Wet Reckless Charges in Los Angeles

Los Angeles DUI Attorney

Although you were initially arrested for driving under the influence, this does not necessarily mean that you will be convicted of DUI or that you will even face formal charges for this offense. The primary goal of any Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer will be to help you avoid a conviction altogether. There are some situations, however, where challenging drunk driving charges will involve seeking a reduced charge and sentence. Negotiations of this kind may include getting a DUI charge reduced to a “wet reckless”.

Wet reckless is often the first level that a Los Angeles DUI charge may be reduced to. It is not actually an offense that you can be initially arrested for but is rather only offered as a plea bargain for DUI. It implies that a driver committed some form of a traffic violation (“reckless”) that involved alcohol (“wet”) or even drugs. A wet reckless offense carries lesser penalties than DUI. There are several benefits that may be experienced by accepting a plea bargain involving wet reckless rather than being convicted of DUI:

• There are no mandatory sentencing requirements for repeat offenders
• The defendant will face a shorter term of incarceration in county jail
• The defendant will face a shorter probation period
• Lesser fines are imposed for a wet reckless conviction
• There is no mandatory license suspension associated with a wet reckless conviction
• The defendant will face less time in DUI school

Should You Accept a Wet Reckless Plea Bargain?

There are also potential downsides to a wet reckless plea bargain. In these cases, you will still face criminal penalties, although they may be less than what would have been enforced for driving under the influence. It is therefore crucial that you review your particular case with your lawyer to determine how to approach your case and seek the most advantageous result.

Contact a Los Angeles Wet Reckless Defense Lawyer today to talk about your case.