Fort Lauderdale DUI Attorneys

Experienced Broward County DUI Defense Lawyers

What is DUI? DUI stands for driving under the influence. It is the criminal offense of operating a motor vehicle (car, bus, motorcycle, truck, etc.) while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. DUI is also referred to as DWI, driving while intoxicated, in other states. Drunk driving is another term often used to describe driving under the influence. Throughout the U.S., drivers may not operate a motor vehicle with a blood or breath alcohol level of .08% or greater. This level is different for underage drivers and those with commercial driver’s licenses.

In Florida, DUI may be charged if a person’s normal abilities are impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, or if his or her blood alcohol concentration is .08% or greater. What this means is that a driver may be convicted of DUI regardless of his or her blood alcohol concentration, as long as his or her abilities are impaired. A driver may also be convicted regardless of whether his or her abilities are impaired, as long as his or her blood alcohol concentration was above the legal limit.

Fort Lauderdale DUI Charges

Following are key issues which will be involved in any Fort Lauderdale DUI case:

• The initial police stop:
• The officer must have observed behavior which gave him or her probable cause to pull you over. This may be swerving, speeding, driving too slowly or disobeying a traffic law.
• Field sobriety tests:
• After pulling you over, the officer will conduct field sobriety tests to determine whether your abilities are impaired. These tests may include the one leg stand, the horizontal gaze nystagmus and the one leg stand.
• The arrest:
• The officer must read you your rights and must also have probable cause to make a DUI arrest.
• The breath test or blood test:
• After your arrest, you will be asked to submit to a breath test or blood test to determine your blood alcohol concentration. Not only do these tests need to be administered properly, but the breath test machine must be properly calibrated in order to give an accurate readout.

DUI Defense Attorneys Serving Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Using all information about your DUI case, arrest and charges, a skilled attorney can begin to build a defense strategy in order to protect your rights, freedom and driving privileges. All the items listed above will play a major role in the outcome of your case, and your lawyer will need to know how to evaluate these to determine how to use them to your advantage.

Contact a Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer at Musca Law today!