DUI Lawyers in Tampa

After an arrest for Driving under the Influence (DUI) in Tampa, FL, call us to discuss the best strategies to fight the charge. The lawyers at Sammis Law Firm focus exclusively on criminal defense and fighting DUI cases.

When you call the office, you can speak directly with an attorney on the phone, schedule a same-day Zoom meeting, or have a face-to-face consultation at the office.

During the consultation, we can help you understand the best ways to protect your rights at every stage of the case.

Click here to read more about our Recent Case Results in DUI Cases.

Contact us about the 10-day rule to protect your driver’s license. Although some attorneys might suggest waiving all your rights by seeking an immediate hardship license, we recommend demanding a formal review hearing to challenge the administrative suspension within ten (10) days of the arrest.

One of the attorneys is available after hours or on weekends to answer your questions.

Call 813-250-0500 today.

Hire a Local and Trusted DUI Defense Attorney

Hiring an experienced attorney early in your case is crucial to protecting your privilege to drive and increasing your chances of avoiding a conviction.

At Sammis Law Firm in Tampa, FL, our attorneys take a full-service approach to defend each aspect of the case, including:

• demanding the formal review hearing to protect your driver’s license from an administrative suspension within ten (10) days after the arrest;

• attending the first court date (called the “arraignment”);

• filing and litigating all pre-trial motion hearings, which can include a motion to suppress or a motion to dismiss the charges;

• negotiating with the prosecutor from the State Attorney’s Office to resolve the case for lesser charges such as reckless driving; and

• conducting a jury or bench trial to fight for a “not guilty” verdict.

We represent men and women arrested for drunk and impaired driving in Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Ybor City, Temple Terrace, and Plant City.

Our DUI defense attorneys also fight drunk driving cases after an arrest at the Tampa International Airport, MacDill Air Force Base, the University of Tampa (UT), or the University of South Florida (USF).

We also represent clients throughout the surrounding counties of Hernando County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, and Polk County.

Call 813-250-0500.

Unique Qualifications for Fighting Drunk Driving Cases

Our offices have been at the same location in downtown Tampa, FL, for more than ten (10) years. If your DUI case involves a refusal to submit to testing or a breath test reading over .08 or .15, you need an attorney focused on fighting these charges.

Leslie Sammis has focused her career on DUI cases for the last 20 years. She is a member of the most trusted organizations for the top DUI lawyers in the United States, including the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). She currently serves as a State Delegate for NCDD.

Leslie Sammis received advanced training on the Intoxilyzer 8000 from a former Department Inspector with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The Intoxilyzer 8000 is the only breathalyzer currently used in Florida.

Over the years, Leslie Sammis has taken numerous DUI cases to trial and obtained “not guilty” verdicts in felony and misdemeanor DUI cases. She has conducted hundreds of contested formal review hearings and cross-examined officers, breath test operators, and agency inspectors.

In the courtroom, Leslie Sammis has successfully litigated numerous motions to suppress and motions to dismiss the DUI charges.

If you are accused of drunk or impaired driving, let us use our experience to help you. We can help you fight for the best result at every stage of the case.

When is DUI a Misdemeanor or a Felony?

Florida law classifies the vast majority of cases in Florida for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as a misdemeanor. A DUI cannot be filed as a felony unless the defendant has:

• two (2) prior DUI convictions with one (1) prior conviction being within the last ten (10) years (called the “3rd DUI within ten (10) years”);
• three (3) prior DUI convictions in the lifetime of the driver (4th lifetime DUI); or
• caused or contributed to a crash with death or serious bodily injury to another.

The penalties for a DUI conviction become enhanced if the prosecutor proves any of the following aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt:

• a third DUI outside of ten (10) years of any prior DUI;
• a second DUI within five (5) years of a prior DUI;
• a crash with property damage or non-serious personal injury;
• a child passenger under the age of 18 years old; or
• a BAC reading at .15 or above.

