Hire A Competent St. Petersburg Florida DUI Lawyer In Pinellas County
With six former prosecutors in our St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay Area office, we are THE St. Petersburg Florida DUI Law firm to defend any DUI charge.
Nobody plans to have to defend against a DUI charge.
But here you are.
And now the State Attorney is trying to convict you of a serious crime. You’re subject to driver license suspension. And it does not take a rocket scientist to know that this can devastate your employment prospects in the future.
We know what you’re going through. And with 6 former Pinellas County/ Sixth Judicial Circuit prosecuting attorneys on our team, we know exactly what it takes to defend you. While we utilize an approach to designing DUI defenses, we assign a specific attorney to spearhead your case and fight your charge.
To learn more, feel free to review our information below:
Learn DUI Defenses We Use in Saint Petersburg DUI Cases
A DUI Attorney’s Role In Defending You
The Different Types of DUI Charges According to Florida Criminal Law
What You Must Know About Breath Test Refusals
DUI Urine Testing And How It Impacts Your Criminal Case
What Are The Penalties For A DUI In Pinellas County?
Pinellas County has some of the most severe penalties for DUI’s in the State of Florida.
Pinellas County is aggressive with DUI enforcement. It even calls its DUI squad, “the Wolfpack”.
The police and the State Attorney Bernie McCabe work hand in hand. So it’s not surprising that Pinellas County is aggressive prosecuting DUI’s and more difficult than the average county for a Drunk Driving Defense Lawyer to get a DUI reduced.
Furthermore, Pinellas County refuses to allow even first time DUI offenders to enter into drug court.
A first time DUI conviction carries up to 12 months probation and a minimum fine of $1000.00. Jail is a possibility, but unlikely if the DUI did not result in property damage or injury to another. Expect your license to be suspended by the County Court Judge for a minimum of 6 months.
Also, expect substance abuse evaluations and treatment. And expect to take DUI school with the Suncoast Safety Council in St. Petersburg.
A 2nd DUI that occurs within 5 years of a previous conviction does carry a minimum of ten days in the county jail., higher fines, a longer driver’s license suspension, and an ignition interlock.
A 3rd DUI that occurs within ten years of a previous DUI is a felony. There is minimum mandatory jail time of 30 days in jail.
How Hiring A St. Petersburg DUI Defense Attorney Makes The Difference
So how does a St. Petersburg DUI lawyer help? How can a lawyer help avoid harsh penalties?
Simple. These penalties will only apply if there is a conviction for a DUI.
So for a first time DUI offender, avoiding the DUI conviction means avoiding some or all of the penalties.
That makes the end goal a dismissal of the charge or a reduction of the charge to something else like reckless driving.
A good lawyer can do this in a number of ways. First, by removing some of the evidence from consideration by the State Attorney or Judge. If the attorney can suppress some or all of the evidence, then the State Attorney may not be able to proceed on a DUI and have to reduce the charge or dismiss it. This is done via Motions in Court, including motions to suppress and motions to dismiss.
Second, by good negotiation. A good DUI lawyer can often show the State Attorney what is special about you and why you deserve to have your charge reduced. This is especially true with first-time offenders without aggravating circumstances associated with the arrest.
Third, by trial. Sometimes the best way to handle a DUI charge is to present the case to a Jury of your peers. All DUI jury trials in Pinella County are held at the criminal justice center on 49th Street. If you are exonerated by a Jury then the charges are the same as dismissed.