Thread: First offense DUI in California please help

I received a DUI citation on 10/03/09 in the San Fernando Valley, CA. I was given a field sobriety test and 2 Breathalyzer test (which came to the average BAC of (0.14 & 0.15) I was handcuffed and my car was impounded. They took me down to the station to file some paper work and get my finger prints. After all that was done the officers took my license gave me a pink form (interim license good for 30 days) and advised me to call the DMV admin services on the pink form for further details. I was not put in jail that night. They gave me the option to dial a friend and have them pick me up.

Mind you, a couple of days in the aftermath I talked to several DUI attorneys...but due to financial hardship I was unable to hire any of them. I was given 10 days from the day of the citation to set up a hearing but obviously that time has passed. At this point I've decided to get a public defender and plead "no contest" for the charge. My interim license expires on 11/03/09...so my main question is...can I opt in for a restricted license prior to the court date? (BTW court date is on 12/23/09) or do I need to wait for the judge's verdict before doing anything?

Forget the 10 days--call and try to get the hearing at DMV anyway. Have you tried that?

Nope. Haven't tried that yet...I was hoping to just file for my restricted license and just get that out of the way. I know eventually I'll have to file for an SR-22 sub-insurance. Like I said I contacted the DMV admin services and they strongly advised me to wait for the court date before doing anything...but at the same time I don't want to be on a suspended license for about a month or so waiting for that court date in December.