Peter F. Iocona

Peter F. Iocona is a Criminal Defense Lawyer who specializes in defending people charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in California, particularly in Orange County and throughout Southern California.

Mr. Iocona is the Owner of The Law Office of Peter F. Iocona, and an Owner and CFO of The SoCal Law Network where he serves as the firm’s Lead Trial Lawyer in DUI cases. Mr. Iocona began his law career with the Law Office of Barry T. Simons in 2000 and by 2009 became the Lead Trial Lawyer for the firm. In 2012, he became the Managing Attorney for the firm in addition to being the firm’s Lead Trial Attorneys in driving under the influence cases until he left the firm in 2016 to form his own The SoCal Law Network with his then two partners, Alan Castillo and Marlo Cordero. Mr. Iocona would thereafter open The Law Office of Peter F. Iocona, which specializes in DUI Defense, Criminal Defense, Professional License Defense, and Personal Injury (Plaintiff) Litigation.

Mr. Iocona has successfully litigated thousands of DUI and criminal cases in courts throughout all of Southern California, particularly Orange County, including the following Orange County cities: Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, La Habra, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Tustin, and Westminster; as well as Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, and Yorba Linda.

Mr. Iocona has taken over 50 cases to trial.  Based on his reputation as a successful trial lawyer, Mr. Iocona has been repeatedly selected as one of the nation’s “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” by the National Trial Lawyers Association.

In 2010, Mr. Iocona was asked to serve as an expert panelist for a DUI Drugs seminar sponsored by the Orange County (O.C.) Crime Laboratory and the California Association of Toxicologists (C.A.T.), entitled: “DUI Drugs, Says Who?” and in 2015, Mr. Iocona was the first DUI Defense Attorney to be asked to lecture at the California Criminalistics Institute’s Forensic Alcohol Interpretation Seminar regarding “The Role of a Forensic Scientist in DUI Cases”. This course is sponsored by the California Department of Justice and attended by State Experts from across the country as part of their training as a forensic scientist. Mr. Iocona continues to speak or lecture at that seminar regularly regarding the role of a forensic toxicologist in DUI trials and their opinions relating to blood test variability, breath test variability, alcohol absorption and elimination and the interpretation of field sobriety test evidence and the effects of alcohol and/or drugs on the human body.

In 2015, Mr. Iocona was voted a “Top-Rated DUI Attorney” by AVVO, the attorney rating service, and was featured in the annual publication of OC Metro Magazine of the “Top-Rated DUI Attorneys” in Orange County. Mr. Iocona has also been rated by “Super Lawyers” and named a “Super Lawyers Rising Star” in 2015 and 2016 along with his firm, The Law office of Peter F. Iocona.

In 2015, Mr. Iocona was designated a “Nationally Recognized Superior DUI Attorney” by the National Advocacy for DUI Defense (NAFDD), an invitation only organization that locates and validates the very best private DUI attorneys so clients can select the most qualified attorney for their Driving Under the Influence (DUI) case. NAFDD has identified the finest criminal defense attorneys in each state and then selected those who spend a significant portion of their practice representing individuals accused of DUI in order for that attorney to be considered a “Superior DUI Attorney” by NAFDD. The Superior DUI Attorney badge identifies those whom NAFDD has designated as being one of the nation’s Top DUI Attorneys.

Mr. Iocona was also selected for inclusion in the 2015 list of the “Nation’s Top One Percent”, which is published by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC).

In 2017, Mr. Iocona was selected into the list of America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys. This designation relates to not only Mr. Iocona’s work as a DUI Defense Attorney; but also to his work as a Criminal Defense Attorney.

Mr. Iocona had been a Contributing Editor to the two volume treatise: “California Drunk Driving Law”, (often considered the “Bible of Drunk Driving Law” in the State of California) from 2003 to 2016.

Mr. Iocona writes and lectures extensively about Trial Practices, D.M.V. Administrative Per Se (A.P.S.) Hearings, D.M.V. Writs and Appeals, Search and Seizure Law, Interstate Driver’s License Consequences, and DUI Trial Defenses, including breath test defenses, blood test defenses, interpreting field sobriety tests and how to cross-examine officers and forensic toxicologists relating to those defenses.

