When driving privileges are suspended in California, the DMV is required to provide notice to the driver. When a person is charged with a Driving on a Suspended License, one of the required elements that government must prove is that there was knowledge of the suspended license. If the driver had no knowledge that their license was suspended, the charged may be dismissed.
Whereas the DMV must inform you of any changes to your driving privileges, they are not required to keep your residential or mailing address current in their records. It is the driver's responsibility to inform the DMV of any changes in address, and to do so promptly and efficiently. If mail is sent to the wrong address, it will not be forwarded. This may lead to some serious problems with the courts and the DMV.
One of our clients had moved but had forgotten to notify the DMV of the change in address. Additionally, he had accrued a few minor traffic tickets which he was not aware of due to the change in address. As a result, his license was suspended. While driving he was stopped for a routine broken taillight but when officers ran his license they found that he required to attend court and left with the hassle of cleaning up his record, which could have easily been avoided by notifying the DMV.
An experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense attorney has dealt with thousands of Suspended License cases and knows the proper defense and options. They have handled many cases in their career that deals with a lack of knowledge about the suspended license. The attorneys at Hoffman and Associates help prepare a powerful defense that shows the Judge that a case is more than a number, but a person with positive attributes and a contributing member of society.
