Gainesville DUI Defense Lawyers
Former Prosecutors ◊ Experienced Trial Lawyers
The state of Florida aggressively prosecutes drunk drivers. Even if this is your first offense, you face the possibility of significant penalties, including the possibility of jail time, probation, driver's license suspension, community service and court fines.
As with any criminal charge, the penalties for a second or subsequent DUI increase significantly. A third DUI within 10 years of a previous DUI conviction is a felony and all fourth DUI charge are a felony.
If you have been charged with DUI, protect your rights. Retain the experienced DUI defense attorneys at The Law Office of Silverman & Vorhis. We handle all DUI and alcohol related driving offenses, including:
- First DUI offense charges
- Felony DUI
- DUI with serious injury
- DUI causing death/vehicular homicide
To speak with a DUI defense lawyer at our Gainesville law office, contact us at 352-240-1973, or toll free at 866-663-4902.
Don't Plead Guilty Before Talking with a Lawyer
Many people assume that they have no defense to a drunk driving charge. Just because you blew higher than a .08 on your breath test does not mean that you have no possible defense.
We can provide a vigorous defense after a drinking and driving arrest. If retained to handle your case, we will ask key questions of the prosecution:
- Did the arresting officer have a right to stop your vehicle?
- Did the officer have probable cause to make an arrest?
- Was the breathalyzer test properly conducted?
DUI law is very technical. The police may have screwed up. We may be able to get the charge reduced or thrown out. We will look for procedural errors and flaws in the prosecution's case. We will communicate with the prosecution to determine if a favorable plea agreement is possible.
We have gotten DUI charges dismissed entirely and have obtained many favorable plea agreements on behalf of clients. As former prosecutors, we know the local courts, prosecutors and procedures.
A Plea to Reckless Driving?
In some cases, we have been able to reach an agreement with the prosecution where our client pleads guilty to a lesser offense of reckless driving. This has two strong benefits. First, the only mandatory penalty for reckless driving is a $25 fine. Second, reckless driving does not result in a mandatory adjudication. By comparison, a DUI conviction results in severe mandatory penalties and an automatic adjudication (which means you can't get a later expungement).
Protect Your License
With every DUI, there is also an administrative driver's license hearing. You must request a hearing within 10 days. We handle administrative driver's license hearings as well as criminal DUI charges. While it is extremely difficult to win at an administrative driver's license hearing, we can seek a temporary 45 day license on your behalf and we have found that the hearing is a significant asset in our overall defense effort, as it presents an opportunity to question the arresting officer.
Contact Us
To speak with a DUI/DWI defense lawyer, contact The Law Office of Silverman & Vorhis in Gainesville, Florida at 352-240-1973, or toll free at 866-663-4902 or by e-mail.
