Driving under the influence is a serious offense in Florida. A DUI charge could result in fines, license suspension, as well as jail time. If you are stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence police officers general conduct a series of tests. The first is a field sobriety test, which may require you to walk a straight line, stand on one leg or an officer may observe whether there is involuntary jerking of the eyes. The second test is a breathalyzer, which is a test that measures the alcohol content in your body. A third test is blood test which measure the amount of alcohol content in your blood. Although these tests have been reliable in some cases, they are not always as reliable as they may seem. The field sobriety test, although it may give a clue as to whether there is an impairment, does not determine the level of alcohol consumption or whether the impairment is related to alcohol consumption. Breathalyzers can be unreliable due to a number of factor unrelated to alcohol consumption such as diabetes, belching and acid re-flux. Furthermore, blood test can also be unreliable due to issue such as chain of custody or even the a lab’s failure to give an error rate.
If you are a first time DUI offender Floridaoffers a pre-trial diversion program that requires offender to complete a course and do community service. You may still have to pay fines, however, after successful completion of the diversion program your case can be dismissed. Second time offender may be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle. If you have had more than one DUI conviction you may be more likely to serve jail time.
DUI cases are very complex and can be very time consuming, involving multiple hearings and court dates. A DUI Lawyer in Deland may be able to help you challenge the accuracy of a field sobriety test, breathalyzer or blood test. A lawyer may also be able to help negotiate a lesser sentence such as a diversion program or in more serious cases drug rehabilitation and treatment.
