Florida laws mandate severe penalties for those convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs. A conviction may result in potential loss of driver’s license, fines, community service, mandatory substance abuse counseling, ignition interlock requirements, and other possible penalties, including a jail term. Such punishment can certainly disrupt your life, but if you compound the DUI with hit and run charges, you face potential consequences that can totally upend your life.
The skilled criminal defense lawyers at Cowhey + Ward Attorneys at Law provide vigorous legal defense services for their Tallahassee-area DUI clients. As such, they are intimately familiar with DUI law. They know that a DUI compounded by hit and run charges requires a robust defense to mitigate the dire consequences posed by the dual charges. Read on to learn more about these consequences and turn to Cowhey + Ward if you’re facing such legal jeopardy.
Misdemeanor Versus Felony
- Misdemeanor Versus Felony
- Causing injury—third-degree felony carrying a maximum five years and imprisonment and $5,000 fine.
- Causing serious bodily injury—second-degree felony punishable by a maximum 15-years imprisonment and $10,000 fine.
- Causing death—first-degree felony that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four-years imprisonment and a maximum 30-year prison term and $10,000 fine.
DUI Felonies Also Carry Harsh Penalties
Felony DUIs in Florida based on causing serious bodily injury or death also carry harsh penalties upon conviction. DUI causing serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony with maximum five-year prison term and $5,000 fine, while DUI causing death is a second-degree felony with a maximum 15-year prison term and $10,000 fine.
Such harsh penalties beg the question as to why someone might not consider fleeing the scene of an accident? Given the muddled mind caused by impairment, a sense of panic, and concerns about severe punishment, many impaired drivers do, in fact, leave the scenes of their accidents.
However, this is inevitably the wrong response. Not only are such hit and run drivers almost always caught, they then face the threat of multiple felony charges and potential harsher penalties than they would have faced had they remained at the scene.
Turn to a Skilled Criminal Defense Lawyer for Your VOP Defense
Anyone facing DUI charges should always seek out the services of a skilled criminal defense lawyer. Those who have been charged with a DUI and hit and run should make a concerted effort to find the most competent defense lawyer possible, as their future freedom will likely hinge upon the criminal defense they are able to mount.
With more than 20 years of experience defending Tallahassee-area clients from criminal charges, Zachary Ward has developed expertise in defending clients from DUI-related charges. With Cowey + Ward, Zachary has established a stellar reputation for developing DUI strategies designed to mitigate the severity of charges and deliver the most favorable outcomes possible for his clients. If you or someone you love is facing DUI charges—with or without a hit and run—learn how Cowhey + Ward can help strategize an effective defense for your case by contacting our Tallahassee-based office today at (850) 222-1000.