Fort Myers Criminal Law Blog

Summer is the time for many students to escape from classes and studies and focus on fun and freedom. Unfortunately, peer pressure and other factors cause many teenagers in Fort Myers to show their ability to consume large amounts of alcohol. They spend fun-filled days at outdoor events, BBQs and on sunny Florida beaches. Some of them get carried away by the excitement and overlook the fact that drinking and driving on the road or the water can lead to DUI charges.

While it is a well-known fact that drunk driving is illegal, students might not realize that the same laws apply for boating while impaired. The same limit for blood alcohol content applies to boaters and vehicle drivers in most jurisdictions. Regardless of the mode of transport, allocating a designated driver to travel after drinking is never a bad idea.

Having a criminal record can jeopardize the future of anyone in Florida. For example, a single DUI conviction that could have been avoided could prevent a young adult from gaining admission to a college or university, obtaining financing or securing employment, among other challenges. Fortunately, in some cases, it is possible to have a DUI expunged.

Expungement is a legal process of clearing a person's criminal record of convictions and arrests. However, no one is guaranteed a positive result in a petition for expungement. To improve one's chances, it typically helps to have a clean record for the years before the DUI conviction, and also afterward during the mandatory waiting time before an expungement application can be filed. Such a filing can typically only be pursued after complying with any penalties imposed by the court.

Drunk driving is a serious offense, and if authorities in Florida stop your car and believe that you have been drinking, you can count on them asking you to take a breath test. If that breath test results in a driving under the influence charge, and if that charge ultimately results in a conviction, you can count on it taking a serious and considerable toll on your bank account in the aftermath.

Even first-time DUI offenders in Florida face substantial penalties for their crimes, and you may, depending on the circumstances surrounding your charge, have to pay thousands of dollars in DUI-related fines. While the fines that directly relate to your DUI conviction can cost you a substantial amount of money, so, too, per Insure.com, can paying for automotive insurance once you get your driving privileges reinstated. Just how much can you expect your annual car insurance premium to rise in the wake of a Florida drunk driving conviction?

Getting into a car accident is never on anyone's agenda for the day, but unfortunately things happen. Regardless of the cause of the collision, certain steps should occur directly following the incident.

Once you determine that you did not suffer any major injuries, you should begin the process of documenting the scene. Follow these three steps to help get your accident claim off on the right foot.