Jacksonville DUI Lawyer

Have you been charged with DUI?

If you or a loved one is facing charges for a DUI in Florida, it is important to speak with a Jacksonville DUI attorney from our firm at your earliest convenience. A DUI can be more damaging to a person's life than may be realized. You may have to face jail time, hefty fines, a criminal record, driver's license suspension and more. Losing one's license can have an extremely negative effect on one's life. It can inhibit your ability to keep your job, to attend school and to take care of your family. We understand how important these things are to you and we do everything in our power to protect our clients and their driving privilege.

If you wish to challenge your criminal charges and the threat to your driving privilege, it is important to speak with a qualified attorney immediately. We provide information and legal counsel in all matters of DUI charges and questions, including those listed below. Click on any of the links to read more about the topics described, and call if you would like to discuss any matters further.

Appeals
If you believe that your case was denied a fair trial, then you have the option of appealing the decision. In this case, a lawyer can review the aspects of your original case to find any errors, which will better prepare you for your retrial. Read more about appeals.

BAC
The field sobriety tests used to measure a person's blood alcohol content are not accurate methods of testing. When this type of measurement is used, your level of intoxication could seem worse than your BAC would actually indicate. Read more about BAC.

Commercial DUI
Commercial drivers follow a different set of laws than normal drivers. For example, the legal limit for commercial drivers is 0.04 percent. Read more about commercial DUI.

Breath and Blood Tests
In Florida, a breath or blood test that reflects a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.08 percent or higher will be punishable with severe penalties. Read more about breath and blood tests.

Boating Under the Influence
Recreational boating is one of the most popular pastimes in the state of Florida. Because of the high number of boating fatalities, law enforcement is cracking down on intoxicated boaters. Read more about boating under the influence.

DHSMV Hearings
When your license has been suspended after DUI you have exactly ten days to apply for a hearing at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Here, you will be given the opportunity to challenge the suspension at a DHSMV hearing. Read more about DHSMV hearings.

Driving While License Suspended
Many drivers who are caught driving while their license is suspended were not even aware of the suspension. This is punished much more harshly than a simple traffic violation because it is considered to be a criminal offense. Read more about driving while license suspended.

DUI Arraignment
Your plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest will be done at a DUI arraignment. A trial date will be set for those individuals who plead not guilty. Read more about DUI arraignment.

DUID
Driving while under the influence is a serious charge that can be applied to drivers who were using illegal substances, as well as those taking prescription medications. Read more about DUID.

DUI Defense
Florida has enacted strict penalties for those convicted of drinking and driving; therefore, it is crucial to align yourself with a DUI defense attorney that can represent your case and protect your rights. Read more about DUI defense.

DUI Manslaughter
The penalties for DUI manslaughter convictions are extremely harsh, even for the most minimum of sentences. However, it is important to remember that an accusation is not the same as a conviction and there is still time to take action which can protect you in these cases. Read more about DUI manslaughter.

DUI Penalties
The consequences for DUI convictions will depend on whether or not you have been charged with a DUI in the past, as well as the severity of incident. Read more about DUI penalties.

DUI Plea Bargains
Some DUI charges can be reduced by striking a deal with the prosecution. This deal requires that the defendant forego their legal rights to a jury trial in exchange for a reduction in charges or penalties. Read more about DUI plea bargains.

DUI Sentencing
Florida judges have a considerable amount of decision making capability when it comes to charging DUI penalties. Therefore, ensuring that you have the best legal representation on your side in order to sway the judge could be crucial to the success of your case. Read more about DUI sentencing.

DUI with Injury
Not all DUIs will be charged and punished as harshly as the next. Cases of drinking and driving that result in the injury of another are among those that are more seriously handled, and they are considered to be felony cases. Read more about DUI with injury.

Expungements
In Florida, some arrests can be essentially erased from your record through expungement. If the charges against you were dropped after your arrest or your case ended in non-conviction you may be eligible to seal your record and prevent the public from viewing your arrest. Read more about expungements.

Felony DUI
A number of circumstances go into determining whether or not your DUI case is a felony. Felony DUIs are charged and punished more seriously than misdemeanor cases, so it will be important to seek aggressive legal representation on your behalf. Read more about felony DUI.

Field Sobriety Tests
The tests conducted at the time an officer pulls you over are known as field sobriety tests. These are not accurate measures of your intoxication level and should not be the determining factor in your arrest. Read more about field sobriety tests.

First Time DUI
First time DUI offenses can still result in serious consequences, especially without the right legal representation on your side. Certain factors such as your BAC level and the severity of the accident can elicit harsher penalties, even if it was your first offense. Read more about first time DUI.

Leaving the Scene of an Accident
If you have been caught leaving the scene of an accident your chances of being charged with a felony offense will greatly increase. Read more about leaving the scene of an accident.

Multiple DUI
With each consecutive DUI, the penalties applied to you will increase. Read more about multiple DUIs.

Out of State DUI
States in the U.S. have a pact that calls for the transfer of penalties from one state to another in cases of DUI. This means that if you received a DUI while on vacation in Florida, they will not vanish when you leave the state and return home. In fact, the best way to deal with this type of charge is with the assistance of a DUI attorney in Florida. Read more about out of state DUI.

Reckless Driving
Even reckless driving charges can result in jail time, fines, traffic school, points on your record and community service hours. Read more about reckless driving.

Sobriety Checkpoints
Law enforcement officers set up roadblocks, called sobriety checkpoints, in order to catch drunk drivers and to keep the roadways safe during peak driving hours. Read more about sobriety checkpoints.

Underage DUI
The severity of drinking and driving is harshly punished in Florida, especially when an individual is under the age of 21. The punishments are so serious, in fact, that permanent damage can be done to your future if you are not properly defended. Read more about underage DUI.

Unlawful Police Stops
Police officers must have a legitimate reason to believe that you have been drinking and driving in order to pull you over on suspicion of DUI. Without probable cause, the stop could be considered unlawful. Read more about unlawful police stops.

Vehicle Impoundment
After your first DUI conviction, Florida state police are legally authorized to impound your car for ten days; a second conviction calls for a 30-day impoundment and a third conviction warrants a 90-day impoundment. Read more about vehicle impoundment.

Vehicular Homicide
Negligent or reckless operation of a vehicle that causes the death of another is what is known as vehicular manslaughter. The sooner you involve an attorney in this type of charge, the better your changes will be of a reduced sentence or dropped case. Read more about vehicular homicide.

Why hire a Jacksonville DUI attorney?

At The Law Offices of Jason K. S. Porter, P.A., we are able to aggressively assist our clients due to our extensive experience and skill in. Our team includes a Board Certified trial law attorney, three former DUI prosecutors, including a Division Chief who supervised DUI prosecutions, and a former DUI hearing officer for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. With more than 30 years of combined legal experience, we have helped many people overcome their charges and move on with their lives.

We believe that everyone is entitled to a tireless legal defense when being charged with drunk driving. Law enforcement is not perfect and mistakes might have been made during both the DUI arrest and the administration of blood or breathalyzer tests. If mistakes are made in either case, the charges the defendant is facing could be lessened or dropped; it, however, takes a skilled attorney to recognize these factors and defend your rights in court. Whether you are facing charges for a first, second or third DUI, hiring a lawyer may be the best decision you have made regarding your case. Call our firm today so that we can begin protecting your rights and looking out for your best interests.

Contact a Jacksonville DUI defense lawyer from the firm today.