Aggressive Defense for Florida Repeat DUI Offenses
Skilled representation to mitigate consequences for multiple infractions in Orlando
Repeat DUI offenses carry severe consequences in Florida. If you’ve already been convicted once of driving under the influence, any subsequent charge puts you in jeopardy of more serious penalties. In that situation, you need highly skilled criminal defense representation. Knowing the potential hardship you face, The Law Offices of Tad A. Yates, P.A. draws on decades of experience to achieve the best possible resolution of your case.
What is the “look-back” period for DUI convictions in Florida?
Having previous DUI convictions raises the severity of a charge and enhances the penalties you face. Florida law has “look-back” periods that courts use to impose harsher minimum sentences, higher fines and longer license suspensions. The following time periods apply:
- A second offense must occur within five years of the first conviction.
- A third offense must occur within 10 years of the first conviction.
- For a fourth offense, a court can consider every DUI conviction during a defendant’s lifetime and can impose a lifetime license suspension.
These look-back periods are mandated for criminal court use, but an insurance company can maintain your DUI conviction in its records for far longer, resulting in thousands of dollars in higher premiums over your lifetime.
Penalties for second DUI convictions in Florida
If you are arrested for a second DUI within five years, you will be charged with a misdemeanor, which carries these minimum mandatory punishments:
- A fine between $1,000 and $2,000, or up to $4,000 if the driver’s blood alcohol content was 0.15 percent or greater
- Community service of about 50 hours
- Jail time of at least 10 days and up to nine months. If the driver’s BAC was 0.15 percent or greater, jail time could last 12 months. The charge is a felony and the sentence is five years if the driver caused an accident that resulted in serious bodily injury.
- Administrative license suspension of one year. If the second DUI occurred within five years of the prior conviction, the license is revoked for five years.
If the defendant is sentenced to less than one year in jail, the rest of the year will be spent on probation.
Another place where the look-back period comes into play is in vehicle impoundment. If your second DUI conviction happened within five years, the court will order your vehicle impounded for 30 days. If the conviction occurred outside of five years, the impoundment will last 10 days.
Third and subsequent DUI penalties in Florida
A third DUI in a 10-year period is charged as a felony. A conviction carries these minimum penalties:
- Prison time from 30 days to five years
- A fine of $2,000 to $5,000
- Driver’s license revocation for 10 or more years, plus two years of having an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in your vehicle
- Vehicle impoundment 90 days
Penalties can be even higher if the driver caused an accident that injured or killed someone. A conviction of DUI manslaughter can draw 15 years in prison. A fourth DUI in a lifetime is charged as a felony.
When the stakes are this high, you should retain the highest level of legal representation you can find.
Contact a proven DUI defense lawyer in Orlando, FL
The Law Offices of Tad A. Yates, P.A. represents drivers accused of repeat DUI offenses in Orlando and vicinity. To retain proven counsel for drunk driving charges, call today at 407-608-7777 or contact us online. Our office is conveniently located at 3431 Edgewater Drive.