STUART, FL CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

The DUI defense team at Colter Law represents adults and minors who have been charged with DUI and violations Florida's "zero tolerance" law. The state of Florida has some of the toughest drunk driving laws in the nation, which is why you cannot take a DUI arrest lightly. Even a single DUI arrest can result in the suspension of your Florida driver's license, fines, and even jail time. If you've been arrested for Driving Under the Influence in or near Martin County, contact the criminal defense lawyers at the The Law Patriot of Stuart, FL.

DUI in the State of Florida

Driving under the influence is a rare type of offense in that most drivers who are charged with DUI never intended to drive drunk. Because the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of .08 can be reached after just a few drinks, many Florida drivers do not even recognize the fact that they have become legally intoxicated. Fortunately for individuals accused of drunk driving in Florida, DUI investigations are complex and contain multiple phases. Consequently, law enforcement officers frequently make errors during the investigation—errors that can be used by our criminal defense team to cast reasonable doubt upon the arrest. For a police officer to make a prosecutable DUI case, he or she must show that the driver demonstrated signs of drunkenness at every stage of the investigation. These include:

• Driving Pattern or Other Probable Cause: In order for police to conduct a DUI investigation, they must have an articulable reason for stopping you.
• Physical Indicators: Unsteady stance, slurred speech, odor of an alcoholic beverage, et cetera are all indications of intoxication.
• Voluntary Roadside Exercises: The standardized exercises in Florida are Walk-and-Turn, Finger-to-Nose, and the One-Leg Stand. You are not required by law to participate in these exercises.
• Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus: This tracts the smooth pursuit of your eyes, which will flutter when you are impaired.
• Breath or Urine Test: If you submit to either of these, the BAC results will be admissible in court. If you do not, your driver's license will be suspended for twelve months for a first refusal and eighteen months for a second one.

Police officers will often video record some or all of the investigation. Our criminal defense attorneys carefully review all recorded evidence to determine whether the investigating officers made any errors that we can use to win a motion to suppress or to otherwise impeach the prosecutorial case.

Private Criminal Defense Lawyers for All DUI Proceedings

The DUI defense lawyers at The Law Patriot of Martin County represent clients in all DUI-related matters. We have a reputation for aggressively defending the rights of our clients and our lawyers get results. To schedule an appointment with an attorney from the The Law Patriot, contact our Stuart, FL law office at (772) 888-0883.