Mr. Iocona is a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), the California DUI Lawyer’s Association (CDLA), and the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). As a member of these DUI organizations, he has received specialized training in DUI defense.

STANDARDIZED FIELD SOBRIETY TEST ADMINISTRATOR & INSTRUCTOR

Mr. Iocona has “Qualified” as a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Administrator (SFST) under the standards set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has also “Qualified” as a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor (SFST).  The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests are the roadside tests administered by law enforcement officers to assist him/her in deciding whether to arrest the DUI suspect for driving under the influence (DUI). Experience in knowing how these tests are supposed to be administered and evaluated is imperative to defending a DUI case in Orange County and throughout Southern California.

CERTIFIED IN BREATH TESTING

Mr. Iocona is “Certified” on the proper use, maintenance and administration of the Alco-Sensor IV-Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) Test device, the preliminary alcohol screening test device used in California.  As a result of this breath test training, Mr. Iocona is familiar with the manner in which breath tests are supposed to be administered and how the breath test devices are supposed to be maintained and calibrated. Experience in knowing how breath tests are supposed to be administered is imperative to defending a DUI case. Experience in knowing how breath test devices are supposed to be maintained and calibrated is also imperative to defending a DUI case anywhere in the State of California.

All of this DUI training has assisted Mr. Iocona in his ability to defend those charged with DUI in California.  This training is used extensively in the cross-examination of officers and forensic scientists in Court and at D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings, which often serve as the forum in which your DUI defense is first developed. Thus, the importance of requesting a D.M.V. Hearing cannot be understated. It is not just a hearing, it is the first step in the process of determining whether any DUI defenses exist in your California DUI case.

TRAINED IN DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT EVALUATIONS

Mr. Iocona has also received extensive training and instruction in the area of DUI Drugs, a new arena in DUI defense in light of the increasing rate of those being charged with DUI after consuming their prescription medications.  Mr. Iocona has received instruction as a Drug Recognition Expert instruction and served  as an expert panelist for a DUI Drugs seminar sponsored by the Orange County (O.C.) Crime Laboratory and the California Association of Toxicologists (C.A.T.), entitled: “DUI Drugs, Says Who?”.

Mr. Iocona is dedicated to the defense of those charged with the crime of driving under the influence (DUI) in California. Mr. Iocona focuses his practice on defending those charged with DUI. The DUI Lawyers of the Law Office of The SoCal Law Network are a team of dedicated DUI Defense Attorneys and contracted forensic toxicologists. If either you or a loved one is charged with DUI, contact DUI Attorney Peter F. Iocona of The Law Office of Peter F. Iocona or The SoCal Law Network for a free DUI consultation and case evaluation.

California State Bar – 2005

Mr. Iocona received his Bachelor’s Degree from Chapman University and then his Juris Doctorate Degree from Whittier Law School in 2005.

Mr. Iocona has “Qualified” as a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Administrator (SFST) under the standards set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has also “Qualified” as a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor (SFST). The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests are the roadside tests administered by law enforcement officers to assist him/her in deciding whether to arrest the DUI suspect for driving under the influence (DUI). Experience in knowing how these tests are supposed to be administered and evaluated is imperative to defending a DUI case in Orange County and throughout Southern California.

Mr. Iocona is “Certified” on the proper use, maintenance and administration of the Alco-Sensor IV-Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) Test device, the preliminary alcohol screening test device used in California. As a result of this breath test training, Mr. Iocona is familiar with the manner in which breath tests are supposed to be administered and how the breath test devices are supposed to be maintained and calibrated. Experience in knowing how breath tests are supposed to be administered is imperative to defending a DUI case. Experience in knowing how breath test devices are supposed to be maintained and calibrated is also imperative to defending a DUI case anywhere in the State of California.

All of this DUI training has assisted Mr. Iocona in his ability to defend those charged with DUI in California. This training is used extensively in the cross-examination of officers and forensic scientists in Court and at D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings, which often serve as the forum in which your DUI defense is first developed. Thus, the importance of requesting a D.M.V. Hearing cannot be understated. It is not just a hearing, it is the first step in the process of determining whether any DUI defenses exist in your California DUI case.

