In Florida, every person charged with a DUI has the right to a trial by jury. While many Florida DUI cases are resolved before a trial has taken place, know that a trial by jury is your right although many people will waive this right in order to have their DUI case decided by a judge alone, which is called a bench trial.
In order for a bench trial to take place, the prosecution in your Florida DUI case must agree to it. A bench trial, like a jury trial, has both pro’s and con’s which should be discussed with your Miami DUI defense lawyer.
If your Florida DUI does go to trial, you’ll be working closely with your Miami DUI defense lawyer to gather evidence in your defense and build a case to refute any evidence the State may have against you. This may include challenging the reasons for your initial traffic stop, the results of your BAC test(s), and other possible defenses based on the specifics of your arrest.
Florida DUI Penalties
If it is your 1st conviction you could serve up to one year in county jail. Your fines will fall between $600 and $2,100. Your driver’s license will be suspended for up to 90 days unless your Miami DUI defense attorney can argue a reduced sentence for things like school or work.
A second conviction within 5 years of the first results in jail time for between 5 days and 1 year. You will have to do some community service, equal to about 30 days. Besides paying with your time via jail and community service, you will also have to pay fines amounting to between $1000 and $5000. And to make it even harder for you to accomplish all this, your license will be revoked for 1 year.
A 3rd conviction within 5 years of the last conviction is punished even more severely according to a source at http://hurwitzlawgroup.com. You will get mandatory jail time of at least 60 days and up to 1 year. Your mandatory fines will cost between $2,000 and $10,000. Finally, don’t expect to get your license back for up to 3 years.
This all adds up to a lot of time and money. Hiring an experienced Miami DUI defense lawyer is the best step you can take to fight these charges and possibly evade the strict penalties that accompany a Florida DUI conviction.
Remember, you are not guilty until proven guilty! A Miami DUI defense lawyer may be able to help you beat or reduce your Florida DUI charges.
Contacting a Miami DUI Defense Lawyer
If you are facing DUI charges in South Florida, your legal team is your best defense. Contact the Miami DUI defense lawyers at Falk & Ross to discuss your case – 877-663-5110.