DUI / Driving Under the Influence Defense

DUI Defense Lawyer in Brevard County, Florida Former State Prosecutor

DUI Charges in Brevard County

If you are on this site, you or a loved one were probably arrested for a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charge in Brevard County or elsewhere in Central Florida. You either made a mistake, had a lapse in judgment, or maybe the police rushed to judgment. Either way the result is the same; you wish you could rewind time and change the way things went. Maybe you wish you had a second chance. It is important to hire an experienced DUI defense attorney quickly. Your liberty, finances, and reputation are at stake. Select the link below to Read More.

Driving Under the Influence, Boating Under the Influence, and Reckless Driving when reduced from DUI (wet reckless) are the common crimes associated with "drunk driving." A person charged with a DUI should consult a DUI / DWI defense attorney because, each year it seems, the Florida legislature enacts stronger Florida DUI laws and more severe drunk driving penalties. Your license will likely be suspended, you could be placed in jail, you could be subject to extensive supervised probation, and you will be fined substantially. Your car insurance rates may rise and you could end up with a criminal conviction on your record that could impact your future and your employment opportunities. This is why it is important to hire an experienced Brevard County DUI attorney to handle your case.

Each criminal case is fact specific and all are unique. DUI law is very complex. It is important to hire a local Central Florida or Brevard County DUI lawyer who is familiar with the Intoxilyzer, blood tests, drug recognition experts, Toxicology as it relates to DUI, field sobriety exercises, and the many technical defenses to DUI and BUI. As a former prosecutor who has prosecuted literally thousands of criminal cases, Mr. Hicks has likely seen and handled a case just like yours many times. Even when you think the evidence against you is overwhelming, there may be technical defenses to your case only a trained lawyer will find.

Jason Hicks is a DUI defense attorney in Cocoa Beach. We pride ourselves on being fully apprised of the cutting edge DUI defense tactics. In some instances, a prosecutor can be forced to drop a DUI when all the evidence was thrown out by the Judge because of law enforcement mistakes and unconstitutional actions. This result requires DUI defense lawyer with experience in knowing the technical requirements placed on law enforcement and the litigation skills necessary to get evidence thrown out when officers violate those requirements.

Jason Hicks is a former Brevard County Prosecutor and is very familiar with the technical defenses to DUI as he used to prosecute these cases every day for years. Also, Jason stays up to date on the development and changes in DUI law as DUI cases comprise a large percentage of his cases.

In some unfortunate cases, when the State has plenty of evidence, the police made no mistakes, and the client has multiple prior DUI convictions, a competent lawyer is even more important. A Brevard County DUI lawyer doesn’t just have to be smart and know the law; the lawyer needs to have the negotiation skills required to convince the Prosecutor, or the Judge, that there are alternatives to the client’s incarceration. Most importantly, when all technical remedies are exhausted, and a plea negotiation is unacceptable, the attorney must have the trial skills necessary to get an acquittal and keep his or her client out of jail. This requires a thorough working knowledge of Florida Evidence, DUI law, and the ability to relate to and connect with a jury on a personal level.

No matter what the facts are, and no matter what your criminal history is, you need to fight your DUI. Let a knowledgeable Brevard County DUI attorney, who has the time and desire, fight this battle for you. Remember, we will meet you in the jail 24/7 if need be.

Florida DUI Administrative License Suspensions

Refusing to Submit to a Breath, Blood, or Urine Test

What can be done about this administrative license suspension?

Fighting the administrative suspension by demanding a hearing

Filing a waiver and not challenging the suspension

Refusing to Submit to a Breath, Blood, or Urine Test

Driving with an Illegal Breath Alcohol Level (.08)

A person charged with a DUI needs to hire a private Brevard County DUI attorney fast. Most people know that their license will likely be suspended when they are arrested for DUI, but most people do not know that there are two separate and distinct suspensions or revocations that the vast majority of people arrested for DUI will experience.

These two suspensions most often happen at different times and for different reasons. The first suspension that a person arrested for DUI will likely experience is an administrative suspension for either refusing to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test, or for driving with a breath test result of .08 or more. This suspension is regardless of what is going on with your criminal DUI case.

For an administrative suspension, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) will automatically suspend your driver's license in ten days after your arrest. This license suspension will occur immediately and is separate and in addition to any license suspension you will incur if you are convicted of DUI.

If you operate a motor vehicle in the State of Florida, you are subject to the "implied consent" law. This means that because you are operating a motor vehicle in the State of Florida, you have agreed to take a chemical test of your breath if you are lawfully arrested by a law enforcement officer who believes you are under the influence of alcoholic beverages. A urine test can be requested if drugs are suspected.