Why DUI Cases in Florida Are So Serious

For a DUI and BUI charge under § 316.193(9) and 327.35(8), Fla. Stat., the defendant is not permitted to bond out of jail until:

• the blood-alcohol level or breath-alcohol level is less than 0.05; or
• eight (8) hours have elapsed from the time of the arrest.

Although a first DUI is a misdemeanor, a conviction comes with minimum mandatory penalties that are typically more severe than most third-degree felonies.

The trials tend to be more complicated than many second-degree felony charges because of the nature of the scientific evidence, including field sobriety testing and chemical testing of the breath, blood, or urine.

Additionally, DUI cases are subject to extreme jury prejudice due to “media blitz” publicity and the pressures from citizen action groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

DUI trials are complicated because many prospective jurors are nondrinkers, reformed alcoholics, or have religious reasons not to drink alcohol.

Under Rule 6.290 of the Florida Rules of Traffic Court and section 316.656, Florida Statutes, no court shall suspend, defer, or withhold adjudication of guilt or the imposition of sentence for the offense of driving or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle (DUI) while:

• having a blood or breath alcohol level over the legal limit of .08; or
• while under the influence of alcoholic beverages, any chemical substance outlined in section 877.111, Florida Statutes, or any substance controlled by chapter 893, Florida Statutes.

Since the court cannot withhold adjudication, the person convicted of DUI can never seal the criminal record. For these reasons, you need a local DUI defense attorney focused on fighting these unique cases.

Call us for a free consultation so that you can find out more about our qualifications for DUI defense in Tampa, FL.

Fighting Administrative Suspension of Your Driver’s License

The first stage in a DUI case is protecting your driving privileges. After the arrest, the officer will take your driver’s license and issue you a notice of suspension if you either:

• blew over the legal limit of 0.08; or

• refused to take the requested breath, blood, or urine test.

Your DUI citation operates as a notice of suspension. The officer will notify the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (DMV). The citation serves as a 10-day permit, so you can continue driving during the first ten (10) days after your arrest.

During that ten (10) day period after the arrest, you must decide between the following options:

• retain an attorney to demand a formal review hearing and obtain your 42-day permit so you can continue to drive without interruption;

• waive your right to contest the suspension and request immediate reinstatement (requires that you first enroll in DUI school and personally appear at the Bureau of Administrative Review Office with the proof of enrollment); or

• do nothing and suffer the 30 or 90-day hard suspension, during which time you can not drive for any reason (after that, you can request a “business purpose only” license for the rest of the suspension period).

Call us to find out why we ALWAYS recommend demanding the formal review hearing within that ten (10) day period.

Because you must decide how to protect your driving privileges and take action quickly, retaining a criminal defense attorney within ten (10) days of your arrest is essential.

The Formal Review Hearing to Contest the Suspension

The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm in Tampa, FL, believe it is critical to demand the formal review hearing and fight to invalidate the DUI administrative suspension. In many ways, the formal review hearing is the most crucial part of the case.

The evidence gathered during that hearing can often be used to your advantage in a criminal case. Our attorneys attend every formal review hearing at the Bureau of Administrative Review (BAR) Office.

The address of the Tampa Bureau of Administrative Review Office is 2814 East Hillsborough Avenue, Tampa, FL 33610. Although the hearing officer will tape-record the hearing, we bring a court reporter to the hearing. The court reporter prepares the official record.

We obtain a subpoena for every witness listed in the documents (unless we have a good reason not to subpoena the witness). We thoroughly review everything in the DMV’s packet, the discovery from the State Attorney’s Office and any video evidence before the hearing.

Reasons the Administrative Suspension is Invalidated

Florida law requires that the hearing officer SHALL invalidate the suspension if the arresting officer or the breath test operator fails to appear.

