Polk County Dui Lawyers

While Florida requires drivers to maintain insurance the Insurance Research Council says 24 percent of Florida drivers don’t have it.

IRC lists the following as the states with the highest uninsured driver estimates:

Mississippi with the most uninsured drivers, 28 percent, New Mexico in second with 26 percent and a three way tie betweenTennessee, Oklahoma and Florida at 24 percent.

We all know car insurance is very expensive and seems very unnecessary, but it is the law and paying for it could save you a lot of stress later.

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If you intend to drink alcohol before getting behind the wheel this weekend, be warned that the Florida Highway Patrol, along with other police departments, is on special alert to nab impaired drivers.

From today through Sept. 5, Sarasota sheriff’s deputies say they will be engaged in enhanced DUI enforcement – especially at night and on weekends.

In Manatee, sheriff’s deputies, Bradenton Police and the Florida Highway Patrol will have special patrols from 5:30 p.m. today until 3 a.m. in areas with a history of DUI-related accidents.

Charlotte County sheriff’s deputies and Punta Gorda Police say, today through the Labor Day weekend, they also will step up DUI enforcement.

Many police departments around the nation are also joining int he effort to target impaired drivers though Labor Day.

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A 40-year-old Lodge Grass man arrested in Billings for driving the wrong way on a one-way street was sentenced Friday for his fifth drunken-driving offense.

Rowland H. was sentenced as a persistent felony offender to five years with the state Department of Corrections for felony DUI.

Judge Ingrid Gustafson also ordered Rowland to pay a $1,000 fine and agreed to recommend him for a state alcohol treatment program.

Rowland apologized before he was sentenced.

Rowland was arrested May 29, 2010, after a Billings police officer stopped his vehicle for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Rowland admitted drinking alcohol, but he refused to perform sobriety tests or provide a breath sample.

Rowland has four prior DUI convictions in Florida, where he is wanted on a fugitive warrant for violating probation.

If you’re facing DUI charges in Florida, there’s no certainty you’ll be convicted, regardless of how many convictions you’ve had in the past. To discuss how you may be able to avoid being convicted, contact Polk County DUI attorney at our firm right now.

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Former U.S. Congressman Tim Mahoney was arrested on a DUI charge after police said they found him sleeping in his parked car on a South Florida road early Saturday.

Mahoney, a Democrat who filled former Congressman Mark Foley’s seat, was sleeping behind the wheel around 3 a.m. Saturday in Palm Beach Gardens, police said. Fifty-four year-old Mahoney was charged with DUI “based on the investigation and after talking to the driver,” Palm Beach Gardens Police Commander William Brandt said.

No other details were given. Mahoney, a multimillionaire venture capitalist, was released on his own recognizance Saturday morning, according to a jail spokeswoman.

A telephone message left for Mahoney was not immediately returned Saturday.

It’s the second scandal to rock Mahoney in recent years. The political newcomer who ran on a family values platform lost his re-election bid in 2008 after revealing he’d had several affairs and put one of his lovers on the federal payroll as a congressional staffer. She later became a campaign worker.
Continue reading “Former Congressman Charged With DUI in South Florida” »

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A Florida Highway Patrol sergeant was hit by a suspected drunken driver while transporting another person charged with drunken driving to jail on Friday, authorities said.

Sgt. Janice Drake, 35, received minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital. Her passenger was not injured.

Luis R., 24, was charged with DUI, DUI property damage, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and driving without a valid license.

Luis was driving a 1999 Ford Ranger the wrong way west on Hillsborough Avenue at about 11:30 p.m., said Sgt. Steve Gaskins, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol. As he approached Highland Avenue on the Hillsborough River Bridge, Luis hit a 1996 Mercedes driven by Anne M. , 48, head-on, Gaskins said. His vehicle then rotated and collided with Drake’s patrol car, which was headed east on Hillsborough Avenue, Gaskins said.

Anne received minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital.

Luis ran from the crash and later was found hiding in an abandoned home, Gaskins said. He was being held without bail at the Orient Road Jail.

I cannot stress this enough: Do not flee when being apprehended by police. It’s nearly always best to follow suit and contact a defense lawyer if you are charged with a crime. Reason being, if you are caught when fleeing, which you probably will be, the criminal charge(s) against you will be upgraded.

If you’ve been charged with DUI or a related crime in Bartow, Lakeland or elsewhere in Polk county, it’s very important that you talk with an attorney ASAP. In order to give yourself a chance at avoiding a conviction, you must give your lawyer ample time to prepare your case! Call 863-512-5269 to schedule your free consultation now.

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Each person who is found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol is sentenced to attend DUI school unless the license has been permanently suspended or revoked. The following is a portion of cases filed in April, May and June.

Jeffrey P., Flamingo Lane, Mulberry — license suspended 6 months, 12 months probation, 6 months ignition interlock device, $1,804.36 fines.

Daniel G., 3017 Woodstock Ave., Eaton Park — license suspended 6 months, 12 months probation, 12 months ignition interlock device, 10 days county jail, $286 fines.

Stephen R., Yeomans Path, Lakeland — license suspended 65 years, 12 months probation, 2 years ignition interlock device, 10 days county jail, $2,916 fines.

Michael A., Bendelow Drive, Lakeland — license suspended 6 months, 12 months probation, 6 months ignition interlock device, $1,966 fines.

Sergio, K Ville Ave., Auburndale — license suspended 6 months, 12 months probation, $1,379.36 fines.

Analysis: One thing you’ll notice is the high fines and license suspension all of these people convicted of DUI are suffering. And remember, a DUI conviction on your record will always come back to haunt you when in pursuit of further educational and career goals. For this reason, it’s always best to hire a Polk County DUI defense lawyer in pursuit of having the charges dropped or, at the very least, reduced.

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