How does the Case proceed in Court?

You will find the date and time of your hearing somewhere on your ticket or in your paperwork. If you have not hired an attorney then you must attend your hearing on the designated time. The Judge will first handle attorney represented cases and then he will proceed with non-attorney represented cases.
At some time during the proceedings the judge will ask you to enter a plea. You may plead guilty or non-guilty. Depending on your plea, the judge will carry on the proceedings. If you plead guilty, your punishment will be announced immediately, but if you plead non-guilty then the judge will ask you a number of questions to determine if you want to waive any of your constitutional rights including your right to a speedy trial or not.
The punishment for San Diego DUI may entail some Jail time, heavy fines and probation, or some program that counts as Jail time.