Hillsborough County has consistently been ranked the worst or near the worst in Florida for DUI crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Given the dangers of impaired driving and the importance of reducing recidivism to promote long-term Community safety, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office has established the reducing impaired driving recidivism initiative. The program seeks to aggressively target and reduce impaired driving by imposing enhanced sanctions like alcohol monitoring devices and DUI education programs on first-time, non-aggravated DUI offenders. This First-Time DUI Diversion program also promotes consistency in the prosecution of DUI cases by eliminating the incentive for offenders to refuse to provide a breath sample during the investigation.
Who Is Eligible for First-Time DUI Diversion Program?
To be eligible for the First-Time DUI Diversion program, first, the case must be a misdemeanor DUI. There can be no children in the vehicle. Also, the breath alcohol concentration must be below .200% and there cannot have been a crash. Additionally, there cannot be a prior DUI alcohol-related reckless driving, driving while license suspended with serious bodily injury or death, leaving the scene of an accident with injury or death, or vehicular homicide charges in the driver’s past. Finally, there cannot have been a prior DUI diversion program, more than one non-DUI diversion program as an adult, or in the five years prior to the date of offense the driver cannot have had a prior adjudication withhold or any portion of a sentence on a felony.
What Is The Process For Selecting Cases In This DUI Diversion Program?
The state attorney’s office will evaluate all cases on an individual fact-specific basis. The state attorney’s office solely determines the individual’s eligibility for the RIDR First-Time DUI Diversion Program. There will be three sanction levels for eligible cases. Level one cases will have a breath level below .15%. Next, Level two will have breath alcohol levels above .15% but less than .20% or there has been a refusal to provide. Last, Level 3 will be for drug-related DUIs.
Why Would Someone Want To Accept A Plea Offer Under The New DUI Program?
Mainly the driver will be offered a reduced charge of reckless driving and withhold adjudication. There will be 12 months probation. Individual must pay standard court costs and cost of supervision. They will have their vehicle immobilized for 10 days. The first-time DUI offender cannot possess or consume alcohol, illegal drugs, or non prescribed drugs during that 12 month period. Also, the offender must successfully complete the DUI school and any recommended treatment.
First of all, some of the confusion of this process is shown below. Since each county has developed their program independently, the demands on the DUI driver differ. Therefore for help, call (813) 222-2220. In Orange and Osceola Counties, only legal U.S. residents can join the DUI Diversion Program. As a result, a tourist, a foreign national or someone on an F1 student visa charged with a DUI could never enter the DUI Diversion program in the Ninth Circuit Court. In Miami-Dade County, there is no upper limit on your breath alcohol concentration (BAC) to make you ineligible. But that same county requires that you sign a statement of guilt before entering. Three of the Circuit Courts (8th, 11th, and 15th) will refuse your admission if a child or animal was with you in the vehicle at the time of the charge. Another difference is that only the 8th Circuit Court will use drunken aggression as a reason to deny your access to the program.
We just found out from Rena J. Frazier, Chief of Policy and Communication in the Office of the State Attorney 13th Judicial Circuit, “The State Attorney’s Office is commencing a new DUI initiative called Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism (RIDR), aimed at reducing impaired driving through enhanced sanctions. RIDR will become effective on March 1, 2018.”
Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism – RIDR
Program To Help Reduce Repeat DUI Offenders
This is breaking news. At this point, this is all we know. This includes all of Hillsborough County. Recidivism is the likelihood of a convicted criminal to carry out another crime. The new policy hopes to lessen the chance of the driver ever getting a second DUI.
This change in policy is important for drivers charged with their 1st DUI. According to Florida law, pretrial intervention programs can are available for a first time DUI driver as long as they have spoken with a lawyer, agrees to complete the program, waives the right to speedy trial, and the victim, the state, and the judge have all agreed.
A useful checklist for hiring a DUI Attorney. Call and ask these Questions:
1. Is the Lawyer Board Certified?
2. Is the Lawyer Experienced?
3. Will you receive Personal Attention?
4. Is the Lawyer a Former DUI Prosecutor?
5. Is the Lawyer a Criminal Defense Expert?
In Florida, less than 1/2 of 1 percent of Lawyers are Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law. Some, but not all Criminal Defense Attorneys are former prosecutors. Former DUI Prosecutors know how the justice system works from inside the office that is seeking your conviction for the crime of Driving Under the Influence. Some firms practice law all over the state with hundreds of open cases in several jurisdictions but we have specialized in this region of Florida.
Video – How to Find and Then Choose a Hillsborough DUI Attorney
This video narrates a recent visit to a DUI Checkpoint. This includes DUI Attorney Casey Ebsary mapping the DUI hot spots in the Hillsborough County Florida area. The St. Petersburg Times reports that in one area, “Town ‘N Country, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s DUI deputies make sure they monitor that portion of the county every single night.”
Brandon: 412 | Town ‘N Country: 226 | New Tampa: 195 DUI Arrests.
Video – How to Find and Choose a Pasco DUI Lawyer
Narrates a recent visit to a DUI Checkpoint. Here is what we saw. There is a Pasco Florida Highway Patrol Arrest Contest. Florida DUI Attorney Lawyer continues to be concerned with the game that some police agencies have made out of DUI arrests. DUI cops in Pasco County Florida set out to break a record of some sort. Then informed the media that a DUI record was broken. The headline reads: “Trooper sets records for DUI arrests.”
