Drinking Under the Influence Consequences The State of Florida has a strict DUI law. So if you are thinking of taking two bottles before driving home, your criminal defense attorney Jacksonville FL advises you not to. Here are the various penalties that await should you be caught drunk driving in Florida: Hefty fines DUI penalties in Florida are steep. Fines are among the criminal penalties that await anyone caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.8%. The state recently made the crime even more costly by raising the minimum fine to $500 from $250. On a first conviction, you can be fined between $500 to $1,000. The fine could reach $2,000 if the driver's BAC is higher than 0.15%. The fine increases on repeat offenses. With fines going as high as $5,000 if you are to be caught driving while intoxicated for the third time within ten years from your second offense. Probation Florida judges put all DUI offenders under probation, depending on the gravity of their offense. A first-time offender would be incarcerated and under probation for less than one year. First-time DUI offenders also have to complete at least 50 hours of community service as a condition of probation. Imprisonment There is no minimum jail term for DUI offenders. Court rulings differ depending on the circumstances of the case. For a standard DUI conviction, the jail term should not exceed six months. It goes up to nine months if the driver has a BAC higher than 0.15% or was caught with a minor in the vehicle. The jail term could be longer if there had been property damage, serious bodily injury, or if death was involved.
License Suspension
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is also required to suspend your license if you violated the DUI laws. First offenders get a minimum of six months. Those convicted for their fourth DUI offense will get mandatory permanent revocation of license. Vehicle Impoundment For the first conviction, a DUI offender's car may be impounded for not more than ten days. Drinking and driving not only put the man behind the wheel's life on the line, it also endangers other motorists and pedestrians. It is a serious crime, and for some obvious reasons. References: https://www.stateofflorida.com/dui-information.aspx https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/education-courses/dui-and-iid/florida-dui-administrative-suspension-laws/ https://criminal-law.freeadvice.com/criminal-law/drunk_driving/florida-dui-jail-time.htm https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/crimes/dui/ https://dui.drivinglaws.org/resources/first-offense-dui-florida.htm
Robert L. Corse, Attorney at Law
233 E Bay St, Jacksonville, FL 32202, USA (904) 634-1701
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