How serious is it to be charged for DUI here in Jacksonville? I mean, do I need a lawyer for me to defend me in case I am charged with DUI?

Krystal

Jacksonville, FL

You will be in serious trouble should you be charged for driving under the influence or DUI in Jacksonville, Florida. Traffic laws are in place and the authorities as well as the Florida Department of Highway Security and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) have stringent implementation of the DUI laws.

In case you would be found guilty of DUI in Jacksonville, you will pay a fine of $250-$500 or be imprisoned for five to 30 years, depending on the seriousness of the offense and the damage that you may have done to other parties and/or properties. Other forms of punishment include suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, permanent criminal record, immobilization of your vehicle, community service and higher auto insurance payment.

If you get arrested for DUI, you need to get in touch with a DUI attorney the soonest time possible and ask for legal advice. You can make a special plea within 10 days so that your driver’s license will not be revoked for an indefinite period. It is really important that you have a representation of a DUI attorney who is an expert in the field of DUI. If you don’t know anyone who can help you find a DUI attorney, you can resort to the Internet. There are different directories of DUI lawyers that can be found online. You can easily find them since they are grouped according to city.

Finding a good defense attorney seems to be so difficult after I have been charged with DUI here in Jacksonville, Florida. Could you please tell me how do I find a good DUI attorney?

Lisa

Jacksonville, FL

I understand that it can be difficult to find and retain a good DUI attorney in Jacksonville, Florida, especially if many attorneys are not experienced and fully capable of handling DUI cases. You have to make sure that you make the right inquiries so that it could help in finding the best DUI attorney. The very first thing that you would have to do is to make sure that the fees are thoroughly explained and in writing and find out if it already includes the administrative hearings held by the DMV. You also have to know if the fees include cost of expert witnesses and other requirements for the trial.

Then you would also have to make sure that the attorney is a DUI specialist which means that the attorney exclusively focuses on DUI defense. Find out also if the attorney has any record of complaints from the State Bar and if the attorney is Board-certified by the National College for DUI Defense. You might also want to ask if the attorney would have the blood samples reanalyzed by a lab. For this matter, the DUI attorney can call technical expert witnesses in police procedures and blood/breath analysis.

• the Jacksonville DUI attorney price. This is how much it will cost you to hire an attorney. Some attorney’s will charge you a flat rate for all of their services, and usually they separate it into two sections of preparation and defense. Other lawyers charge by the hour.
• all of the fees and fines you will have to pay because of your DUI. This includes the fine that you will be hit with, which is usually from $500 to a few thousand dollars, as well as how much it will cost for you to reinstate your driver’s license. You may have to pay a certain amount to the DMV for several years.
• bail. If you get thrown in jail as a result of DUI, you have to pay this to get out.
• insurance. After a DUI, you have to file high risk SR22 insurance, which is almost twice as expensive as regular insurance, and you have to do this for three years. Your DUI will affect your insurance premium for five years.

In the end, this cost can come up to as much as $20,000.

1. You might need a lawyer if this is your first conviction and you don’t have a good understanding of DUI law, the consequences for a conviction, and your options. It’s also possible that you will need a Jacksonville FL DUI attorney if your job is one which requires bonding, or if you have a job which could deny you a license to practice your profession based on your DUI conviction.

2. You should get a lawyer if this is the second time you have been caught for drunk driving, or if you were caught with your blood alcohol limit over .20. In these situations, the penalties are more stiff and it’s more difficult to get a plea bargain.

3. You absolutely need a Jacksonville FL DUI attorney if this is one in a string of many DUI offenses; if you were drunk driving and got into a car accident, especially if it was with another car, and even more especially if someone was hurt or killed as a result of the accident; if your job is as a driver and your ability to work depends on your use of your driver’s license.