Daryl B. Thomspon, Esq.

I’m a criminal defense attorney practicing law in Orange County, California, with an emphasis in DUI. I have extensive specialized training in the defense of those accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (DUI). I know that some of you may not like what I do for a living, but, to set the record straight, not everyone arrested for DUI is guilty of DUI. Neither I, nor any of my clients approve of drunk driving.

A lot of my clients are actually at or below the .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration, which is merely a presumption of intoxication. It’s up to the discretion of the police to decide whether or not to arrest someone, and it’s up to the discretion of the prosecutor whether or not to file charges, even if you are under .08% BAC. And, it’s up to a jury of twelve persons to convict someone of DUI.

If you have wine or a beer with dinner, you may potentially become a client. I’ve had clients who stopped at the scene of an accident to render aid, and did not feel impaired, and found themselves under arrest. I’ve also had clients who were involved in an automobile accident which was not their fault, and they did not feel impaired, and they too found themselves under arrest. Every DUI case is different, and everyone charged with the crime of DUI deserves their day in court.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m very passionate about my work. My trial skills are recognized by my colleagues, prosecutors, and judges. I’m known for being a very hard working advocate for my clients, while at the same time respecting that I’m an officer of the court. Feel free to check my website. You’ll see testimonials from some of my clients. Further, you will find new defense approaches that I am developing, i.e., “Blood in Mouth”, and the “Uncertainty Principle in Breath Testing”.

Now, let me share a little of my background with you. I was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. My parents were poor and hard working people. They were originally from Kansas and Nebraska, and came to California to live the American dream during the Great Depression of the 1930's. Unfortunately, after trying two different times to own and run their own flower nurseries, they gave up. At the age of 16, I got a job as a box boy with Alpha Beta, a local grocery chain, and I became the sole breadwinner for my family for quite some time. My father eventually got a job as a gardener with the Los Angeles Unified School District, and my mother got a job as a sales clerk in a local bakery.

My heros were President Harry Truman and President Abraham Lincoln. These were men that proved that you can succeed in this life with hard work and dedication, and I’ve tried to model myself after them.

Once I finished high school, I decided I wanted to go to college. I went to a local city college, and then transferred to California State University, Long Beach, where I eventually obtained a degree in Political Science. During this time, I was called to the service of my country in the Viet Nam war. I answered the call of my country and served in the United States Army and I was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor. I was assigned to Advisory Duty in the IV Corp in Viet Nam. I spent my entire tour in Viet Nam working in five man teams as an advisor to Vietnamese troops. To this day, I proudly wear my Advisor’s patch as a lapel pin.

As far as entrepreneurship, once I finished my Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science at Cal State Long Beach, I attended Western State University School of Law in Fullerton, California.

After passing the Bar, I opened my own law office, and hung up my shingle, proudly saying, “Daryl B. Thompson, Attorney at Law”. I then decided to specialize in DUI defense. It’s taken a long time, but I now have the reputation of being one of the most knowledgeable and experienced DUI Defense Attorneys in Southern California. I’m nationally recognized by the National College for DUI Defense and the California DUI Lawyers Association. I’m among a small group of attorneys who have decided to take DUI Defense as a specialization in their legal careers. I’m very proud that I did.

Not bad for a poor kid from East LA!