The Challenge
A young adult was charged with felony DUI causing injury under Vehicle Code § 23153 after losing control of her vehicle while speeding on a winding road. The accident resulted in serious injuries to her passengers. Because the injuries qualified as great bodily injury, prosecutors also alleged enhancements under Penal Code § 12022.7 — adding up to three years per victim and making the conviction a strike. Given the severity of the injuries and the nature of the crash, the client faced a multi-year state prison sentence and a permanent felony record.
Our Strategy
We focused on humanizing the client through a detailed mitigation package: her lack of any prior record, her demonstrated commitment to rehabilitation, restitution and insurance coverage for the injured passengers, and the passengers’ own support for a non-prison outcome. By negotiating the specific terms of sentencing directly with the District Attorney, we secured an alternative to lengthy incarceration. The case resolved with probation and house arrest after minimal custody — no state prison sentence.
The Result
PRISON AVOIDED; PROBATION AND HOUSE ARREST
Your Case Belongs at the Southwest Justice Center.
Your Defense Belongs Here.
If you were arrested in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Winchester, or French Valley, your future will likely be decided at the Southwest Justice Center (SWJC) on Auld Road. In these courtrooms, local knowledge is the ultimate advantage. Since 1999, Nic Cocis has been a weekly fixture in the SWJC, appearing before the same judges and negotiating with the same Riverside County prosecutors for over 25 years. We don’t just know the law — we know the specific nuances, procedural quirks, and judicial tendencies of the Southwest District. Whether you are facing a felony or a misdemeanor, you need a firm that treats the Southwest Justice Center as its home turf.
