Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is taken very seriously by law enforcement officers and prosecuted extremely harshly by court authorities in Florida. Even if you have no criminal record prior to your DUI arrest, a first-time conviction could leave you facing numerous criminal and administrative sanctions that may include jail time and a lengthy license suspension. If you are convicted multiple times for impaired driving, you may wind up being prosecuted for a felony.
Fighting back effectively against DUI allegations is not something you should try to do by yourself—and fortunately, you will not have to if you seek guidance from our expert criminal defense attorneys. A Kendall DUI lawyer at Rossen Law Firm will make sure you know all your rights and legal options, help construct the strongest possible defense for your situation, and fight tenaciously on your behalf in court.
Dealing with a First-Time DUI Offense
The state of Florida considers anyone with a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher to be “under the influence” of alcohol and therefore prohibited from operating any motor vehicle, with even stricter limits applying to commercial drivers and to drivers under 21. Alternatively, police officers can arrest and charge you with DUI if they believe you are driving while “impaired” by alcohol or drugs, a determination they can make based on your performance in field sobriety tests and on their own subjective interpretation of the situation.
In either scenario, someone convicted of DUI for the first time may face between $500 and $1,000 in fines plus a maximum six-month jail term under Florida Statutes §316.193. Enhanced fines and jail terms apply for people convicted of DUI while transporting a child in the car or with a BAC over 0.15 percent. Additionally, you will likely have your vehicle impounded for a minimum of 10 days, be required to serve 50 hours of community service or pay a $10 fine per hour of required community service, and have your driver’s license revoked for between six to 12 months.
Importantly, though, first-time offenders are sometimes eligible for more lenient penalties—for example, a hardship license that allows you to continue driving to work or school during your license suspension period—or even alternative sentencing like participation in a DUI diversion program. A Kendall drunk driving attorney can discuss your options in more specific detail during a private strategy session.
Harsher Penalties for Subsequent DUI Convictions
Even though a first-time DUI is considered only a misdemeanor offense in most situations, it can still be crucial for you to contest any DUI charge you find yourself facing as vigorously as possible. This is because the penalties you may face upon being convicted of DUI get much more severe with each subsequent conviction, to the point that getting a third DUI conviction in a ten-year period or a fourth or subsequent DUI conviction at any point will always be prosecuted as a felony.
There may also be additional administrative penalties, including the installation of a device in your vehicle which prevents the engine from starting unless you pass a breath alcohol test. Support from an experienced lawyer can be just as important—if not more so—when fighting a second or subsequent DUI charge in Kendall compared to fighting a first-time offense.
Work With an Award-Winning Kendall DUI Attorney
Being charged with driving under the influence can be terrifying. Having support from
expert legal counsel will make a huge difference not just in how well you can contest the charge you are facing now, but also in the effect this case will have on your future personal and professional prospects.
If you have been arrested for driving drunk, your top priority should be contacting a Kendall DUI lawyer. At Rossen Law Firm, we know that good people sometimes make mistakes. We believe in fighting for you, regardless of your charge.
Get in touch with us today to set up your
strategy session with a dedicated legal professional.