Both the state of Florida and Brevard County takes DUIs very seriously. If you’ve been arrested for a DUI in Florida, having insight about the process and what to expect can help you be prepared for a vigorous defense.
Let’s Take a Look at Some Essential Facts to Know if You’ve Been Arrested for a DUI in Florida:
- Saving Your Driver’s License: You only have 10 days from the date of your arrest to save your driver’s license.
- Immediate Suspension of License: Upon being arrested for a DUI, your driver’s license is IMMEDIATELY suspended. However, for the next 10 days, you ARE allowed to drive to or from WORK or for business purposes, using the ticket issued by the officer as a type of driver’s permit.
- Hefty Penalties (even for first-time offenders): Even for a first time DUI conviction, you could end up having to pay as much as $1000 in fines and spend up to 6-months in jail, in addition to losing your drivers license for up to 6 months and being assigned 50-hours of community service.
- Bail: If this is your first DUI with a BAC of 0.08, and there was no property damage or serious injuries, the bail is typically no more than $500. However, repeat offenders, and/or those whose accident caused damage to person or property could have bail set as high as $10,000 (or more).
- Your Criminal Record: If convicted of a DUI, it could stay on your criminal record for up to 75 years.
As you can see, even for a first-time offense, hiring a skilled criminal defense attorney in Brevard County is paramount.
