Knowing Your Rights Can Help You Fight Your Florida DUI Charge
Being convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) may not seem like a very serious offense but, when you take into account the initial punishments and the long term effects it can have on a person’s financial and personal future, this type of conviction is very serious. Should an individual be arrested, charged, and convicted of DUI in Florida, he or she will face very harsh consequences such as a 180-day license suspension, $500 or more in fines, and the possibility of 6 to 9 months in jail.
License Suspension for DUI in Florida
Having to deal with a license suspension is what affects an individual’s life the most. It can be difficult to continue on “as normal” when you are unable to drive yourself to work or school. First time offenders in Florida, whether they are arrested and charged in Miami, Orlando, or anywhere else in the state, face a license suspension between 180 days and one year. Since this will have a high impact on daily life, it is important to move as quickly to retain a lawyer and motion the court to rescind the suspension.
Fighting Your DUI Charges
What an individual may not know is that during many DUI arrests, the individual’s rights are violated in one way or another. It is usually the violation of these rights that makes it possible for the individual to have their case dismissed from court or, at the very least, have the charges reduced to something less serious. Neither of these outcomes can be accomplished without the help of a legal professional – that is what it is so important to have the case reviewed by someone professional.
A DUI attorney will be able to tell the client what parts of the case work in their favor and which ones do not. Additionally, he or she will review the arrest to determine if the client’s rights were violated in any way. Some of the questions asked may include:
- Why did the arresting officer pull the vehicle over? What traffic laws were violated?
- Was a field sobriety test administered? How was the test administered?
- Were there any outside forces (weather, no daylight) that affected the results of the field sobriety test?
- Did the arresting officer recite Miranda Rights to the client? Were the rights explained properly?
The answers to these questions will give a clear picture of what rights may have been violated.
Ways to Beat a Florida DUI
Florida DUI offenders face the exact same punishment whether the arrest was in Tampa Bay, Miami, Orlando or any other city in Florida. If this is your first arrest then you will receive a license suspension unless you request a hearing to rescind the Florida suspension. Here are some ways to challenge the Florida DUI:
- Challenge the arresting officers testimony concerning the reason for being pulled over
• Check for ticket errors made by the Florida officer on all documents
• Extreme heat conditions caused drowsiness which escalated officers judgment of intoxication
Florida DUI Defense Tactics
No matter how guilty you may think you were at the time of the arrest, we want you to know one important thing: There is ALWAYS an aggressive and effective defense that will help you fight for the best possible outcome. In our experience, many officers do not follow proper field sobriety test procedures. In fact, challenging probable cause and the way field sobriety tests, blood tests and breath tests were administered is often a successful strategy to reduce or drop the charges. Also, many people plead guilty prematurely based on a breath test with a result above the legal limit. This is a common and costly mistake, as there are a variety of ways in having the breath test suppressed as we will show you how to do.
We will help you protect yourself against an unfair court system and not risk losing your license or financial security. With our help, we will show you the easy to understand steps needed to get your Florida DUI charges dismissed effectively and take back the control of your situation by being equipped with the real representation you need to win your case.