When you have been charged with the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs under California Vehicle Code §23152 or §23153, you will be given a Court date to appear before a Criminal Judge in Criminal Court.
It is also very important that you call the DMV within the right jurisdiction and request a DMV hearing within ten days of your arrest. If you do not call the DMV within ten days, you will forfeit the opportunity to have a hearing regarding your driving privileges. If you call in a timely manner, the DMV will put a stay on your license pending your hearing.
The DMV hearing is very different from the criminal court appearance. It is held in front of a DMV hearing officer, and there is no government attorney speaking on behalf of the government. It is the job of the hearing officer to not only make a decision regarding your hearing privileges, but it is also their job to defend against you on behalf of the government. Although, they are meant to be neutral, it is very difficult to win a DMV hearing.