| |
If arrested for a DUI, What Happens at an Arraignment, a Hearing, a Trial, and at Sentencing?
Let Tampa DUI Lawyer Joe Bodiford Help You through the Process
When you are arrested for driving under the influence, you will be taken to the police station and then to jail. The sooner you can get a Tampa DUI attorney on your side, the better since time is of the essence. We have outlined what the process is once your case goes to trial.
Trial for DUI charges
Although many DUI cases are resolved short of going to trial, it is possible you will find yourself at trial. If so, the trial is likely to proceed in a predictable manner, with:
- Jury selection (unless it is a trial by judge, which is fairly unusual in DUI trials)
- Opening statements by your attorney and the prosecutor, outlining the evidence each intends to present
- Testimony from witnesses
- Cross-examination of the witnesses by both attorneys
- Motions from your attorney after the prosecution has presented its case, sometimes asking the judge to dismiss the case for lack of evidence
- Closing arguments from both lawyers summing up the evidence, and arguments about how the law applies
- Jury instructions (by the judge) on the law the jury must apply
- Jury deliberation
- Jury verdict
Sentencing if Convicted of DUI
If you are convicted for DUI, the judge may sentence you to:
- Pay fines
- A short jail stay
- A long jail term if you were involved in an accident where you injured or killed someone
- Probation or a suspended sentence, with conditions on where you can go and actions you're prohibited from (such as drinking)
- Community service, working with local non-profit community organizations
- Drug or alcohol counseling or outpatient or intensive inpatient rehab
- Installation of an "ignition interlock" device on your vehicle which prevents you from operating your vehicle if your blood alcohol content is over a certain level, typically .02.
If your driver's license has not already been suspended, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) may also suspend it for a certain period of time or put restrictions on when and where you can drive.
If you or someone you know was arrested for DUI, don’t wait; call Tampa criminal attorney Joe Bodiford now to hear your options and get things in motion right away.
|
|
