MOTOR VEHICLE HEARING:

After being arrested for DUI, the Department of Motor Vehicles will automatically suspend your drivers license, even before you appear in court.

To preserve your right to drive in Florida, you must request a hearing within ten (10) days after your arrest for DUI. An administrative hearing will then be scheduled within thirty (30) days. If you refused to take a breath, blood or urine test, and you do not take action within ten (10) days of your arrest, your license to drive will be suspended for a minimum of one (1) and maybe eighteen (18) months. If you took the test offered and blew above .08, you still must take action within ten (10) days of your arrest, otherwise your license to drive will be suspended for at least six (6) months.

Court appearances:

Your attorney will appear on your behalf for your court appearances, including arraignment and pre-trial conferences.

Suppression or Dismissal Hearings:

The court may suppress some or all of the evidence against you if your constitutional rights have been violated. Your attorney may file motions to suppress and/or dismiss the charges against you. You may or may not need to appear at this hearing.

Trial:

You have a constitutional right to a trial by the judge or by jury.

Sentencing:

The court imposes a sentence if there is a conviction at trial or after a plea bargain is accepted and a plea entered. Sentences may include jail time, community service, alcohol classes and fines. There are several mandatory minimum sanctions that must be imposed by the court if there is a DUI conviction.