By Mariela Noriega-Ornelas
COMPTON, CA – Deputy Public Defender Dominique Brown, in a misdemeanor hearing Tuesday morning in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asked for the court’s help after the accused was denied by the DMV in multiple attempts to regain her driver’s license following a driving under the influence/DUI charge.
Despite sharing court documents containing the court seal and signatures which confirmed the accused’s completion of the AB 541 program, the DMV repeatedly denied and refused to even acknowledge the court documents, said the DPD.
The DMV, added the public defender, insisted the accused get confirmation directly from a DUI program that apparently has been terminated since her completion.
The hearing opened with DPD Brown introducing the accused and the issue at hand. The accused had her license suspended following a DUI charge and upon completion of the AB 541 program, the case was dismissed.
Despite the case being dropped, the DMV persisted and according to DPD Brown, “refused to acknowledge AB 541 completion the court file shows.”
At this, Judge Jerome J. Haig expressed shock over the DMV’s persistent dismissal of the accused and requested “some order or declaration to be drafted” so Judge Haig “can sign in confirmation.”
At this, DPD Brown repeated the court documents the DMV refuses to acknowledge already have a court stamp and signature, and still, the DMV rejected the documents, insisting they have to come from the terminated DUI program. DPD Brown also reminded the court that the case was dismissed.
Judge Haig insisted on his resolution to draft a new document with confirmation of the accused’s completion of the program so that he could sign it. DPD Brown agreed and a new court date for Nov. 13 was set.