Other reasons the hearing officer might invalidate the suspension might include:

1. the arresting officer does NOT submit the police reports and other required documents to the DMV in time for the hearing;
2. insufficient evidence to support one of the issues in the case;
3. an illegal stop, detention, or arrest occurred;
4. while one breath or blood test reading might be at or above .08, the other reading is below .08;
5. the officer gave incorrect advice or information about the consequences of taking the test or refusing;
6. the defendant recanted his refusal to submit promptly and, after that, agreed to take the chemical test;
7. the officer failed to read Miranda warnings before a custodial interrogation;
8. the officer forced or compelled the defendant to participate in field sobriety exercises;
9. the twenty-minute observation period was not followed just before the breath test;
10. the breath test machine did not return a valid reading over the legal limit;
11. the breath test operator or agency inspector did not have a valid permit; or
12. the authorities did not properly inspect or maintain the breath test machine.

Even if all the witnesses appear at the hearing, your attorney can raise other objections. Your attorney can move to invalidate the suspension because of a lack of competent and substantial evidence.

If you win the hearing, your administrative suspension will be invalidated (vacated or set aside). Having the suspension invalidated means the administrative suspension is removed from your driving record as if it never happened.

If you win the hearing, we will give you a copy of the order. If you take the order to the DHSMV, you can obtain a duplicate copy of your driver’s license.

If the hearing officer refuses to invalidate the suspension, you can appeal that decision to a Circuit Court judge through a petition for a “writ of certiorari.”

The only downside to contesting the administrative suspension is that if you are not successful, then a hard suspension will start. During that time, you cannot drive for any reason.

At the end of the hard suspension, as long as you have enrolled in DUI school and are otherwise eligible, you can obtain a “Business Purpose Only” license for the rest of the suspension period to drive to and from work, school, and church.

Even if the suspension is not invalidated, the client still wins because the attorney has gathered evidence and testimony that might lead to a better result in the criminal case.

Call a DUI defense attorney in Tampa, FL, to learn more about fighting the administrative suspension.

Length of the Administrative Suspension

The length of the administrative suspension is listed below. The “hard period” is when you are not eligible for a hardship license.

First DUI Offense

• 6 months (30 day hard period) if you took the chemical test; or
• 12 months (90 day hard period) if you refused.

Second DUI Offense

• 12 months (30 day hard period) if you took the chemical test;
• 12 months (90 day hard period) if you refused with no prior refusal; or
• 18 months (18 month hard period) if you refused with a prior refusal.

Third or Subsequent DUI Offense

• 12 months (12 month hard period) if you took the chemical test;
• 12 months (12 month hard period) if you refused with no prior refusal; or
• 18 months (18 month hard period) if you refused with a prior refusal.

Fighting Criminal Charges in the Courtroom

After your arrest, the clerk’s office will schedule your first court date, called the “arraignment,” before the judge. For individuals who do not have an attorney, the court will read the charges and ask the person to enter a plea – either guilty, no contest, or not guilty.

For DUI offenses, the court is not allowed to withhold adjudication. A guilty plea is essentially the same as a “no contest” plea. A conviction means you can never seal or expunge that mug shot, arrest record, or court record of the conviction.

Entering a plea at arraignment is a bad idea because you cannot obtain a hardship license until after completing DUI school.

You should request a public defender’s services if you cannot afford a private attorney. You can say, “I’d like to enter a plea of “NOT GUILTY” and have an attorney help me with my case.”

Resolving your case without a criminal defense attorney is not a good idea. Before entering a plea, you should review all police reports and watch the video at the roadside or police station.

You should always talk with a DUI lawyer about the evidence in your case before considering a plea to the charges. Prosecutors often reduce DUI to less serious charges such as reckless driving.

Your criminal defense attorney can always fight for a one or two-level (or more) reduction depending on the facts of the case.

For a first DUI, contact us to learn more about the RIDR DUI Diversion Program in Hillsborough County. The new diversion program might result in your first DUI being reduced to reckless driving with a withhold of adjudication.

The withhold of adjudication means you can avoid a conviction. After resolving the case, you might be eligible to seal the criminal history record.

Each level the charges are reduced can save you thousands of dollars and indirect consequences that would otherwise occur.

