St. Petersburg DUI Defense

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St. Petersburg DUI Defense Lawyers

St. Petersburg Florida Drunk Driving Defense

If you have been arrested for a Drunk Driving DUI offense in the Pinellas County or St. Petersburg area, contact us today. The Sandefer Law Firm is an Experienced Pinellas County DUI defense law firm that can help you 24 hours per day.  Call us toll free at 866-786-5297.

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You have 10 days to make an important decision!

Within 10 days of being arrested or receiving a ticket for a Florida DUI you must either request a formal review hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles, or, if you are eligible, waive the hearing.  Your attorney may be able to apply for the hearing and  obtain for you a temporary hardship license for a period of time. If you do not request the formal review hearing, and you do not waive it, at the end of the 10 days after your arrest, you will lose your ability to drive for a period of time. Ordinarily, if someone takes a breath test and blows over .08, after the 10 days have expired there is a 30 day period that the person can not get a permit and can not drive.

IMPORTANT! If you have received a DUI and are looking for a drunk driving lawyer contact us now for a FREE DUI Evaluation. We have a DUI lawyer available or on call 24 hours a day to help you.

** IMPORTANT–As of July 2013 on a first time DUI arrest you may be able to get a hardship license and avoid any hard suspension without serving any time without driving.  You must act within the first 10 days.  Call us so we can explain whether this is a decision right for you and if so, how you may be able to keep your ability to drive no matter what the ultimate outcome of your case is.

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What constitutes a Florida DUI?

Driving under the influence is defined as driving, or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of either alcoholic beverages, any chemical substance set forth in Florida statute 877.111, or any controlled substance under Florida’s drug laws, chapter 893, when a person is affected to the extent that the person’s normal faculties are impaired.

DUI is often referred to as a crime of opinion.  Although, now available to law enforcement and used quite often are items such as video recording of a person’s driving and field sobriety exercises, a breath test, a blood test, or urine test. (link these to text below) There are rules set forth in the Florida statutes as to when a person may be stopped and for what reasons, as well as how and when each of these tests may be requested and/or administered.

Questions we can help you with include:

  • Can I get my license back

  • Can my charge be reduced or dismissed?

  • Is the breath test accurate?

  • Can I be convicted of a DUI on a prescrption drug?

  • Are there things I can do to prepare for court or to help my case?

  • Do I need and attorney and how do I choose?

What Action Should I Take now that I have been arrested?

It is extremely important that you discuss with a qualified Florida DUI attorney the facts of your present arrest, any previous alcohol-related stops or arrests, and any DUI or similar type convictions whether in the state of Florida or anywhere else. Your discussions with your attorney are confidential. It is important for your attorney to know these matters in order to properly represent you and take the proper actions regarding your case.  Call us toll free at 866-786-5297 or fill out the contact form at Sandefer law firm.

St. Petersburg DUI LAWYER – LARRY SANDEFER

Larry Sandefer has over 30 years criminal courtroom experience and is a Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Trial Law.  In fact, he was the first attorney in Pinellas and Pasco Counties to be awarded board certification in criminal trial law.

As a former prosecutor in Pinellas County, where he was a lead trial attorney and a division director, Mr. Sandefer knows both sides of a case and is familiar with not only how decisions are made by the state, but is familiar with those making the decisions.

Larry Sandefer and Sandefer Law Firm are AV rated under Martindale-Hubble’s Peer Review Rating Process. This is the highest possible peer review rating given for legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale-Hubble, the prominent national attorney rating organization.

Sandefer Law Firm
St. Petersburg DUI Defense Firm

St.Petersburg: 727-896-5297
Fax #:              727-726-6729
Toll Free:        866-786-5297

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*  FREE DUI Case Evaluation – Contact us today for a Free Florida DUI Case Evaluation.

FLORIDA DUI DEFENSE TOPICS

*  Evaluation of Your DUI Case – The first thing to look at in a Florida DUI case is the stop.  A law enforcement officer must have a stated legal ground to stop your vehicle.

*  Other Types of DUI Accusations – Many DUI cases involve the accusation of impairment due to drug ingestion. Not only are we experienced in this area, we have access to experts including renowned chemists to review your case and offer testimony if necessary.

*  Felony DUI & DUI with Serious Injuries – A DUI can become a felony if it is the third DUI conviction and the previous conviction is within 10 years. A fourth DUI conviction is also classified as a felony.

*  DUI Manslaughter – A DUI MANSLAUGHTER occurs when there is a death of a human being caused or contributed to by a person who is driving under the influence to the extent his or her normal faculties are impaired.

*  Possible Penalties for DUI – Penalties for DUI can increase if a person has any prior convictions for driving under the influence. The number of convictions, when they occurred, and even whether you were represented can have dramatic affects on your license and penalties.

*  Traffic DUI Law – Arrested for a Florida Traffic DUI? In Florida, if you have been arrested for DUI and your breath test result was .08 or higher, or if you refused to take the breath test, the officer probably took your driver’s license from you.

*  Florida DUI Developments – Larry Sandefer attends valuable programs locally and nationally such as “Masters of DUI”, “Blood, Breath and Tears”, as well as the National DUI Conference put on by the National College of DUI Defense