Felony DUI
Felony DUI Lawyer in Tampa
Most driving under the influence (DUI) charges in Tampa are charged as misdemeanors. However, there are circumstances where the DUI charge will be upgraded to a felony. A DUI attorney at Parks & Braxton can help if you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Florida.
Any DUI charge is serious, but a felony DUI can result in years of state prison. If you have been charged with a DUI and have two prior convictions for driving under the influence (DUI) anywhere in the United States, you may be charged with a felony DUI. To qualify for a felony DUI, the State must prove that at least one of the prior convictions occurred within the past 10 years. If you have three prior convictions for driving under the influence, you automatically qualify for a felony DUI regardless of when they occurred. Ultimately, the prosecutor has the sole discretion whether to charge you as a felony or misdemeanor. A qualified Tampa DUI lawyer may convince the State to file the DUI as a misdemeanor. Most commonly, a fourth DUI conviction, a DUI with injury or vehicular manslaughter will be charged as a felony in Tampa. At Parks & Braxton, the attorneys have successfully defended felony DUI cases for years. Review the firm's "recent court wins" for a complete list of our DUI success in the courtroom. The years of experience and knowledge in this field, coupled with commitment to our clients, has given Parks & Braxton the benefit of helping many clients achieve successful outcomes for their Tampa felony DUI cases. By providing representation at your DMV hearing and throughout the entire driving under the influence criminal case and court process, the Tampa DUI lawyer at the firm will give you peace of mind in knowing that you are in good hands.
Tampa Felony DUI Attorney
Interestingly, the law prohibits the State Attorney from using prior DUI convictions at trial. Prior convictions for DUI are typically inadmissibility and cannot be used as evidence against you in the courtroom. Other DUI offenses that are charged as felonies are DUI Manslaughter and DUI Serious Bodily Injury. Please click on either "DUI Manslaughter" or "DUI Serious Bodily Injury" for specific information about those charges. A Florida felony DUI attorney at Parks & Braxton can represent you if you are facing felony driving under the influence charges. The firm offers a free initial case evaluation to discuss the charges you face, and when we take on a new case, the attorney will explain step by step the procedure in court as well as explain the plan of action for your defense.
When facing a felony drunk driving charge, you are in serious legal trouble. It would be strongly advised that you contact Parks & Braxton without delay with such charges. Any defense takes commitment, dedication and time. There is a limited time frame to develop a compelling defense on felony DUI charges. All evidence must be reviewed and the case evaluated. It is crucial that you contact the office immediately for your free initial case evaluation.
The attorney, upon review of the evidence against you, can seek further evidence with which to defend you. Witnesses can become difficult to find and finding other possibly exonerating evidence is vital in your felony drunk driving charges. A felony conviction is a life changing event. It is crucial to your future that you contact a felony DUI lawyer at Parks & Braxton immediately.
DUI causing serious injury is charged as a felony offense. If you cause an auto accident and are determined to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you may be charged with DUI with serious bodily injury. The maximum penalty for this crime is up to 5 years in state prison, when serious bodily injury is caused by the accident.
A fourth DUI offense is a felony. You may be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison, along with fines and other criminal penalties. Your license will be suspended for a lifetime.
Vehicular manslaughter involving drunk driving is charged as a felony. If convicted of this crime, you will face a minimum of 4 years in state prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Contact a Tampa Felony DUI Attorney at Parks & Braxton without delay if you have been charged with a Felony DUI. A high quality dedicated attorney will aggressively defend you.
