4th of July Weekend: DUI Checkpoints/DUI Enforcement
It goes without saying...in South Florida, DUI enforcement is stepped up during holiday weekends.
Holiday weekends in Miami-Dade and Broward County usually include
DUI checkpoints, as well as increased patrols with officers specifically looking for suspected drunk drivers.
In a DUI checkpoint, you may be selected at random to pull your car over to the side of the road to have a brief encounter with a police officer. They will check your driver's license, of course. If your driver's license is suspended, you will be arrested for
DWLS (driving while license suspended).
If your driver's license is valid, they may still want to ask you where you've been, and where you are going. They will look for signs of impairment. These include bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, an odor of alcohol on your breath, and a flushed complexion. If they suspect that you are DUI, they may ask you to get out of the car to perform
field sobriety tests.
If you do not perform to their liking, you will be arrested and charged with DUI. The DUI penalties in Florida are some of the harshest nationwide.
Click here to see what the maximum and minimum penalties are for a first DUI.
Even if you are not involved in a checkpoint, you can expect to see police officers all over Miami-Dade and Broward out in full force. While I advise all of you not to drive while intoxicated, I urge you to proceed with caution throughout Miami and Broward this weekend. Don't do anything to attract the attention of law enforcement. Even if you are not impaired, the smell of alcohol on your breath may be enough for them to suspect DUI.
I am a
criminal defense lawyer who represents clients charged with DUI in Miami-Dade and Broward. I am a
former Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney who once prosecuted DUIs in Miami-Dade County. I know that DUIs have long-term consequences, such as driver's license suspensions, heavy fines and fees, and increased insurance rates. Not to mention, a permanent conviction on your record that cannot be
expunged.
DUIs are serious crimes, and the State of Florida has shown that they mean business by enacting some of the toughest DUI laws in the United States! All DUIs come with mandatory sentences.
If you are arrested for DUI, please
call my office so that we may discuss your case. DUIs are serious but they are defensible! Don't plead guilty without exploring all of your options first.