Dade City DUI Defense Attorney

First-time DUI penalties include:

• Up to $1,000 in fine
• Up to 6 months in jail
• Up to 180 days of driver’s license revocation
• DUI school and counseling
• 50 hours of community service
• 10-day impound of your vehicle
• Attend Victim Impact Panel
• Probation

Florida Implied Consent Law

Under Florida implied consent law, all drivers are required to submit to chemical testing of their blood, urine, or breath if they are lawfully detained for DUI. If you refuse to test, you can face additional penalties on top of the penalties for a DUI conviction.

Possible penalties:

• One-year license revocation for test refusal
• 18-month license revocation for subsequent refusals

It is important to note that refusing testing can also be used against you at trial to prove culpability. If you have had a prior refusal violation, you can also be charged with a misdemeanor and penalized with up to one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Is a DUI in Florida a Felony?

In the state of Florida, a DUI can be a felony under certain circumstances. One circumstance that can cause a DUI to be a felony is if it is your third DUI offense within ten years.

Possible penalties for a third offense felony DUI include:

• 30 days to five years in jail
• 10 years driver’s license revocation
• 90-day vehicle impoundment
• Probation
• Substance abuse course

How Can A DUI Lawyer In Dade City Help You?

Although our criminal defense firm has helped many individuals who have been charged with DUIs, we understand that each situation is unique, and we make sure to treat each case with the attention that it requires in order to help ensure success. Our DUI lawyers in Dade City have years of combined experience and will go above and beyond to gather the evidence necessary to defend your case. When you hire our DUI attorneys, you are not only hiring legal experts but people who truly care about your specific case.

Our DUI attorneys in Dade City can help you in the following ways:

• Addressing all of your questions
• Providing you with important legal counseling
• Giving you valuable legal advice
• Helping to ensure that your rights and future are protected
• Thoroughly investigating your case
• Gathering necessary evidence to support your case
• Representing you in court
• Offer you psychological support and emotional reassurance

If you or someone you love was recently charged with a DUI, it's important that you consult a professional and receive the guidance and support that you need as soon as possible. Contact our DUI attorneys in Dade City to schedule a free initial consultation and to learn more about what we can do to help you.

Frequently Asked Questions — Driving Under the Influence

In order to help you understand the charges, and know what to do about a DUI arrest, our Dade City DUI law firm has created a helpful list of DUI FAQs. If you review the questions and still have some of your own, or you know you need a Dade City DUI attorney as soon as possible, feel free to contact our firm, Thurow Law, online or pick up the phone and call (352) 775-0775.

DUI FAQ – Your Questions are Answered

1. What is the legal limit in Florida? 
   The average driver in Florida is considered illegally intoxicated behind the wheel if they have a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08% or greater. For minors, the limit is just 0.02% and commercial drivers are limited to 0.04%.
2. Can I be arrested if I am under the BAC limit? 
   Yes. A highway patrol officer is permitted to use their own discretion when arresting someone for a DUI. Basically, they only need to believe you are impaired behind the wheel by alcohol or drugs in your system, regardless of how much that amount is in actuality.
3. Can I go to jail for a first-time DUI? 
   Yes. In Florida, it is common for courts to use a 6 to 9-month incarceration as part of sentencing for first-time DUI offenders. To avoid or minimize jail time, it is encouraged that you work with a criminal defense attorney for your case.
4. Is it true that I can fight my driver’s license suspension? 
   If you are arrested for a DUI, it is likely that your driver’s license will be automatically suspended, if you do nothing to stop it. You have 10 days following your arrest to request an administrative hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to challenge this debilitating suspension.
5. What does an IID do? 
   Florida will require DUI convicts to have an ignition interlock device (IID) on any vehicle they operate once they have their license back. An IID measures a person’s breath before allowing the startup of the vehicle’s engine; any number above the legal limit will prevent the engine from being started, and it may even notify the police. Additionally, the state taxes anyone with an IID in their vehicle, costing them a varying amount each month.

Free, Confidential Consultation on all DUI Offenses

Pasco County DUI Attorney Thurow can meet you at the firm’s Dade City office for a free and confidential consultation. He can also meet you at the courthouse if he is in court. He regularly works seven days a week and routinely makes himself available in the evenings and on weekends for his clients and potential clients.

Thurow Law serves clients all across the west coast of Florida, including but not limited to Pasco County, Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, and Polk County.

Arrested for DUI? Call our Pasco County DUI lawyer at (352) 775-0775 to start your defense.