DUI Defense Lawyer
Arrested for DUI? The clock is already running, you have 10 days to save your license. We challenge the stop and the testing, protect your record, and fight for a reduction or dismissal. Free consultation.
Free consultation. No obligation.
Florida DUI laws and penalties
Florida’s legal limit is 0.08 BAC, with penalties that escalate based on your record and case facts. A first DUI may bring fines, probation, license suspension, community service, DUI school, and possible ignition interlock if BAC is high; repeat offenses and crashes with injuries raise stakes significantly. We explain what to expect in Miami-Dade courts and map the fastest path to protecting your record and driving privileges.
How we defend DUI charges
Every case starts with a challenge to the stop, detention, and arrest. We scrutinize bodycam footage, field sobriety instructions, breathalyzer maintenance and operator certification, blood draw chain of custody, and implied consent warnings. When appropriate, we negotiate strategic reductions that limit criminal exposure and collateral fallout for work and travel.
Protecting your license immediately
You have just 10 days from arrest to request a DMV hearing to contest administrative suspension. We file on time, seek a hardship permit when eligible, and manage both the criminal case and DHSMV process so you’re not sidelined from work or family responsibilities in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, South Miami, Brickell, or anywhere across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. For broader context on criminal cases, see our criminal defense overview.
I have argued a suppression issue in front of five federal appellate judges.
United States v. Jones, No. 14-0071/AR. The question was whether a soldier's statement, taken without warnings, should have been kept out. That is the question in most DUI cases: what did the State get, and were they allowed to get it.
I have represented DUI defendants in Miami-Dade, from first offenses to high BAC, crashes, and refusals. I file the motion to suppress when the facts support it, and I am prepared to try the case when they do not.
Common questions
What can actually be challenged in a Florida DUI?
The stop. The field sobriety instructions. The breath machine's maintenance records and the operator's certification. The implied consent warning. The bodycam against the report. A weak link in any of those can mean suppressed evidence, and suppressed evidence changes what the State can prove.
Will I lose my license after a DUI arrest in Miami?
Not automatically, but you have to act fast: 10 days to request a DHSMV hearing to contest the suspension. We file the request, pursue a hardship permit when you're eligible, and run the court case and the DMV process together so you keep driving.
What are the penalties for a first DUI in Florida?
They can include fines, probation, DUI school, community service, license suspension, and an ignition interlock for a high BAC (0.15+) or a minor in the car. Jail exposure rises with aggravators or priors. We'll explain exactly what applies to your facts and work to limit it.
What happens if I refuse a breath test?
Refusing triggers a separate license suspension under the implied-consent law (longer if you've refused before) and can be used against you in court. We'll evaluate whether the refusal helps or hurts your case and challenge the stop and arrest either way.
Can a DUI be reduced to reckless driving?
Sometimes. It depends on your BAC, whether there was an accident or injury, your record, and how strong the evidence is. We negotiate from a trial-ready position, using motions and discovery issues to push for a reduction to reckless driving or another resolution when it fits.
Rooted in Coral Gables. Admitted throughout Florida.
The office is on Galiano Street, two blocks off Miracle Mile. Most of the work is close to it: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and the Keys. We take cases anywhere in the state.
- Coral Gables
- Miami-Dade
- Broward
- Palm Beach
- The Florida Keys
- All of Florida
Talk to a Coral Gables attorney
Tell us what happened. We will tell you what deadlines are already running, what the matter is realistically worth, and whether we are the right firm for it. Including when the answer is no. Free consultation. No obligation.