessary paperwork that usually just ends up failing and succeeds only in getting the judge and prosecuting attorney irritated and resistant to a favorable result. In the end, it commonly turns out that in retaining my office for less money you will typically receive a superior result than a larger and more expensive office.

Please contact me and give me the opportunity to present you with quality legal representation for less money than you might expect given my expertise and experience.

The content of this website is for informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon as legal advice.
Viewing this website does not create an attorney-client relationship with P. David Wool. Legal representation will only be established upon receipt of a legal services agreement and full compliance with its terms.
The information contained on this website is based on current California state law only and can change over time. Laws vary from state to state.
Do not rely upon the content of this website as legal advice. Contact a lawyer at once if you have a legal matter.