Petition for Writ of Certiorari Granted and Suspension Quashed

On October 27, 2020, the Chief Judge in Polk County, FL, The Honorable Ellen S. Masters, issued an order granting our petition for writ of certiorari and quashing the administrative suspension. We filed the writ after the hearing officer improperly denied our request to invalidate an administrative suspension.

In this case, the hearing officer inadvertently set the hearing for October 20 instead of November 20. After realizing the mistake, the hearing officer failed to correct the mistake within the 30 day deadline. After the 30 days passed with no hearing being properly scheduled, we filed a motion to invalidate. Instead of just invalidating the suspension as required by statute, the hearing officer continued the hearing and then ruled on the merits after several witnesses testified.

After the hearing officer upheld the suspension, we filed a Motion for Reconsideration and Demand for Attorney Fees and Costs on February 14, 2020, pursuant to Section 57.105, Florida Statutes. We then filed the “petition for writ of certiorari” which was ultimately granted.

On appeal, the Court noted that the DHSMV was wrong when it alleged the issue was not preserved for review and found the DHSMV’s arguments to be “insincere.” The Court also admonished the DHSMV when it wrote:

“…the Hearing Officer determined that Petitioner’s attorney should not raise an objection to the scheduling error when the Department has previously afforded the benefit of a continuance or temporary driving permit to the attorney’s other clients. That is not the standard outlined by Florida Statutes. Similarly, the Court is not persuaded by the Department’s suggestion that professional civility required the Petitioner’s attorney to “pick up the phone” or otherwise alert the Department to correct the error even if such action is contrary to the best interest of the attorney’s client.”

6 Month DUBAL Suspension Set Aside at Clearwater BAR

On December 4, 2020, the HSMV Field Hearing Officer at the Clearwater BAR invalidated an administrative suspension for driving with an unlawful breath alcohol level. The order provided: “[u]pon review of the facts of the case, the Department Hearing officer has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support the suspension of the petitioner’s driver license due to insufficient documentation submitted to the administrative hearing to establish probable cause of the arrest. (No arresting agency evidence packet).”

18 Month Refusal Suspension Set Aside

On January 14, 2021, the HSMV Field Hearing Officer Samantha Simpkins invalidated an administrative suspension for refusing to submit to a breath test after a DUI arrest in Hillsborough County. The order provided that upon review of the facts of the case, the Department Hearing officer has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support the suspension of the petitioner’s driver license due to insufficient documentation submitted to the administrative hearing to establish probable cause of the arrest “because the DUI evidence packet was not received.”

12 Month Refusal Suspension Set Aside

On March 2, 2021, a HSMV Field Hearing Officer at the Tampa Bureau of Administrative Reviews issued a final order setting aside a 12 month suspension for refusing to submit to a breath test. The order provides: “the Department Hearing Officer has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support the suspension because the arresting officer failed to appear.”

6 Month Suspension Invalidated When One BAC Reading was Below .08 

On March 3, 2021, a hearing officer with the Clearwater Bureau of Administrative Reviews entered a final order setting aside a 6-month driver’s license suspension triggered after a DUI arrest by an officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department. The order provided:

“[u]pon a review of the case, there is insufficient evidence to support the suspension because the breath test result did not comply with Section 316.193(1)(b) F.S. and Rule 11D-8.002(12) in that the petitioner provided two breath samples, one of which the result was under .08g/210L.”

Although officers might trigger an administrative suspension when one BAC reading is above the legal limit and one BAC reading is below the legal limit, the hearing officer will invalidate the suspension if you request a formal review hearing and make a motion to invalidate the suspension based on a lack of evidence.

DUBAL Six (6) Month Administrative Suspension Set Aside

On June 18, 2021, a HSMV Field Hearing Officer at the DHSMV’s Bureau of Administrative Reviews office issued a final order that set aside the administrative suspension of our client’s driver license for driving with an unlawful alcohol level (DUBAL). The order provided:

“Upon reviewing the facts of the case, the Department Hearing Office has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support the suspension because the arresting officer failed to appear.”

A copy of the order was provided to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Twelve (12) Month Refusal Suspension Set Aside

On July 19th, 2021, the HSMV Field Hearing Officer at the Bureau of Administrative Reviews entered an order setting aside the suspension for refusal. The case involved a DUI arrest by an officer with Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The hearing officer determined “that there is insufficient evidence to support the suspension because the DUI evidentiary packet was not received.”

Twelve Month Administrative Suspension for Refusal Invalidated

On September 20, 2021, HSMV Field Hearing Officer George L. Winslow, Jr., issued an order invalidating the 12 month administrative suspension. The administrative suspension was triggered by an officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after a DUI arrest involving a refusal to submit to a breath test.

At the hearing, we argued that the suspension should be invalidated because the investigatory stop was not based upon a lawful well-founded suspension that our client was or was about to become involved in criminal activity.

In our case, our client was asleep or unconscious, properly parked in a marked paved parking lot, engine off, sitting behind the wheel of the vehicle. Our client awoke on his own as a Deputy stood outside the vehicle. The Deputy’s report states that he observed our client to be disoriented, and his eyes were bloodshot.

The Deputy asked our client to exit the vehicle and our client asked if he had to get out. The Deputy responded that he needed to exit the vehicle so that the Deputy could see if he was alright. After he exited the vehicle the Deputy then reported seeing additional clues of impairment that eventually resulted in the DUI arrest and refusal.

12 Month Refusal Suspension Set Aside 

On February 17, 2022, the HSMV Field Hearing Officer at the Clearwater Bureau of Administrative Reviews (BAR) Office entered a final order setting aside the suspension of driving privileges for refusing to submit to a breath test after an arrest for DUI by an officer with the Clearwater Police Department. The basis for setting aside the suspension was because the arresting office failed to appear at the formal review hearing after properly being served with a subpoena.

18 Month Hard Suspension for Refusal Invalidated

On April 19, 2022, a hearing officer at the Bureau of Administrative Reviews issued an order invalidating a 6 month suspension for driving with an unlawful alcohol level. The suspension was invalidated because the arresting officer with the Brandon Police Department failed to appear for the hearing.

18 Month Hard Suspension for Refusal Invalidated – 

On July 7, 2022, a hearing officer in Tampa, FL, invalidated a 18 month hard suspension after a refusal to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test. The suspension was invalidated because the arresting officer with the Tampa Police Department failed to appear at the hearing.