San Diego DUI attorneys are told a California police detective entered a no contest plea this month to a misdemeanor charge of California DUI - driving under the influence.

The California DUI plea stemmed from a January arrest in Merced.

Detective Hector Ortiz was fined $1,750 and sentenced to 36 months informal probation after entering his plea in Merced County Superior Court on March 11. He was also sentenced to 48 hours in jail, with one day credit. In addition to his sentence, he was also required to complete a program for California DUI offenders. Deputy District Attorney Rita Patel said Ortiz, 46, had already enrolled in and completed most of that program before entering his California DUI plea.

Ortiz was arrested by two California Highway Patrol officers on Jan. 10, after they pulled over his pickup truck for a vehicle code violation around 2:15 a.m. on Yosemite Avenue west of R Street. The officers reported smelling alcohol after talking with Ortiz.

After being given a California DUI field sobriety test, the California DUI officers determined that he was under the influence. According to California DUI attorney's review of court papers, Ortiz's blood alcohol content on his first test registered 0.13 percent, while the second test was 0.14 percent. The state's California DUI legal limit to drive is 0.08 percent.

Merced police said Ortiz was placed on leave the day after the incident yet he is still employed as a domestic violence investigator with the department.

How can you know if you found a qualified San Diego California DUI Lawyer for yourself?

Various types of lawyers handle San Diego drunk driving cases, including public defenders, general practitioners, criminal defense lawyers, and DUI Specialist attorneys.

Some excellent questions to begin asking when searching for a San Diego California DUI lawyer are:

What are his California DUI attorney's qualifications?

Is he a Specialist member of the California DUI Lawyers Association?

How long has he been a member of the National College for DUI Defense?

Does he teach other attorneys in San Diego how to handle DUI cases?

Is he a Contributing Editor to the Bible for California DUI Defense - California Drunk Driving Law?

Was he recently asked to be a Contributing Editor/Author to the hottest best selling DUI book: Attacking and Defending Drunk Driving Tests?

Does he maintain a library of DUI materials, books, manuals, studies, memos, points & authorities and documents solely designed to help a person accused of a San Diego County DUI?

How much of his practice is DUI Defense?

Is he quick and thorough when responding to emailed questions or concerns?

Whether or not you ultimately end up hiring a San Diego California DUI & DMV Defense Lawyer Specialist with 25 years of experience, it is a smart idea to look closely at the credentials of a California DUI Lawyer Specialist in this highly complex field.

You can read more - Why use San Diego County's Specialist in DUI and DMV Law