Orlando Felony DUI Attorney
When is DUI charged as a felony?
Under most circumstances, driving under the influence is a misdemeanor
criminal offense, punishable by no more than one year in county jail.
There are, however, certain situations in which the driver may be charged
with a felony and subjected to harsh criminal penalties for a conviction.
You can be convicted of a felony for either committing a certain number of
repeat DUI offenses, for causing another person to suffer serious bodily injury in an
accident, or for causing a fatal alcohol-related car crash.
Any drunk driving case is a serious matter, but if you face felony charges
for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it is absolutely
vital that you take action now by retaining proven legal representation
to help you fight the charges. Contact us at Parks & Braxton, PA,
where we are available to speak with you at any time 24/7, even on holidays.
Our team of Orlando DUI attorneys are zealously dedicated to the art of
DUI defense and with nearly half a century of combined experience, we are
ready to take on even the most serious charges.
Felony DUI Penalties in Orlando, FL
The sentence you could receive if convicted for a felony DUI offense depends
on the severity of the specific crime. If this is your third or greater
conviction within ten years, you can be fined $5,000 and forced to spend
up to five years in state prison. You can receive an equal penalty in
the event that you are accused of causing an accident which resulted in
serious bodily injury, which is defined under state law as any condition
which "creates a substantial risk of death, serious personal disfigurement,
or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member
or organ." The punishment for DUI manslaughter is $10,000 in fines
and either fifteen or thirty years in prison, depending on whether it
is a case of hit and run. As in any other DUI case, we can seek to defeat
the charges using proven strategies such as questioning the validity of the
breathalyzer test, but even if it is not possible to secure a dismissal or acquittal we
can still seek to negotiate a reduced sentence.