Punishment for someone who drives under the influence of alcohol and compromises their and other's people lives is crucial. Most countries have strict laws in place for DUI offenses. Even if you get arrested under a DUI offense for the first time with no casualties at place, you may bear severe consequences, including jail time, fines, suspension of your driving license, etc.
Florida has some of the toughest penalties for the DUI offense. Once you get convicted of a DUI crime, you cannot have it removed on record. However, you can certainly hire a seasoned DUI criminal lawyer who can understand your case, and represent you in legal court. An experienced DUI criminal lawyer can support you to get fair judgment following Florida's DUI rules and regulations.
This post aims to explain the DUI offenses and penalties in Florida. So, let's understand more about it.
What is a DUI offense?
A DUI is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This charge can be either misdemeanor or felony, depending on the severity and number of offenses committed. The penalties for a first offense are fines, probation, community service, license suspension, and jail time. A second offense and more can lead to higher fines as well as more days in jail.
DUI offenders may also have their car impounded for 30 days if they refused to take a breathalyser test at the scene of an arrest. So, it's important to know how serious this crime is before committing it because there are consequences beyond just paying fines and serving time in prison.
There are strict DUI laws to make people conscious of the driving law and social responsibilities.
DUI offenses and Penalties:
DUI offense in Florida is unbearable, and there are toughest penalties for the misdemeanour. The judge can impose a wide range of minimum to maximum penalties after analysing all the facts of the incident.
Below are the details about different categories of DUI offenses in Florida:
First DUI Offense:
You cannot escape from the DUI charges, even if you commit the crime for the first time. Instead, you'll have to bear the consequences of the damage by following these:
Imprisonment:
- Up to six months confinement, if you refuse a breath test or your BAC is below 0.15% and no vehicle collision or damage.
- Jail time for nine months, if BAC is above 0.15% and were driving with a minor in the vehicle.
- Up to 12 months in jail for a car crash while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Fines:
- You may penalise for $500 to $1000 for first time DUI with no damage.
- The fine may increase up to $2000 if BAC is 0.15% or higher and were driving with a minor.
Vehicle Immobilization:
If you have caught for the first time DUI offense, then state law provides for the immobilization of all the offender's vehicle for 10 days.
Driving License:
The offender will be penalised by a minimum of six months to a maximum one year of driving license suspension.
Community Service:
For the first DUI offense, the state has announced a mandatory rule to serve 50 hours of community service or an additional fine of $10 for each hour of required community service.
Second DUI offence:
If you have committed the DUI crime for a second time, then the consequence will be harder.