• Enhanced DUI with enhanced penalties for:
  • DUI with property damage
  • Breath or blood test BAC at 0.15 or over
  • DUI with a minor child in the vehicle

• Simple DUI for refusal or a BAC between 0.08 and 0.15

• Reckless driving with an adjudication (often called the “wet reckless”)
  • 6 points in on your driver’s license
  • often comes with an increase in insurance premiums
  • an adjudication means you can never seal or expunge the record

• Reckless driving with a withhold of adjudication
  • no points on your driver’s license
  • you may be able to seal all records (mug shot, arrest record, court record if you have no prior convictions)

• Careless driving (a civil infraction either with or without an adjudication

• Charges dropped or dismissed

Entering the plea as charged without any reduction may be the most disruptive, expensive, and prolonged route to resolving your case.

How Your Attorney Fights the Criminal Charges

If you retain a private attorney, the attorney will waive your appearance at arraignment and enter a not-guilty plea on your behalf. The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm also file motions to do the following:

1. Demand that the state attorney’s office provides us with a copy of all evidence in the case, including the police reports, accident report (if any), video at the scene or the police station, and information on chemical testing of the breath, blood or urine;
2. Attack the legal sufficiency of the charging document; and
3. Move to suppress, exclude, or limit evidence in the case.

After the arraignment, another court date will be scheduled each month after that (called the “disposition”). In most cases, your attorney can waive your appearance on these court dates.

During these initial court dates, your attorney will secure a copy of all evidence in your case. Your attorney may also file additional motions to suppress or exclude that evidence.

After the exchange of discovery, the court schedules the case for a motion hearing, pre-trial conference, or trial. The court will require you to appear for these critical court dates.

Reasons to Fight the DUI Charges

Hiring an experienced lawyer to fight your case may help you avoid a conviction, which may save you thousands of dollars in fines, court costs, expenses for DUI school, vehicle impound, the time and energy required to complete 50 hours of community service, and drastically increased insurance premiums.

Avoiding a DUI conviction might save you thousands of dollars each year in increased car insurance premiums for the next three (3) to five (5) years.

After a DUI conviction, you must obtain a high-risk and more expensive form of insurance called “FR-44” insurance.

The most common way to avoid a DUI conviction occurs when the prosecutor agrees to amend the charge to “reckless driving.”

The court will exclude evidence if the officer’s decision to stop the vehicle was unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The suppression of that evidence might lead to the charges being dropped entirely.

Our attorneys represent professionals charged with drunk driving in Florida, including college students, nurses, private and public school teachers, and members of law enforcement or the military.

Even if you avoid a DUI conviction, the arrest might cause immediate consequences to your educational or career opportunities, especially if you have certain certifications or licenses.

In other counties, such as Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County, the State Attorney’s Office has pre-trial intervention programs to resolve a first DUI case.

This type of DUI diversion program is now available for cases in Tampa or Hillsborough County.

The Legal Definition – Two Alternative Ways of Proving DUI

The statute provides two theories the prosecutor might use to prove you are guilty.

First, the prosecutor can attempt to show that you were under the influence of alcohol or an intoxicating substance to the extent that your normal faculties were impaired due to alcohol intoxication or drug impairment.

Alternatively, the prosecutor can attempt to show that your performance on a chemical test, such as a breath or blood test, showed a blood-alcohol level of .08% or above. Regardless of the theory, the potential penalties are the same.

If the prosecutor proves that your breath test reading was over .15, enhanced penalties apply. Those penalties might include the dreaded ignition interlock device and a higher fine.

The DUI penalties are more severe if the case involves property damage or a child passenger in the vehicle.

If you have been arrested for drunk driving (“DUI”), including a breath test, urine test or blood test case, a refusal case, or a crash with property damage, then call us to discuss the case today.

Refusal to Submit to the Breath Test

When the State of Florida attempts to prosecute a Driving Under the Influence case, the strongest evidence usually comes from a chemical test, including a breath, blood, or urine test.

The prosecutor will argue that the criminal test shows intoxication or impairment because of the presence of alcohol, prescription drugs, or a controlled substance.

If the driver refuses to submit to a chemical test (called a “DUI Refusal BAC” in Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL), then the State no longer has that evidence. Instead, the prosecutor will attempt to admit evidence that the driver “refused” to submit to the test and other circumstantial evidence.

