The Florida Highway Patrol used roaming DUI “wolf packs” this weekend to target drivers.  A “wolf pack” is when troopers spread out across a neighborhood specifically looking to make drunk driving arrests.  This weekend troopers patrolled streets in Manatee County neighborhoods from 10pm Friday until to 3am Saturday.  In Florida, a driver with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher is considered impaired.  For drivers under the age of 21, the BAC limit for DUI charges is just .02.

What should you do if you’re arrested for DUI?

DUI arrests are a big deal, you need to take the right steps now and put yourself in the best position possible to fight the DUI you’ve been charged with.  You need to hire a criminal defense lawyer right away to start defending your case.  Here is a list of things your lawyer can do for you:

• You only have 10 days to challenge a license suspension.  Your attorney can start filing all the legal paperwork needed to try and get your license back.  Your lawyer can also try to get you a hardship permit, if you had a valid license at the time of your arrest.
• If you took a breathalyzer or blood test, your attorney can try to challenge that test and the results.
• Your attorney can also try to challenge the field sobriety test, since the results of this test are subjective and based on the arresting officers assessment.
• What about the reason you were pulled over to begin with?  Your attorney will look at the basis of your traffic stop and may have grounds to fight the arrest.
• Did they cross the t’s and dot the i’s?  Your attorney should go over every detail of your traffic stop and DUI arrest.  If the procedure was not done correctly, you may have legal grounds to fight that your DUI arrest was invalid.

Criminal defense attorney Mark Zimmerman fights DUI arrests in Sarasota and Manatee Counties

If you’ve been arrested for a DUI in Sarasota or Manatee County, it’s important that you act now. Mark Zimmerman is a board certified criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor for the State Attorney’s office who knows the system and who will fight for you.  Contact Mark at (941) 364-8503 or fill out our online contact form today for a free evaluation of your DUI case.  There is no time to waste.

If  you’re facing a DUI charge in Sarasota,  Bradenton, or Venice,  it’s important that you understand the process that lies ahead of you.  While you might think that you only have one case to deal with, in fact you probably have three.  Let me explain.

1. First you have your criminal case which will include the charge of DUI and any other additional criminal charges that stemmed from the incident.
2. Second is any civil infraction which you may have been given during your arrest.  This could include speeding, careless driving, failure to maintain a single lane and a host of other potential citations.
3. Third is an administrative law case against the DMV for the suspension of your driving privilege if you blew over the legal limit of .08 or refused to take a breath test.

These are complex matters with potentially devastating consequences if not handled properly.  Mishandling these issues could result in further loss of driving privileges, financial consequences and even jail time.  If you or someone you care about is charged with DUI in the Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice area, then call Zimmerman and Zimmerman for a free consultation so we can explain your rights, the legal process you will be facing and how we can fight the system and win.