Driving Under the Influence in Florida

Driving under the influence (DUI) in Florida has significant penalties for a first time offender including jail, loss of driver’s license, fines, increased insurance costs, and court costs. If the case involves a repeat offender or injury, the penalties increase dramatically.

Most DUI offenses have strict deadlines to respond to the administrative review process.  Don’t miss these deadlines! It’s up to you to get legal help as soon as possible.

An experienced DUI attorney can often negotiate reduced penalties, reduced charges, or a dismissal. There are legal factors to build a DUI defense strategy such as the reason you were pulled over, probable cause to support the arrest, how the sobriety test or blood test was administered, and inconsistencies in reports. We can review your case to determine if any procedural or civil rights violations have taken place.  Our goal is to resolve your case so you don’t have to go to court.

DUI – Do I have to take a breathalyzer test?

You may legally refuse to take a breathalyzer test but there are consequences. Florida has implied consent which means you agree to being tested when you get your driver’s license. If you refuse, it’s an automatic one year license suspension. A second refusal is an automatic 18 month suspension as well as a separate criminal offense. If you’ve refused a test or flunked a test, we should talk.

If police ask to search your car, you are NOT required to say “yes”.

The police can’t randomly stop you and search your car. They need “probable cause,” such as speeding, a broken tail light, or too dark window tinting. If the police pull you over, stop as soon as you safely can. ALWAYS be polite the police officer. Follow their instructions. Do NOT be rude or belligerent. But if they ask for permission to search, you can politely say, “NO”. If there are issues, get legal help.

Okeechobee Music Festival – arrested while attending a concert?

Unfortunately we get calls every year from concerned parents AFTER an arrest.

Before entering the festival, law enforcement provide large containers to dispose of illegal substances. This is NOT a trap. If you get rid of the drugs BEFORE going in, you will not be arrested. If you do NOT dispose of the drugs and you enter and are caught, you will be arrested.

Keep in mind that on the roads heading to the festival there will be many officers looking for probable cause to pull a car over and search for illegal substances. Please see information above on car searches.

Wouldn’t you rather see the concert instead of the Okeechobee County Jail? We can help after the fact, but we strongly urge all concert goers to comply with the law and avoid trouble.

DUI Questions? Need Help?

We’ve been helping good people like you facing tough situations for the past twenty years. Call us at 863.467.6570 to ask a question or schedule a FREE appointment.