The prosecutor will argue that this refusal demonstrates a “guilty conscience” or the driver’s belief that if he submitted to the chemical test, the test results would show that he was intoxicated from alcohol or impaired by prescription drugs or other controlled substances.

Learn more about how an attorney fights a DUI refusal case in Tampa, FL.

In determining whether to admit or exclude the evidence that the driver refused to submit to the test, the Court will consider state and federal constitutional provisions, the rules of evidence, common law provisions, statutory rules, and administrative rules.

Furthermore, suppose the law enforcement officer violates a driver’s constitutional or statutory rights to an attorney before the blood, breath, or urine test. In that case, the Court can exclude or throw out any evidence that the defendant declined to take the chemical test.

Many refusal cases are complex for the prosecutor to take to trial because the prosecutor’s most important piece of evidence, the test result, does not exist. If you have been charged with DUI refusal in or around Hillsborough County, talk with an experienced attorney before deciding how to proceed.

Suppose you have previously had your driver’s license suspended for refusing to submit to a chemical test. In that case, the consequences for a second or subsequent refusal after a DUI arrest will probably be an additional criminal charge for a first-degree misdemeanor.

In July 2002, the Florida Legislature criminalized a second refusal to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test. If you refuse to take a breath test a second time, you might be charged with two separate offenses, DUI and a “second refusal to submit to DUI testing” charge.

Even if you win the DUI case, you might be convicted of the refusal charge. The appellate courts have yet to fully address the constitutionality and limitations of this new criminal offense for a “second refusal to submit.”

Defenses exist to fight this separate charge of refusing to submit to a chemical test for the second time. Contact the attorneys at the Sammis Law Firm to discuss defenses available under Florida law for your case’s particular facts and circumstances.

Our main office is located in downtown Tampa, FL. Our second office is in New Port Richey in Pasco County, FL, across from the West Pasco Judicial Center courthouse.

DWI vs. DUI in Florida

Did you know that the offense of Driving While Intoxicated was abolished by statute in Florida? After that, the Florida Traffic Court Rule 6.110 was amended in 1990 to delete any reference to DWI.

In an amendment in 1998, Rule 6.110 was changed to bring subdivision (a) into conformity with the statutory language in section 322.282, Florida Statute, which states “substance abuse education course” rather than a “DWI Counter Attack School.”

Over the years, the Florida legislature has considered proposed legislation to reintroduce DWI cases into Florida law. Read more about a recently proposed DWI statute.

Read more about how DUI attorneys in Georgia handled cases in that state. Find information about the difference between DUI cases in Florida and Georgia.

Additional Resources

MADD Florida – The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Florida is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of DUI crimes, and prevent underage drinking. The MADD website contains information about statistics and laws throughout the country for drunk and drugged driving. Additionally, the website contains DUI stories told by those impacted by drunk driving offenses, including first responders, those injured in a crash, and family members of people killed in the accident.

Florida DHSMV on Administrative Suspension – Visit the website of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to find the rules for an administrative suspension after a DUI arrest in Florida.

Florida DUI Penalties and Punishments – After an arrest for drunk driving in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, find out more about the statutory minimum mandatory punishments that may apply if you are convicted. The consequences depend on the charges. Charges can be enhanced based on the number of prior convictions, the date of those convictions, whether any property was damaged, or whether anyone suffered any personal injury.

DUI School Level I Counterattack in Tampa, Hillsborough County – Visit the website for DUI Counterattack, Hillsborough Inc. Founded in 1971, Tampa’s DUI school provides alcohol and drug abuse educational courses to people accused of driving under the influence after an administrative suspension or criminal conviction. To enroll in the school, you must live, work, or attend school in Hillsborough County. The DUI school also provides a face-to-face evaluation to determine whether follow-up treatment and counseling will be required or recommended. The registration fee to enroll in level I DUI school for a first-time offense is $273.00.

This article was last updated on Tuesday, November 4, 2024.