Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in Florida
Orlando DUI Attorney
DUI, or driving under the influence, is a criminal offense in Florida and one that carries mandatory minimum penalties that can be severe and life-changing, that is why is so important to have a DUI defense attorney on your side.
Under Florida Law a person is guilty of DUI if he or she drives, or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, and is under the influence of alcoholic beverages or any chemical or controlled substance to the extent that his or her mental or physical faculties are impaired or when his or her blood alcohol level (BAC) is above the legal limit for the state. This includes alcoholic beverages of any kind, illegal narcotics, prescription drugs or even over the counter medicines.
If you are charged with DUI in Orlando, Central Florida or in any other place in Florida, your driver's license will be immediately suspended and a citation will be issued.
DUI's are usually charged as misdemeanors Under Florida Law but can become felonies under specific circumstances. Among them:
- DUI Manslaughter
- Third DUI conviction within 10 years after a prior conviction
- Fourth or Greater DUI Conviction
- DUI With Serious Bodily
- Driving a commercial motor vehicle with a BAC of .04 or higher
Mandatory minimum penalties for a DUI conviction include:
- Fines and Court costs
- Community service
- Supervised probation
- Jail time
- Vehicle impound
- DUI school
- Driver license suspension
- Completion of a Victim Awareness Program
- Criminal record: DUI conviction on your record for life
The severity of each of these penalties depends on specific circumstances, the degree of your DUI offense and the existence of previous DUI convictions. Felony DUI charges carry more severe penalties than misdemeanor DUIs.
The above are the minimum penalties for first time DUI offenders whith no aggravating factors. If there are aggravating factors, such an accident, additional penalties, including the imposition of an 'Ignition Interlock Device' are required. Defendants who have had previous DUI convictions also face additional mandatory penalties and can even end up being charged in felony court.
Ten Day Rule
It is very important for you to be aware of Florida’s “Ten Day Rule”. This rule states that if you are suspected of driving under the influence and refuse to take a blood, breath or urine test after being arrested for DUI, or your breath test was .08% blood-alcohol or above, you have only a 10 day period from the date of the arrest to request in writing a Formal Review Hearing with the Florida DMV. During this 10 day period you are allowed to drive using your citation as a driving permit. If you fail to file for this hearing you will miss the opportunity to challenge the administrative suspension of your driver license and won’t be able to drive after the tenth day.
If you file a demand for a Formal Review Hearing and you are eligible, a temporary license will be issued. This temporary license becomes effective when the ten day permit expires and would allow you to continue driving for business purposes until seven days after the Formal Review Hearing, normally giving you a period of 30-45 days to continue driving.
Formal Review Hearing
The Formal Review Hearing (which is an administrative hearing as opposed to a criminal trial which occurs later) resulting from the DUI charges must be scheduled no later than thirty (30) days after the demand is filed and will be held before a hearing officer employed by the Department of Highway and Safety Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). During the hearing the existing evidence will be presented with the intention to uphold the administrative suspension of your driver license. If you are represented by a DUI defense attorney during the hearing, she or he will have the opportunity to present arguments and cross examine the police officer who made the arrest and the witnesses, if there are any.
Usually after a couple of days of the hearing, the officer will decide if the suspension of your driver’s license is upheld or invalidated. If the suspension is upheld your driver's license will remain suspended for either six months (if the driver blew over a .08), or a year (if the driver refused to blow into the machine).
If your driver’s license suspension is upheld, you might be eligible to apply for a hardship license, which could result in only a hard suspension of 30 days for blowing over the limit, and one for 90 days for a refusal.
The Formal Review Hearing with the DHSMV is completely separate from the criminal case. If you are later on convicted of DUI by a criminal court, a mandatory suspension of your driver’s license will begin on the date of your conviction and your hardship driver's license, if any, will be seized.
DUI cases can be complicated and their consequences long lasting. Central Florida DUI Attorney David Hill has extensive experience and the required knowledge of the criminal justice system to fight them back. DUI cases more than most affect one’s ability to keep one’s employment since most people need to drive to get to and from work. That makes it essential to have an attorney help you navigate through the complicated administrative and criminal minefield of this offense. Our firm will attack the evidence being used through pretrial Motions to Suppress, which oftentimes can result in the charges being dropped. If a jury trial is needed, we are very experienced in handling DUI trials, and will do everything we can to obtain an acquittal at trial.
Visit our DUI Frequent asked questions page to find more information on this subject.
Contact Orlando DUI Lawyer David P. Hill
How a DUI charge is resolved can have a significant and long term impact for you and your family. If you live in Orlando, Winter Park, Windermere or in any other place in Central Florida, and you have been charged with 'Driving Under the Influence', call the DUI Attorney at the Law Offices of David P. Hill in Orlando today for your free consultation. We are available 24 hours at 407-648-0006. You may also fill out our online form provided at the top of this page and we will contact you as soon as possible. We will keep your information confidential.
Free Consultation
- What is DUI?
- Is there any way to avoid a DUI?
- What is the "Ten Day Rule"?
- Can I still be in trouble for driving, even if my BAC is below the legal limit?
- Does the car have to be moving for me to be guilty of DUI?
- Do I have to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test?
- Can I fight my DUI arrest?
- If I am arrested for a DUI, will I lose my license?
- How long will I lose my license?
February 12, 2018
David Paul Hill (Attorney with a heart of gold)
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February 24, 2015
Mr. Hill, provided services fo...
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January 2, 2012
DUI case
★★★★★ Posted in AVVO by Luis
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July 19, 2011
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June 9, 2011
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June 7, 2011
Very happy with results!
★★★★★ Posted in AVVO by Anonymous
About a year ago my fiancee, while in his last year of college, got a DUI. After an impeccable life, and a promising future, this was a shocking, and stupid, event. We talked to few attorneys and finally decided on Mr. Hill. Caring and straight forward, we thought he was the right person to help us with our problem. We couldn't have made a better decision! Mr. Hill proved to be knowledgeable and committed to us! The charges were dropped, and lesson learned. We recommend him.