Trooper Ron Evans and his colleague “fellow Trooper Richard Arias focus a lot of attention of U.S. 19” so says Fox News in Tampa, Florida. “Evans has developed a well-known reputation for getting suspected drunk drivers off the streets. Last year, he made 238 arrests; back in 2004, he arrested 300.” says Fox News. Arias became a Trooper less than a year ago.
Video – How to Select and or Choose a Pinellas DUI Attorney
Pinellas DUI checkpoint was invalidated. Pinellas DUI checkpoint was invalidated. The problem with this case is not with the Plan itself, but rather the lack of evidence that the Plan was complied with in conducting the traffic stop of the defendant. The competent substantial evidence is ”sufficiently relevant and material that a reasonable mind would accept it as adequate to support the conclusion reached.” See Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles v. Trimble, 821 So.2d 1084, 1087 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002) (citing DeGroot v. Sheffield, 95 So.2d 912, 916 (Fla. 1957)).
Video – How to Go About Choosing a Tampa DUI Attorney
Tampa DUI Lawyer 813-222-2220 Help for You, a friend, or Loved One. http://duitampabay.com/index.htm In this video DUI Tampa Attorney Lawyer discusses how to choose an Attorney. Meanwhile, Tampa DUI Charges are Dropped amidst a huge scandal at the Tampa Police Department – Video Updates
Tampa DUI Scandal Update: Call our Tipline at 813-222-2220 if you have information about this story. Looking to shore up confidence after a controversial DUI arrest, the Tampa Police department is launching a review of several dozen DUI …Tampa DUI Scandal – read more
Tampa DUI Lawyer Just reviewed video of a Deputy Sheriff – he Crashes and then Refuses to take a Breath Test. Watch Florida Highway Patrol Video that shows the arrest. Allegations have arisen that the deputy told witnesses they did not need to remain at the scene of the alleged Florida DUI crash. Standby for more details on this breaking story.
Here is a previous story about a driving under the influence case involving a police officer who allegedly refused to take a breath test.
Tampa DUI Scandal Update: Call our Tipline at 813-222-2220 if you have information about this story. Looking to shore up confidence after a controversial DUI arrest, the Tampa Police department is launching a review of several dozen DUI cases. The subjects of the investigation – the cases involving two Officers: Ray Fernandez, Tim McGinnis. We have suspected that DUI cops were watching people and places for reasons they often would not admit. To his credit, the officer in the video below tells us they watch parking lots, act on tips received by phone and other types of electronic messages. We have protected the identity of one officer and give him credit for testifying so candidly. Tips to watch locations come from Phone Calls from Bar Managers, letters, pictures he says, “I get all kinds of stuff.”
In early August, I met with an investigative reporter with a major media outlet in Tampa Bay and shared what we had already uncovered in our review of DUI case procedures. Video Can be seen here: http://news.duifla.com/2013/07/tampa-dui-charges-dropped.html
Blood Testing in DUI Cases
Tampa DUI AttorneyReviews Supreme Court on Blood Draws and notes that today the Supreme Court holds that in DUI investigations the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream does not constitute an exigency to justify warrantless blood test. The Court affirmed the decision of the Supreme Court of Missouri, concluding that “the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream does not establish a per se exigency that suffices on its own to justify an exception to the warrant requirement for nonconsensual blood testing in drunk-driving investigations.”
In DUI / drunk-driving investigations, the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream does not constitute per se exigency sufficient to justify an exception to Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement for nonconsensual blood testing. The principle that a warrantless search of the person is reasonable only if it falls within a recognized exception applies where the search involves a compelled physical intrusion beneath the person’s skin and into his veins to obtain a blood sample to use as evidence in a criminal investigation. Natural dissipation of alcohol in the blood may support an exigency finding in a specific case, but it does not do so categorically. Whether a warrantless blood test of a drunk-driving suspect is reasonable must be determined case by case based on the totality of the circumstances.
Video – Choosing a Polk DUI Defense Lawyer Attorney
A Polk DUI Defense Lawyer Attorney can help you, a friend or a loved one. Visit http://polkduilaw.com/ or call 1-877-793-9290 to discuss your case. DUI or Drunk Driving is a serious charge to have on your driving record in Polk County. You need a serious defense.
Polk County DUI Attorney reports on the DUI Drug court division established by Judge Ronald A. Herring. The Judge ordered that any multiple DUI offender may have the option of DUI Court as part of a plea offer. If allowed the plea offer and the case of the multiple DUI offender transfers into the Polk County DUI defendant’s case to the Judge presiding over DUI or Drug Court occur. The DUI/Drug Court shall be a condition of the offender’s probation. Also involved in the DUI Court are: Judges, Assistant State Attorneys, Defense Attorneys, County Probation, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeland Police Department Offices, AA representatives, and MADD representatives.
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Hillsborough County has consistently been ranked the worst or near the worst in Florida for DUI crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Given the dangers of impaired driving and the importance of reducing recidivism to promote long-term Community safety, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office has established the reducing impaired driving recidivism initiative. The program seeks to aggressively target and reduce impaired driving by imposing enhanced sanctions like alcohol monitoring devices and DUI education programs on first-time, non-aggravated DUI offenders. This First-Time DUI Diversion program also promotes consistency in the prosecution of DUI cases by eliminating the incentive for offenders to refuse to provide a breath sample during the investigation.
