DUI Lawyer In Palm City / West Palm Beach
How Wayne Richter Will Help You Fight DUI Arrest
An arrest for DUI can be frustrating and discouraging, but having an experienced DUI attorney in West Palm Beach or Palm City on your side can make a big difference in the outcome of your case. Wayne Richter is an experienced DUI trial lawyer and understands how to properly defend a DUI case through effective negotiation, a thorough case evaluation which may often lead to motions that will suppress and/or exclude evidence, and when necessary, Wayne will aggressively represent you in a jury trial. A DUI case should be fought at every stage of both the administrative and criminal proceedings. Wayne has over a decade of DUI trial experience and knows how to effectively evaluate a DUI case, which can potentially lead to reduced charges or your case being outright dismissed.
Our initial evaluation of your DUI case is free. No matter where you are in the DUI process, we strongly encourage you to review the information below and call for a consultation today.
DUI EVIDENCE MAY NOT BE WHAT IT APPEARS
Most often, DUI arrests stem from a driver being stopped for some ordinary traffic infraction such as: failing to maintain a single lane, speeding, failing to use a turn signal, etc. These ordinary traffic stops turn into DUI investigations when the police officer claims to observe indicators of impairment such as the odor of alcohol, red bloodshot eyes and slurred speech to name a few. Nevertheless, these so-called indicators of impairment do not necessarily establish proof of DUI beyond a reasonable doubt. An experienced lawyer like Wayne Richter can expose this type of evidence as being inconsequential.
Further, if a police officer cannot articulate a reasonable suspicion for stopping someone for driving under the influence in the first place, or if the evidence in your case was obtained unlawfully, then you may be able to prevail on a motion to suppress evidence, effectively beating your DUI case.
IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ACT FAST AFTER A DUI ARREST TO PROTECT YOUR LICENSE
A DUI arrest can create a substantial inconvenience, to say the least, and can also carry serious penalties. Not only can a DUI result in criminal charges, but it will also result in the administrative suspension of your driver’s license by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 10 days following your arrest. In fact, in Florida, you only have 10 days from the date of your DUI arrest to challenge, or contest, a license suspension by requesting a Formal Review hearing. So, waiting to hire a lawyer could have a devastating effect. For the 10 days following your DUI arrest, your DUI citation is actually your driving permit. An additional driving permit can be obtained as well; call me and schedule a free consultation to find out how. The Formal Review hearing follows a special set of rules set forth in the Florida Administrative Code and the hearing is limited to a narrow scope of issues. Unfortunately, since driving is not considered a fundamental right, the standard for having your license suspended is much lower than that which is required for a criminal conviction. However, Wayne Richter will thoroughly research your case, and the documents pertaining to your arrest, to determine whether any errors were made that require your license to be reinstated.
First time DUI offenders are eligible to obtain a business purpose only license following their arrest. Call me and schedule a free consultation to find out how.
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF DUI
In addition to having your license suspended by the DHSMV, there are potential significant penalties to the crime of driving under the influence. If convicted of DUI, you could face jail time, steep fines, a community service requirement, DUI school, an ignition interlock device, and vehicle immobilization. Of course, the potential penalty for each successive DUI arrest increases as well.
SCHEDULE A FREE DUI CONSULTATION
A DUI charge in Florida can be proven by either showing that a driver’s breath-alcohol content was above the legal limit of .08, or by showing that a driver’s “normal faculties” were impaired. Fortunately, there are normally a number of potential defenses to a DUI charge. Contact Wayne Richter to schedule a free DUI case evaluation and learn how our DUI attorney in West Palm Beach can help defend you.