A blood test can be requested under some very limited circumstances. If you have a Florida drivers license, the statement, "I hereby consent to any chemical test for sobriety as required by law" appears directly above your signature. If one refuses to submit to a lawful breath, urine, or blood test, the DHSMV will suspend your license for 1 year for a first refusal, or 18 months if you have previously refused to submit to a lawful test.

However, even if you submit to the breath test, your license will be suspended for 6 months if your results are .08 or higher, as .08 is an illegal breath test result. Remember, this 1 year, 18 month, or 6 month license suspension is separate and distinct from your criminal case.

What can be done about this administrative license suspension?

There are three options: 1) One can fight the suspension by demanding a hearing within ten (10) days of your arrest, 2) one can file a waiver within 10 days of your arrest stating that you are not fighting the suspension, or 3) one can do nothing and just let your license go into suspension.

Doing nothing is always a bad option. Whether to choose to fight the suspension, or file a waiver depends on the facts of your specific case. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. The public defenders office will not handle these services for you.

Fighting the administrative suspension by demanding a hearing

If you lose at the hearing, your license will go into suspension. If your suspension was for refusing to submit to a lawful test, then your license suspension will be for 1 year for a first refusal, or 18 months if you have refused in the past. You will not be eligible for a restricted "hardship" or "business purpose only" license until 90 days has past.

This 90 days of literally no driving is often called "hard time." If your suspension was for an illegal breath test result (.08 or higher) and you lose at the hearing, your license will go into suspension for 6 months. You will not be eligible for a restricted "hardship" or "business purposes only" license until 30 days has past.

If one chooses to fight the suspension by demanding a hearing, you will immediately get a 42 day temporary driving permit allowing you to drive on a restricted basis until the hearing is heard. This is, of course, assuming you are not suspended for some other non-related reason like unpaid tickets, unpaid fines, or child support just to name a few. If you win at the hearing, you will get your license back (again, assuming you are otherwise eligible and not suspended for some other reason).

There may be technical defenses to your administrative license suspension that a trained DUI lawyer will find. These defenses may not be obvious or apparent to you, so you would be well-served to speak to a Brevard County DUI Lawyer to see what defenses, if any, apply to your situation.

Filing a waiver and not challenging the suspension

The other option is to file a waiver explaining that you are not challenging the administrative license suspension. This is a relatively new option. Effective 07/01/2013, one may waive the formal review hearing and not challenge the suspension for refusing to submit to a lawful test or for an illegal breath test. The benefit to doing so is that one can immediately get a restricted license if you are eligible.

To be eligible, one cannot have had any prior refusal suspensions or a prior suspension for an illegal breath or blood alcohol level. Also, one cannot be suspended for some other non-related reason.

This means, that although your license will go into suspension for either refusing to submit to a lawful test or for an illegal breath test, there is no "hard time" and you will immediately be able to drive on a restricted basis. However, this should only be done after meeting with a knowledgeable attorney to see if there are any defenses to the license suspension.

In many cases, Jason advises clients to waive the formal review hearing if they are eligible to do so in order for the client to immediately get the restricted license. Many people cannot afford to gamble with their driving privilege as they need to drive for their livelihood.

However, sometimes Jason Hicks advises them to demand the hearing and fight the suspension if there is a strong defense that exists or if the client is not eligible to waive the hearing. Waiving the formal review hearing is not a "one size fits all" solution. It should only be done if the facts of your case call for it. Also, this must be done within 10 days of your arrest. Waiving the formal review is not as simple as strolling into the bureau of administrative reviews office and paying $25.

Certain things need to be done prior, like enrolling in the DUI School. And enrolling in the DUI School itself is not as easy as strolling into their office. Do not wait until day 9 or 10 to start this process! The process is complicated and has many steps. Brevard County DUI defense attorney Jason Hicks can give you a roadmap to successfully completing this process and getting you back on the road.

If you were arrested for a DUI and your license was suspended for either refusing to submit to a breath test, blood, or urine test, or if it is suspended for for an illegal breath or blood alcohol level, call Brevard County DUI attorney Jason Hicks as he intimately knows the process to ensure that your driving privilege is secure and protected.

Don't play around with your livelihood during this quickly eroding 10 day period. Florida DUI Attorney Jason Hicks may help you with this process and will immediately work to get your suspension dismissed or to secure a restricted driver's license that gets you immediately back to being productive on the road. A lawyer can put you on the right path to obtaining this license to mitigate your DUI arrest's impact on your life.