Plain-language disclosures about the data this website and law firm collect, how it is used, who can access it, and the rights California residents have over their personal information — including specific disclosures about the firm's automated phone intake system and voicemail.
This policy describes how San Diego DUI Defense — the law practice of R. Robert Punta, Attorney at Law (SBN 220353) — collects, uses, stores, and shares personal information. It applies to people who:
It does not cover information collected by third-party websites or services that may be linked from this site, by court e-filing systems, or by communications conducted in person or by mail.
This policy is informational, not a legal contract. It describes current practices and may be updated as practices evolve. Material changes will be reflected in the "last updated" date and, where appropriate, communicated directly to current clients.
The firm collects information you provide directly when you contact it or retain it as your attorney. This may include:
The firm does not require you to create an online account, does not request financial account information through the website, and does not collect Social Security numbers or other government identifiers through casual contact channels. Information of that sensitivity is collected, when needed, only after representation has been formally established and through appropriate secure channels.
When you call the firm's main published number — (619) 486-8860 — your call may be answered by an automated intake system that uses artificial intelligence to gather information about your matter and either connect you to the attorney or arrange a callback. This section explains how that system works.
The automated phone intake system is built using third-party technology services. When you call, your call audio and the resulting transcript pass through and are processed by the following providers:
Each of these providers operates under its own privacy policy and data processing terms, which govern how they handle data passing through their systems. The firm has selected configurations intended to limit retention and prohibit use of your information for purposes unrelated to providing the intake service. Some providers may, depending on the service tier, use anonymized or aggregated information to improve their services. The firm reviews these terms periodically and selects service tiers consistent with its confidentiality obligations as a law office.
California is a two-party consent state for call recording (Penal Code §632). The automated intake system discloses recording at the start of every call and offers an immediate opt-out. If you continue with the call after the disclosure, you are providing consent to the recording. If you prefer not to be recorded, the system will transfer you to voicemail, where you can leave a message for the attorney.
The automated intake system identifies itself as an automated agent in its opening greeting. If asked at any point during a call whether you are speaking to a human or an AI, the system will confirm that it is an automated assistant.
If you decline recording on the intake call, ask to leave a voicemail, or are otherwise routed to voicemail, your call is transferred to a separate voicemail-only line that the firm operates for that purpose. The voicemail-only line is not the firm's published number and does not run the AI intake system; it simply records your message.
Voicemails are processed as follows:
Voicemails are not shared with the AI intake conversation system or its language model providers. Transcription is performed by the telephony provider, not by the conversational AI vendor.
This website is a static informational site. It does not use behavioral advertising trackers, cross-site advertising pixels, or session-replay technologies.
Standard server logs, maintained by the website's hosting provider, may record information typically associated with web requests — including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps — for security and operational purposes. The firm does not actively analyze or maintain these logs beyond what is automatically retained by the host.
The contact form on the home page transmits the information you enter directly to the firm's intake email address. It does not store form submissions on a third-party database. The form may be processed by a form-handling service acting solely as a transmission intermediary.
The firm uses standard email for routine communication. Standard email is not end-to-end encrypted; it travels through multiple servers and is generally accessible to the email service providers operating those servers. By contacting the firm by email, you accept this baseline level of security for routine communication.
For documents or communications involving heightened sensitivity — including but not limited to medical records, mental health records, sealed records, financial details, and certain types of personally identifying information — the firm uses additional protective measures, such as password-protected files transmitted with separately communicated passwords, or other secure transmission methods appropriate to the matter.
If you have a strong preference for a specific secure communication method (for example, encrypted messaging applications), you may discuss that preference with the attorney directly.
Information you provide is used to:
The firm does not sell your personal information. The firm does not share your personal information with third parties for those parties' own marketing purposes. The firm does not use your personal information to train artificial intelligence models on its own behalf.
Access to your information is limited to:
Information protected by the attorney-client privilege is not disclosed to anyone except as authorized by the client or as required or permitted by the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Client files and firm records are maintained on secured local systems controlled directly by the firm, rather than on cloud-based practice management platforms. Cloud-based services are used only as necessary for specific functions — such as email (Microsoft 365), legal research (LexisNexis), court e-filing (One Legal and similar court-mandated systems), and the phone intake and voicemail systems described above.
Client files are retained for the period required by the California Rules of Professional Conduct and applicable trust accounting rules, generally a minimum of five years following the conclusion of representation, with longer retention for certain categories of matters. Files are securely destroyed at the end of the applicable retention period.
Phone intake recordings, voicemail recordings, and transcripts are retained for a limited period sufficient to allow the attorney to review the call, follow up appropriately, and integrate any resulting client matter into the firm's records. Recordings and transcripts not associated with established representation are deleted on a routine schedule. Recordings and transcripts associated with established representation become part of the client file and follow the retention schedule for client files generally.
The firm takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, consistent with the California Rules of Professional Conduct, applicable State Bar of California formal opinions, and ABA Formal Opinion 477R. These steps include:
No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. The firm cannot guarantee absolute security, but it works to maintain practices consistent with the duties of a California attorney handling confidential client information.
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act provide you with specific rights regarding your personal information. These include:
Some of these rights are subject to exceptions specific to attorneys and law firms, particularly where information is part of a client file, is protected by attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine, or must be retained under professional conduct rules. The firm will respond to requests in accordance with applicable law and professional obligations.
To exercise any of the rights described above, or to ask questions about this policy, contact the firm using the information below. Requests should include enough information for the firm to verify your identity and locate any responsive records — typically your name, the phone number or email address you used to contact the firm, and the approximate date of any relevant communication.
The firm will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law (generally 45 days under the CCPA, with the possibility of a 45-day extension when reasonably necessary).
This policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in practices, technology, or applicable law. The "last updated" date at the top of the policy reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted, and clients with active matters will be notified directly of changes that affect their existing representation.
Questions about this privacy policy, requests to exercise California privacy rights, or concerns about how the firm handles your information should be directed to:
R. Robert Punta, Attorney at Law
San Diego DUI Defense
8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800, PMB 2047
San Diego, CA 92108
Email: info@sdduidefense.com
Phone: (619) 486-8860