Mr. Iocona is the Owner of Peter F. Iocona, Attorney at Law, and an Owner and CFO of The SoCal Law Network where he serves as the firm’s Lead Trial Lawyer in DUI cases. Mr. Iocona began his law career with the Law Office of Barry T. Simons in 2000 and by 2009 became one of the Lead Trial Lawyers for the firm. In 2012, he became the Managing Attorney for the firm in addition to being the firm’s Lead Trial Attorneys in driving under the influence cases until he left the firm in 2016 to form his own firm, The SoCal Law Network, with his two partners, Alan Castillo and Marlo Cordero, and later, Peter F. Iocona, Attorney at Law.

Mr. Iocona is the Owner of Peter F. Iocona, Attorney at Law, and an Owner and CFO of The SoCal Law Network where he serves as the firm’s Lead Trial Lawyer in DUI cases. Mr. Iocona began his law career with the Law Office of Barry T. Simons in 2000 and by 2009 became one of the Lead Trial Lawyers for the firm. In 2012, he became the Managing Attorney for the firm in addition to being the firm’s Lead Trial Attorneys in driving under the influence cases until he left the firm in 2016 to form his own firm, The SoCal Law Network, with his two partners, Alan Castillo and Marlo Cordero, and later, Peter F. Iocona, Attorney at Law.

Mr. Iocona has successfully litigated thousands of DUI cases in courts throughout all of Southern California, particularly Orange County, including the following Orange County cities: Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, La Habra, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Tustin, and Westminster; as well as Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, and Yorba Linda.

Mr. Iocona has taken over 50 DUI cases to trial.  Based on his reputation as a successful trial lawyer, Mr. Iocona has been repeatedly selected as one of the nation’s “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” by the National Trial Lawyers Association.

In 2010, Mr. Iocona was asked to serve as an expert panelist for a DUI Drugs seminar sponsored by the Orange County (O.C.) Crime Laboratory and the California Association of Toxicologists (C.A.T.), entitled: “DUI Drugs, Says Who?” and in 2015, Mr. Iocona was the first DUI Defense Attorney to be asked to lecture at the California Criminalistics Institute’s Forensic Alcohol Interpretation Seminar regarding “The Role of a Forensic Scientist in DUI Cases”. This course is sponsored by the California Department of Justice and attended by State Experts from across the country as part of their training as a forensic scientist. Mr. Iocona continues to speak or lecture at that seminar regularly regarding the role of a forensic toxicologist in DUI trials and their opinions relating to blood test variability, breath test variability, alcohol absorption and elimination and the interpretation of field sobriety test evidence and the effects of alcohol and/or drugs on the human body.

In 2015, Mr. Iocona was voted a “Top-Rated DUI Attorney” by AVVO, the attorney rating service, and was featured in the annual publication of OC Metro Magazine of the “Top-Rated DUI Attorneys” in Orange County. Mr. Iocona has also been rated by “Super Lawyers” and named a “Super Lawyers Rising Star” in 2015 and 2016 along with his firm, The Law office of Peter F. Iocona or Peter F. Iocona, Attorney at Law.

In 2015, Mr. Iocona was designated a “Nationally Recognized Superior DUI Attorney” by the National Advocacy for DUI Defense (NAFDD), an invitation only organization that locates and validates the very best private DUI attorneys so clients can select the most qualified attorney for their Driving Under the Influence (DUI) case. NAFDD has identified the finest criminal defense attorneys in each state and then selected those who spend a significant portion of their practice representing individuals accused of DUI in order for that attorney to be considered a “Superior DUI Attorney” by NAFDD. The Superior DUI Attorney badge identifies those whom NAFDD has designated as being one of the nation’s Top DUI Attorneys.

Mr. Iocona was also selected for inclusion in the 2015 list of the “Nation’s Top One Percent”, which is published by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC).

In 2017, Mr. Iocona was selected into the list of America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys. This designation relates to not only Mr. Iocona’s work as a DUI Defense Attorney; but also to his work as a Criminal Defense Attorney.

Mr Iocona had been a Contributing Editor to the two volume treatise: “California Drunk Driving Law”, (often considered the “Bible of Drunk Driving Law” in the State of California) from 2003 to 2016.

