Many DUI cases are filed at the Metropolitan Courthouse, commonly referred to as the "Metro" court, which is located at 1945 South Hill Street in the city of Los Angeles. The Metro Court is known for having a very high volume of DUI cases in Los Angeles. This is due to the jurisdiction of the Metro Court, which covers a large geographical area within the city of Los Angeles. DUI arrests that occur in downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, Fairfax, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, Mid-City, Larchmont, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, parts of south L.A., and many others are all within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Courthouse. Both the Los Angeles County District Attorney and the Los Angeles City Attorney prosecute DUI cases at the Metro Court. The prosecuting agency depends on the location of the DUI arrest and/or the severity of the offense. For example, misdemeanor arrests within the city of Los Angeles will be prosecuted by the Los Angeles City Attorney, while misdemeanor DUI cases occurring outside of the Los Angeles city limits, such as unincorporated Los Angeles County, are handled by the District Attorney. All felony DUI cases, regardless of location, are prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center (this is a different courthouse, which is about two miles north of the Metro Court and is located at 210 W. Temple Street).
There are several different courtrooms at the Metro Court where misdemeanor DUI cases are heard. The first court appearance, called the arraignment, will be held in either Dept. 60 or Dept. 66 if the Los Angeles City Attorney is the prosecuting agency, or in Dept. 62 if the case is being handled by the District Attorney. The judges at the Metro Court can sometimes be very tough on those charged with DUI. For example, at the arraignment, the Judge decides whether to set bail, which means the defendant must post money (a "bail bond") in order to remain out of county jail custody while the case is pending, or whether to allow the person to remain out of custody on their own recognizance (OR). It is rare that the Judge will set bail on a misdemeanor DUI case at the Metro Court, but it could happen on 3rd time DUI offenses or those DUI's that include probation violations (for example, a person gets charged with a DUI while already on DUI probation for a previous case). Bail is almost always set on felony DUI cases. However, even if the Judge allows OR release, they may still order conditions of OR. A person may have to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings or wear an alcohol monitoring device (SCRAM) if they wish to remain out of jail custody while the case is pending. These conditions are usually reserved for repeat offenders and/or those with an alleged high blood alcohol content.
If you have been arrested for DUI and charges have been filed against you at the Metro Court, make sure that you do not miss the court date that you were given following your release from custody. If neither you nor an attorney appear in court on that date, a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. Call our Los Angeles DUI lawyer today at (877) 667-1205 or submit our CONTACT form to receive a free and confidential consultation about your DUI arrest. Attorney Robert D. Berglund will personally return your call to discuss the situation and explain what you can expect to happen going forward.