orlando DUI lawyer

The Orlando DUI lawyers at the Law Office if Mark NeJame and partners have defended thousands of clients charged with DUI in Orlando and throughout Florida for 25 years.

DUI, driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or drugs, is a serious offense in Florida, and its defense may be challenging. DUI can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances involved in the DUI case.

Each DUI case is different and needs to be fought by an experienced DUI lawyer with special skills and the required knowledge.

Drunk driving defense is a very specialized area of law. As expert DUI lawyers, Orlando attorneys Mark NeJame, Michael LaFay, Eric Barker, and Daniel Tumarkin, will thoroughly investigate your DUI case to determine every different legal defense available to you.

If you are charged with DUI in Orlando or throughout Florida you will be in jail for at least 8 hours. The penalties imposed to you because of your DUI case vary based on the number and frequency of your previous DUI convictions and on the severity of your current DUI offense. There are also circumstances that can make the DUI penalties increase such as, the presence of a child in the car at the time of the DUI, and property damages or injuries caused by the DUI incident. If there were fatalities related to the DUI incident, the DUI penalties can be charged as vehicular manslaughter, or in some cases, as a second degree murder.

In general, first-time offenders will have the following legal consequences:

• DUI school (Florida DUI schools)
• Up to 6 months in jail
• Suspension of your driving privileges for at least 180 days and up to one year
• Not less than 50 hours of community service
• Not less than $250 or more than $500 fine plus court costs
• Not more than one year probation
• Victim awareness program
• Vehicle impoundment
• Permanent DUI conviction on your record for life, which means criminal record

Ten Day Rule
If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida you need to be aware of the "Ten Day" Rule.
This rule states that you only have 10 days from the date of your DUI arrest to request a formal review hearing to challenge the Administrative Suspension of your driver license. If the formal review is requested within this period, a temporary license will be issued to you. This license is good until seven days after the hearing. If the formal review hearing is not requested within the established period of time, your license will be suspended. The suspension will apply for a period of 6 months to 18 months, depending on your specific case. You are allowed to drive using your DUI citation as a driving permit during the first 10 days after your DUI arrest.

Under Florida law, the State can prove a DUI charge in one of two alternative ways:
1. Your normal faculties were impaired
2. You were driving with an unlawful blood alcohol or breath alcohol level of .08 or above

Watery eyes, slurred speech, stumbling, drowsiness, or alcohol odor observed by a police officer, do NOT legally demonstrate high alcohol content in your blood. The use of breath analyzers is also controversial and their results could be challenged.

If you have been charged with DUI, contact an Orlando DUI Lawyer from the Law Office of Mark Nejame as soon as possible at (407) 245-1232. We take cases throughout Florida. We are available for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can also fill out our online form and we will get back to you soon. We will use every available resource to fight your case and get the best possible outcome in your best interest, trying to avoid extended suspension of your driving privileges and helping you to get your life back to normal.