Riverside Imposes Jail time in 1st Offense DUI Cases
Riverside remains one of the few counties in California to impose jail time systematically for first-time DUI offenders. Those convicted of first offense DUI generally receive between six to ten days of jail. This could be served at the Robert Presley Detention Center or Southwest Detention Center, or most of the time the person could opt for work sentence instead of actual jail time.
Riverside DUI lawyer Mike Scafiddi believes the policy is unduly harsh. "All counties impose some jail time for repeat offenders. But Riverside is one of the few counties that gives jail time for all first-time DUIs, even when there are no aggravating circumstances."
The sentencing policy is consistent with Riverside's reputation as being very conservative and tough on crime. The Riverside D.A.'s office seeks jail or prison time on most cases. A typical conviction in Riverside results in harsher sentences than a conviction for a comparable crime in a neighboring county.
