Fort Lauderdale Enhanced DUI Lawyers – Your Best Defense Against Harsh Penalties
Getting arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in Fort Lauderdale is scary enough. But an enhanced DUI charge raises the stakes even higher. This means facing felony charges, not just misdemeanors. The penalties are much harsher too – we’re talking years behind bars, not just months.
So if you’re facing an enhanced DUI, you need to fight back hard. An experienced Fort Lauderdale enhanced DUI lawyer can help you avoid a devastating criminal conviction. Keep reading to learn how.
What is an Enhanced DUI Charge in Fort Lauderdale?
A standard first-time DUI in Florida is usually a misdemeanor. But under certain circumstances, it can be enhanced to a felony. Things that can trigger an enhanced DUI charge include:
- Having multiple prior DUI convictions
- Causing serious bodily injury or death while driving impaired
- Having a minor passenger under 18 in the vehicle
- Reaching an exceptionally high blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level
Prosecutors tend to pursue enhancement aggressively. After all, it allows them to seek much harsher punishments against repeat or dangerous offenders.
But enhanced DUIs also carry major collateral consequences. We’re talking thousands in fines, years behind bars, and a lifelong criminal record. Your driving privileges will be revoked for much longer too.
That’s why you need an experienced enhanced DUI lawyer fighting for you. The stakes are sky-high.
How Can a Fort Lauderdale Enhanced DUI Lawyer Help?
A skilled criminal defense attorney can help in several key ways:
- Analyze the charges – Look for flaws in the prosecutor’s case and ways to get charges reduced or dismissed.
- Investigate the incident – Thoroughly examine all the evidence and circumstances surrounding your arrest.
- Negotiate with the prosecutor – Work to get charges dropped or penalties minimized through plea bargaining.
- File suppression motions – Seek to exclude illegally obtained evidence from your trial.
- Mount an aggressive defense – If necessary, take your case to trial and vigorously contest the charges before a jury.
- Seek alternatives to incarceration – Explore options like probation, house arrest, rehab programs, or community service.
The goal is to avoid a devastating felony conviction and harsh prison sentence at all costs. An experienced lawyer intimately familiar with DUI defense can make that happen.
Why Enhanced DUI Cases Require Specialized Legal Representation
Defending against an enhanced DUI is not like handling a routine misdemeanor. The complexities and stakes involved require a lawyer with specialized skills and experience.
For one, prosecutors almost always hire expert witnesses in enhanced DUI cases. These include toxicologists to analyze BAC results or accident reconstructionists to analyze crash data.
Your lawyer needs to be able to cross-examine those witnesses effectively. And ideally, hire rebuttal expert witnesses of their own.
Enhanced DUI cases also involve combing through the defendant’s past criminal and driving history. That requires experience gathering certified court and DMV records.
The lawyer must also be intimately familiar with Florida’s DUI and sentencing laws. And know all the many options for avoiding a devastating outcome.
Most criminal defense lawyers simply lack this specialized expertise. But at an elite Fort Lauderdale DUI defense firm, it’s all they do day in and day out.
How Do Fort Lauderdale Enhanced DUI Penalties Compare?
The penalties for enhanced DUIs are drastically higher than standard DUIs. Here’s a quick comparison:
- 1st Offense Standard DUI – Up to 6 months in jail, $500-$1000 fine
- 1st Offense Enhanced DUI – Up to 5 years in prison, $1000-$5000 fine
- 2nd Offense Standard DUI – Up to 9 months in jail, $1000-$2000 fine
- 2nd Offense Enhanced DUI – Up to 10 years in prison, $2000-$5000 fine
- 3rd Offense Standard DUI – Up to 12 months in jail, $2000-$5000 fine
- 3rd Offense Enhanced DUI – Up to 30 years in prison, $4000-$10,000 fine
And again, these punishments are alongside license revocation, huge insurance hikes, and other consequences. That’s why fighting an enhanced DUI charge is so critical.
Fighting Enhancement Factors in Fort Lauderdale DUI Cases
The key for any enhanced DUI defendant is avoiding felony classification. This requires challenging the prosecutor’s basis for enhancement.
For prior offenses, we scrutinize court records for any flaws. Were past convictions improperly obtained? Have statutory time limits expired? For accidents, we question if impairment really caused the injuries.
In cases with child passengers, we examine if the defendant knowingly transported a minor while impaired. The goal is introducing reasonable doubt on enhancement factors.
If we succeed, the case stays a misdemeanor. The penalties drop drastically. And the lifelong stigma of a felony conviction is avoided.
Alternative Sentencing Options for Fort Lauderdale Enhanced DUI
If felony charges can’t be reduced, the next priority is avoiding prison time.
Fortunately, Florida law does allow alternatives to incarceration even for enhanced DUIs. Possible options include:
- Probation – Defendants remain free under court supervision.
- House Arrest – Defendants are confined to home outside of work/school.
- Inpatient Rehab – Defendants reside at a licensed treatment facility.
- Ignition Interlock – Devices prevent driving with any alcohol in system.
- Community Service – Defendants work for free at local non-profits.
The judge has broad discretion in sentencing. A skilled lawyer will passionately argue for these alternatives and secure expert testimony on your behalf.
While no DUI is good, avoiding years behind bars is a major win. Preserving your freedom and future remains the ultimate goal.
Why Choose a Top Fort Lauderdale Enhanced DUI Law Firm?
All the above strategies require an experienced lawyer fighting for you. Handling enhanced DUIs is literally all we do – day in and day out.
Our firm’s Fort Lauderdale DUI attorneys have decades of combined experience. We’ve secured positive outcomes in thousands of DUI cases – even felonies.
We also have the resources to hire top expert witnesses, investigators, and support staff. All working tirelessly on your behalf.
And we are intimately familiar with judges, prosecutors, and processes in Broward County courts. This home field advantage helps immensely.
Don’t leave your fate to just any lawyer. Contact our elite Fort Lauderdale enhanced DUI attorneys for a free case evaluation now. Call anytime 24/7 at 555-555-1234.