My cousin was arrested for DUI last month in Jacksonville, Florida. What are the possible penalties she must face since this was her first time?

Tanya

Jacksonville, FL

Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered a criminal offense regardless which county your cousin may have committed it. There had been stringent road laws all around the United States, in which driving under the influence can lead to harsh punishment and higher penalty amount. Of course it depends on the severity and nature of the offense.

Jacksonville, Florida had one of the highest numbers of DUI arrests. State police as well as the MVA are trying to minimize DUI related cases by imposing harsher penalties and higher fines. First offenders may pay a fine of $250-$500 whereas second time offenders pays $500-$1000. Third offenders face a larger amount of penalty and jail time. For notorious or repeated offense, which actually depends on the seriousness of the offense, may lead the offender from a minimum of 6 months jail time up to a maximum of 30 years especially for drivers involved in vehicular accidents due to DUI.

Indeed, driving is actually not a privilege. It’s a big responsibility especially that you and your cousin live in a city where a large number of DUI cases had been recorded. The law had imposed harsher regulations just to minimize effect. I would suggest that, once your cousin is cleared out from this DUI case, start checking for low priced auto insurance that would keep you covered from road accidents.

My brother was charged with felony DUI here in Jacksonville, Florida and we were just wondering if there’s a way the charge can be reduced. How can his felony DUI be dropped to a misdemeanor?

Hayleigh

Jacksonville, FL

If your brother has a prior DUI, it is common for him to be automatically charged with a felony DUI. A felony DUI case is a serious business because it usually carries jail time if it won’t be dropped to a misdemeanor. The first thing your brother needs to do if he wants his felony DUI in Jacksonville, Florida to be dropped to a misdemeanor case is to call a lawyer who specializes in DUI cases in the state of Florida. Even if he doesn’t hire a lawyer, he can ask if it would be possible to get his charge dropped to a misdemeanor charge. He can try to get a clue from the lawyer how he would approach that effort in the jurisdiction of your charge.

Your brother can also talk with the prosecutor and ask if the DUI case could be reduced to a misdemeanor count. He could find a sympathetic prosecutor who would listen to what he has to say and reduce the charge instantly without having to do anything else. Also, remember that a felony or misdemeanor DUI may cause his car insurance to increase substantially so advise him that he can get a cheap but dependable car insurance from this website so should get an online rate quote now.