Drunk drivers cause considerable damage on Florida’s roads. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, over 5,000 crashes were caused by drunk drivers in 2016. These wrecks caused 461 deaths and over 3,000 injuries—staggering numbers that cost the state millions of dollars a year. Because those under 21 cannot legally consume alcohol, Florida unsurprisingly has...
Continue ReadingThere’s a school of thought that believes smiling in your mugshot following a criminal arrest is a good idea. Public officials charged with crimes sometimes do this as a way of showing defiance or that they consider the charges politically motivated. But even private citizens are known to smile when the police take a mugshot, perhaps because they do...
Continue ReadingAlthough marijuana has gained greater social acceptance in recent years–particularly as a medicinal drug–it remains a dangerous controlled substance under federal and state law. And while Florida voters approved the limited manufacture and use of medicinal cannabis as part of a statewide constitutional amendment, that does not mean you can simply smoke a joint in public whenever you feel...
Continue ReadingDrunk driving has been around as long as there have been cars. In the early morning hours of September 10, 1897, a 25-year-old London taxi cab driver named George Smith was charged by local police with “being drunk when in charge of a motor car.” A constable observed Smith operating a “four-wheeled electric cab,” when he suddenly “swerved from...
Continue ReadingA DUI conviction can affect your life in many ways. It can cause you to lose your driver’s license and spend time in jail. Even if you avoid jail time, you may be placed on probation. You may also have to pay a fine and be ordered to take alcohol education classes. In addition, you may lose your job,...
Continue ReadingIf you are convicted of a DUI in Florida, a first offense can cost you your driver’s license for up to one year. This is in addition to other potential penalties, which include a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, the mandatory impoundment of your care for at least 10 days, and a requirement to use an ignition interlock...
Continue ReadingJust about everyone uses social media nowadays to post updates about everything from hobbies to family to what they ate for breakfast. We live in society where we share too much, which can actually get you in trouble with the law. What you share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or any other social media site can have legal consequences....
Continue ReadingNavigating the Waters of Florida’s Enhanced DUI: Beyond the BAC Horizon In Florida, an enhanced DUI charge can result from aggravating factors, notably an excessive blood alcohol level (BAC) beyond the standard 0.08 threshold. Such cases may face stricter penalties. The Gravity of First-Time DUI Offenses in Florida: From Basic Penalties to Enhanced Charges A criminal DUI conviction in...
Continue ReadingWe have all heard about the “black boxes” used in airplanes to record flight data. In the event of a crash, safety officials use the black boxes–which are actually orange in color to enable easier recovery–to assist in their investigation of the accident. Along those same lines, most new automobiles sold in the United States have their own black...
Continue ReadingFacing a DUI conviction can be devastating, especially when the charge is only one of several crimes that you have been accused of committing in connection with the DUI charge. When you are charged with a crime related to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), how can you be certain that the evidence obtained by law...
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