North Central Florida DUI/DWI Attorneys
A large part of our criminal defense practice involves defending those accused of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent they are impaired. The penalties for such crimes are notoriously stiff; even first offenders receive no special consideration from the prosecutors, and the court is limited in terms of what type of sentence it can give in these cases.
Below is a brief rundown of the minimum penalties for first offense driving under the influence in Florida (as of 2002):
1st offense (under .20 blood or breath alcohol level)
Adjudication of guilt (which is a conviction);
$250 fine plus court costs;
12 months of supervised probation (reporting to a probation officer once a month);
50 hours of community service (5 of which must be served on the Victim Impact Panel);
6-month driver's license suspension (running from the date of conviction, not arrest);
Attend and complete DUI school (a 12-hour course for the level 1 program); and,
10-day vehicle impoundment or immobilization.
Ben Hutson, as a former public defender and in private practice, has handled the defense of hundreds of DUI cases and has also tried many DUI cases to juries, both in Alachua and Levy Counties. In addition to the DUI cases he has handled as a part of Hutson & Brockway, Paul Brockway served for several years as a prosecutor in Central Florida prosecuting DUI cases, including DUI Manslaughter, through jury trial. While a prosecutor, Mr. Brockway was awarded the "1996 Outstanding Trial Attorney Award" by his office and received numerous other commendations.
By diligently preparing and trying these cases from the state's perspective, Mr. Brockway understands what issues to address and what weaknesses may be found in your DUI case.
This experience can help us find potential problems with a DUI case that may not be apparent from first look. We will take the time to properly investigate your case to either resolve it fairly prior to trial, or to take the matter to trial.
You also may have questions about your current license suspension and restrictions, and how to challenge the administrative suspension you are now serving. We can answer those questions for you.
Please contact Mr. Hutson or Mr. Brockway today for a free consultation concerning your DUI case.
Hutson & Brockway, P.L.
1110 N.W. 6th St.
Gainesville, FL 32601
Map & Directions
Telephone: (352) 271-8100
Facsimile: (352) 271-8111
