Maybe you drink a beer before driving to the Clermont Performing Arts Center for a concert with your college buddies, or maybe your parents permit you to drink a glass of wine with dinner before you drive to a friend’s home to study. If a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy stops you for weaving along Highway 27 and administers a field sobriety test, you will be charged with underage Driving Under the Influence (DUI) if you are younger than 21 and register a 0.02 or more blood alcohol content (or concentration) (BAC).
To add to your family’s woes, your parents can be charged with serving alcohol to a minor, even at home, and even if it is a cultural rite of passage. They can be fined and spend time in jail, and if you register an elevated BAC and injure someone in a car crash, your parents will be responsible for the damage. Florida has zero tolerance for mixing minors with alcohol, and if you or your teen is arrested, a Clermont underage DUI lawyer from The Umansky Law Firm has the knowledge to minimize the aftermath.
Florida law delineates between adult drivers and minors with its “Zero Tolerance” law, codified in Florida Statutes § 322.2616. Adults are charged with DUI if their BAC is 0.08 or above, while minors are charged with BACs of 0.02 or above. According to AlcoPro, a young man weighing 160 pounds will register a 0.02 BAC after consuming one drink and young women will do so with less than one drink.
Penalties vary widely depending on prior DUI arrests, if the driver causes property damage or injuries to others, and how much alcohol is in the driver’s system. The “Zero Tolerance” law provides for driver’s license suspension for up to 6 months, and if you are younger than 18, a law enforcement officer will contact your parents. The judge will most likely require you to complete a substance abuse class and failing to do so could mean your driver’s license will not be reinstated. Teens who register at least a 0.08 BAC will face the same penalties as adults.
The criminal defense attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm were once teens themselves. We understand that curiosity and dangerous behavior can override common sense. We do everything in our power to mitigate the circumstances for you because a criminal record is a stigma you could carry for a lifetime. Call a Clermont underage DUI attorney now so we can begin advocating on your behalf.
If you are charged as an adult because your BAC is more than 0.08, you have other offenses on record, or your actions caused property or bodily damage, our attorneys can often negotiate with the prosecutor to reduce a DUI charge to reckless driving. Remember though, if you use a fake ID to buy the alcohol you consume and then get behind the wheel, you will also face third-degree felony charges. You can seal your record for reckless driving in less time than you can for a DUI, which is seven years after a conviction.
Some defenses we consider include:
Our attorneys scrutinize all aspects of a situation and keep our clients abreast of their case progress. You are entitled to a robust defense after underage DUI charges, and you will get one from a Clermont lawyer at The Umansky Law Firm.
When you are on the brink of adulthood, new doors to the future begin to open. If you or your child rushed it and participated in underage drinking and were stopped by law enforcement, it can seem like your bright future just turned into a nightmare. But it does not have to be that way when you have the right attorney standing with you.
A Clermont underage DUI lawyer will become very familiar with your situation and develop a defense to exonerate you or negotiate for reduced charges. If your case goes to court, we provide the best defense possible with a proven track record of success to back us. Call us now if you are facing underage DUI charges.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
