Professional Biography of Southern California DUI Attorney
Your choice of an attorney in a Drunk Driving or traffic related criminal case will have an enormous impact on the outcome of your case. Even for a first offense, the penalties can include license suspension, substantial fines, mandatory attendance at a state or DMV approved alcohol program, probation, community service and overnight jail time. Many DUI offenders find it overwhelming to complete the sentencing as well as cope with the life changes required to participate in all the programs.
Laguna Beach drunk driving lawyer Barry T. Simons and the entire Law Office of Barry T. Simons is committed to obtaining the best possible results for all DUI clients. Attorney Simons is experienced, skillful and dedicated to drunk driving defense, and will fight for your rights every step of the way. Please call the Law Offices of Barry T. Simons, today, at 866-682-1504 to begin your free consultation with a trusted Orange County DUI defense attorney.
FIRM ADDRESS:
Law Office of Barry T. Simons
Lawyers Court
260 St. Ann's Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 866-682-1504
BARRY T. SIMONS, ATTORNEY
Southern California DUI defense Attorney Barry Simons is a nationally known expert in DUI Defense who has spent the last 30 plus years fighting for drivers' rights in Orange County's Courts. Attorney Simons is one of the Founding Members of the National College for DUI Defense and currently serves on that organization's 12-member Board of Regents. Barry Simons is one of only four attorneys in the State of California to hold Board Certification in DUI Defense under standards approved by the American Bar Association. In 2001, he was selected to serve as Vice-Chair of the DUI Advocacy Commission of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. Barry Simons is currently on the Board of Directors of the California Association of DUI Lawyers and has qualified as a Specialist Member. Attorney Barry Simons is also "Preeminent" and “AV” Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected to "Who's Who in American Law" Barry Simons is also the co-author to "California Drunk Driving Law;" the "Bible" of DUI Defense.
In 1998, Attorney Barry Simons established relaxed standards required at DMV Hearings to challenge alcohol-testing procedures in DUI Cases ( Robertson v Zolin). In 1999, he forced the DMV to announce that they would cancel 4,700 drunk driving suspensions after exposing the Orange County Crime Laboratory’s use of unapproved breath testing machines ( Trautman v DMV). In 2002, Barry Simons exposed the Orange County Crime Laboratory’s use of unapproved Blood Testing methods between 1996-and-2002, ( Bite v. Gourley) invalidating blood test suspensions for all of his clients during that entire period.
Los Angeles drunk driving lawyer Barry Simons followed these accomplishments in 2003 with Baker v Gourley, which established the rule that the DMV cannot rely on police opinions of intoxication to suspend drivers' licenses. His class action lawsuit against the entire Irvine Police Department for failing to give DUI arrestees a choice between blood or breath and urine tests resulted in the decision in Nelson v. City of Irvine in the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. In that case, Barry Simons established for the first time that an arrestee has a constitutional right to choose a breath test and that the police cannot compel a blood test from a driver who wants a breath test, except under unusual circumstances. His most recent case was before the United States Supreme Court in a challenge to roadblocks.
Southern California DUI lawyer Barry Simons has presented his cases and lectured at seminars for DUI attorneys throughout the United States on subjects including scientific evidence, legal motions, DMV practices and procedures, and the interstate implications of DUI license suspensions. His drunk driving cases include successful challenges in both trial and appellate courts to DUI roadblocks, Preliminary Alcohol Screening Devices, DMV procedures and practices and refusals to take chemical tests. DUI Attorney Barry Simons is Orange County’s “Recognized Leader in DUI Defense.”
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Government - American University, 1968
- J.D. - New York Law School (Law Review Editor), 1971
- Admitted to Practice in the State of California, 1972
- Admitted to Practice in the United States Supreme Court, 1978
- Admitted to Practice Before all California Federal Courts
- National College of DUI Defense (presented at Harvard Law School), 1996-2004
ALAN CASTILLO, ATTORNEY
Attorney Alan Castillo is a former Orange County Deputy Public Defender. Mr. Castillo was also formerly an attorney on multiple International Law cases with the American Civil Liberties Union. Prior to joining the Law Office of Barry T. Simons, Attorney Castillo excelled in the practice of Criminal Defense Law in one of the most conservative counties west of the Mississippi: Orange County. Mr. Castillo has conducted well over 300 jury trials in the course of his eleven year legal career. He has worked on several cases before the United States Supreme Court including United States of America v. Alvarez-Machain and Alvarez-Machain v. Sosa, et al. (i.e. U.S. Government). Attorney Castillo has participated in legal writings before the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, he has participated in Federal Civil cases before the U.S. District Court in the City of Los Angeles. As a Criminal Defense Attorney in the County of Orange, Alan Castillo has successfully tried cases to Not Guilty Verdicts in domestic violence matters, DUI, sexual molestation cases, assault and battery, assault with deadly weapons, possession of drugs, possession of drugs with the intent to sell, and a variety of other misdemeanor and felony matters.
During the years of 2000-2005, Attorney Castillo has been practicing private criminal defense work with the Law Office of Barry T. Simons, and he is now a partner with the Law Offices of Barry T. Simons. Mr. Castillo has also engaged in seminars as a speaker, teaching other lawyers in the State of California how to conduct DMV Administrative Law practice as well as how to handle DUI matters in criminal court. Alan Castillo has spoken before the California DUI Lawyer's Association seminars in the City of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Alan Castillo has a reputation for being an aggressive, hard-nosed, criminal defense attorney. As an Orange County resident and Orange County practicing criminal defense lawyer for the last eight years, Attorney Castillo has developed very close relationships with members of the Orange County District Attorney's Office as well as Judges, Commissioners, and other influential figures in the Orange County Superior Court system. Attorney Castillo is often referred to as “The Lawyer's lawyer.”
EDUCATION:
- National College for DUI Defense (presented at Harvard Law School), 2000-2005
- University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 1990)
- Loyola Marymount University (J.D., 1994)