Mr. Iocona writes and lectures extensively about Trial Practices, D.M.V. Administrative Per Se (A.P.S.) Hearings, D.M.V. Writs and Appeals, Search and Seizure Law, Interstate Driver’s License Consequences, and DUI Trial Defenses, including breath test defenses, blood test defenses, interpreting field sobriety tests and how to cross-examine officers and forensic toxicologists relating to those defenses.

Mr. Iocona is a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), the California DUI Lawyer’s Association (CDLA), and the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). As a member of these DUI organizations, he has received specialized training in DUI defense.

Mr. Iocona is a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), the California DUI Lawyer’s Association (CDLA), and the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). As a member of these DUI organizations, he has received specialized training in DUI defense.

For the last decade, Mr. Iocona has been focused on protecting the rights of people who have been accused of drunk and/or drugged driving. One of Mr. Iocona’s cases was even featured in an article that was published in the OC Weekly in 2016: “OC Judge Slams Prosecutor for Misconduct, Prosecutor Gets Promoted by DA Tony Rackauckus“. This article is part of a lengthy series of articles by Scott Moxley of the OC Weekly regarding what has become known as the “Orange County Snitch Scandal“. The article addresses the extent of Prosecutorial Misconduct in Orange County stating “Prosecutorial cheating apparently extends to relatively minor trials, too.” The article demonstrates Mr. Iocona’s zealous advocacy on behalf of his clients.

Available on request.

Available on request.

California Criminalistics Institute (C.C.I.)
Forensic Alcohol Interpretation Seminar Speaker
“The Role of a Forensic Scientist in DUI Cases”
(Newport Beach: February 2020)

California Criminalistics Institute (C.C.I.)
Forensic Alcohol Interpretation Seminar Speaker
“The Role of a Forensic Scientist in DUI Cases”
(Newport Beach: June 2017)

California Criminalistics Institute (C.C.I.)
Forensic Alcohol Interpretation Seminar Speaker
“The Role of a Forensic Scientist in DUI Cases”
(Newport Beach: April 2015)

Drug & Alcohol Abuse Seminar (Western State School of Law Seminar)
“Drug And Alcohol Abuse And How It Affects Lawyers” (Panel Speaker)
(Anaheim: June, 2013)

California DUI Lawyer’s Association (CDLA): Occupy DUI San Diego
“DMV APS Hearings, Writs & Appeals”
(San Diego, November 2012)

2012 “Fast Eddie” Kuwatch All-Day DUI Seminar
“D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings: What Still Works”
(San Francisco: March, 2012)

84th Annual California State Bar Seminar (California State Bar)
“Effectively Handling D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings & Writs and Appeals”
(Long Beach: October, 2011)

California Association of Toxicologists (CAT) Panel Expert:
“DUI Drugs-To Quantitate or Not to Quantitate?”
(Anaheim: November, 2010)

California Association of Toxicologists (CAT) Panel Expert:
“When is One Qualified to Render an Opinion?”
(Anaheim: November, 2010)

California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA):
“Effectively Handling D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings”
(Fresno: May, 2009)

California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA):
“Effectively Handling D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings”
(Oakland: June, 2008)

Orange County Bar Association-Bridging the Gap:
“What Is Administrative Law?”
(Santa Ana: July, 2008)

California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA):
“Effectively Handling D.M.V. A.P.S. Hearings”
(Irvine: February, 2008)

Mr. Iocona had been a Contributing Editor to the two volume treatise: “California Drunk Driving Law“, (often considered the “Bible of Drunk Driving Law” in the State of California) from 2003 to 2016.

Mr. Iocona writes and lectures extensively about Trial Practices, D.M.V. Administrative Per Se (A.P.S.) hearings, D.M.V. Writs and Appeals, Search and Seizure Law, and Interstate Driver’s License Consequences.

Mr. Iocona is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, and the California DUI Lawyers Association and a frequent lecturer regarding DUI Defense.

As a member of these DUI organizations, he has received specialized training in DUI defense. If you need an experienced Orange County DUI Lawyer, contact Orange County DUI Attorney Peter Iocona for a free consultation.