Is there a way to reduce the amount on a DUI fine? 16 Answers as of December 27, 2011
I have a second offense DUI. I was making payments on my fine but I got laid off. My financial situation is hard enough. I don't collect enough from unemployment to pay my fine. Can I get any help to pay my fine? What can I do? I would like to know if there is any way my fine can be reduced or dismissed.Free Case Evaluation by a Local Lawyer!
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Law Office of Peter F. Goldscheider | Peter Goldscheider
You can go back the court and ask the judge for an extension, a reduction or converting the fine to public service work. No guarantees.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/27/2011
Law Office of Martina Vigil | Martina A. Vigil
You can put your case on calendar at the courthouse and ask the Judge for an extension to pay your fines. If you do not do this, you could be arrested and be charged with a probation violation.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Law Office of Thomas F. Mueller | Thomas Mueller
Your fine can be reduced in one of two ways. Either you can do jail time (not preferable) or you can do volunteer work. The volunteer work is not credited at a large amount per day but if you have the time it might be worth it to you. Also if you have sob story letters from friends or family the judge might make some other accommodation ,such as running the fine concurrent with the Weekend Work Program, which is a little procedural trick to reduce the amount.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Law Office of Eric Sterkenburg | Eric Sterkenburg
If you cannot afford the payments on a fine then you need to go back to court with proof of your current income. With the proof the judge may reduce the payments or even the amount of the fine.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Law Office of Tracey S. Sang | Tracey Sang
First talk to the criminal business office about modifying your payment schedule. Second, if you would like to have an attorney go to court and ask for a reduction you may but keep in mind that many of the fines are statutory and the judge does not have discretion to reduce or modify them.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Law Office of Dean B. Gordon | Dean B. Gordon
You should contact your attorney if you have one. If you do not, request the court clerk to put you on the calendar so that you can explain your situation to the judge. The judge might reduce your fine or make your payments lower and let you have more time to pay. Alternatively, you may be eligible to perform community service instead of part or all of your fine.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Law Office of Edward J. Blum | Edward J. Blum
The court will let you do community service instead of paying the fine.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Dennis Roberts, a P.C. | Dennis Roberts
Get your lawyer or public defender to put the matter on calendar. the court will MOST LIKELY extend the time within which you should pay your fine. But the court just might ask why you can't pay the fine since you have enough money to get drunk again! Perhaps this is a message from the Universe to lay off the booze if you want to find work again.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
Law Offices of George Woodworth & Associates | George Woodworth
You may be to talk to the Judge about getting either a fine or commuity service in lieu of (instead of) the fine. Ask the Judge.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/22/2011
The Hashemi Law Firm | Babak Hashemi, Esq.
The fine on a DUI charge is statutorily set. Certain counties and/or judges may allow you to perform community service or enroll in a sheriff work program in lieu of the fine. You or your attorney must specifically request this at sentencing.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
Rizio & Nelson | John W. Bussman
Go back to court and ask for a sentence modification. You can probably either 1) reduce your monthly payments to something that you can actually afford (this will not reduce the total amount that you owe), or 2) convert some of your fines into labor (i.e. picking up trash on the side of the road). It's important to take care of this before you get too far behind on your payments. Getting behind and missing payments can violate your probation and result in jail time.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
Hammerschmidt Broughton Law | Mark A. Broughton
You can go to the court, have your case put on the judge's calendar for a modification hearing, and at the hearing tell the judge what's going on. Sometimes community service can be ordered in lieu of a fine under these circumstances. There are certain fees/penalty assessments and such that are mandatory (our legislature's efforts to balance their budgets and taking discretion out of the hands of the judge). But he can work with the amount of your payments to make it a little more manageable.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
Law Office of John R. McCardle | John R. McCardle
Ask the Court for community service in lieu of a fine.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
Law Office of Jeff Yeh | Jeff Yeh
Go to the Judge and say you want to convert the balance to jail time.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
Law Office of Joe Dane | Joe Dane
They can adjust your payments or potentially convert the fines (but not fees) to community service or other physical labor. You'll have to get in front of a judge to request a modification.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
LynchLaw | Michael Thomas Lynch
You should be able to have a portion of the fine converted to volunteer hours. Just visit the court clerks office and ask to have the matter placed on the courts calendar. Once in court ask the Judge to allow you to do volunteer work to pay down your fines.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 12/21/2011
