DUI Attorney in Dade City, FL

Were you arrested for DUI in Dade City, FL? If so, contact an experienced drunk-driving defense attorney at the Sammis Law Firm. We represent clients on a wide variety of DUI charges throughout Pasco County, including the breath test case and the refusal to take the breath test.

Call (813) 250-0500 to find out what you need to do today to protect your rights and have the best chance of avoiding a DUI conviction in Dade City, FL.

In addition to the criminal case, you should also fight the DUI administrative suspension of your driver’s license initiated by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) by demanding a FORMAL review hearing within ten (10) days of your arrest.

Watch a video about a DUI case in Pasco County, FL, handled by Jason Sammis.

 


10 Day Rule in DUI Cases

Remember that you only have ten (10) days after your arrest to file a request for a formal review hearing with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. If you fail to do so, your driver’s license will be automatically suspended for a period of six (6) months for a breath test reading over the legal limit of 0.08 or a period of one year for an alleged refusal to submit to a chemical testing case.

If your license has previously been suspended after a DUI arrest, you may be facing a driver’s license suspension of twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months. If your driver’s license is administratively suspended after a DUI arrest in Dade City, Florida, you may apply for a business purpose only or hardship license after serving out a “hard suspension” period during which you can not drive for any reason.

If you took the breath test and blew over the legal limit, a 30-day hard suspension will result. During that hard suspension, you will not be allowed to drive for any reason. If you allegedly refused to take the breath test, your hard suspension will be for 90 days for a first offense. The only way to avoid this suspension is to fight and win your Formal Review Hearing with the DMV.

Starting July 1, 2013, the Florida legislature also created a third option for a person with no prior DUI suspensions. That person can waive any right to a review hearing in exchange for a “waiver review hearing” to seek immediate reinstatement of the driver’s license. The individual must also show proof of enrollment in DUI school and pay a $25 application fee.

Although you can waive all of your rights in exchange for immediate hardship reinstatement for a first offense, hiring an attorney to demand the formal review hearing is the only way to invalidate the suspension and remove it from your driving record. Otherwise, that administrative suspension will remain on your driving record for 75 years, even if you avoid a DUI suspension.

Contact the Sammis Law Firm today to fight out what steps you must take in the ten (10) days after your arrest to preserve all of your options for the best result in your driving under the influence or drunk driving (DUI) case.

Whether this is your first arrest for DUI or a second or subsequent offense, we can help. We fight cases involving a breath test, blood test, urine test, or the refusal to submit to testing.

Call (813) 250-0500 today.


Additional Resource

Pride DUI School for Dade City, FL – For residents of Dade City, you can attend DUI School with Pride Integrated Services, Inc. of Pasco County, FL. As an HSMV-authorized provider since 1983, Pride’s staff can help you enroll in and complete the DUI program. What should you expect in the Level I course of DUI School? You must complete two days of classroom instruction plus an evaluation. The evaluation determines whether you will be required to complete additional drug and alcohol counseling with a certified provider. Classes are offered in Zephyrhills at 7064 Fort King Road. The cost to enroll in Level I is $272, and Level II is $412.00.


This article was last updated on Friday, January 26, 2024.