Orlando DUI Lawyer | Shield Firm

Downtown nights and Orlando DUI stops

Orlando's nightlife centers on downtown Orange Avenue and Church Street, with Mills 50 and College Park nearby. DUI stops after a night out are commonly made on Orange Avenue, Colonial Drive (State Road 50), State Road 408 and I-4.

Inside city limits, the arresting agency is usually the Orlando Police Department. In unincorporated parts of Orange County, the Orange County Sheriff's Office makes the arrest. The agency matters because it controls the reports, the video and the breath test records that the defense will review.

425 North Orange Avenue: where the case is heard

An Orlando DUI is filed in Orange County Court, part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and heard at the Orange County Courthouse at 425 North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. After booking, a person is either released on bond or sees a judge at first appearance, usually within 24 hours.

Arraignment is the first formal court date. Discovery follows, and Florida allows depositions of witnesses, including officers. In misdemeanor cases, which include most first and second DUIs, depositions are more limited and generally need a showing of good cause. If the stop lacked reasonable suspicion, a motion to suppress can ask the court to exclude the evidence that followed.

The license deadline running beside the court case

The arrest also starts an administrative suspension with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. There are 10 days from the arrest to request a formal review hearing. If the request is not made, the suspension takes effect.

What a first DUI conviction can carry in Florida

For a first conviction with a blood or breath alcohol level under 0.15 and no minor in the vehicle, Florida law provides for a fine of $500 to $1,000, up to 6 months in jail, probation, 50 hours of community service, DUI school, a 10 day vehicle impoundment and a license revocation of 180 days to 1 year.

At 0.15 or higher, or with a minor in the vehicle, the fine range rises to $1,000 to $2,000, jail exposure rises to up to 9 months, and ignition interlock is required for 6 months. These are possible penalties, not a forecast; what happens in a given case depends on the evidence.

The firm's Orlando office

The firm's Orlando office is at 815 N Magnolia Ave, near the Orange County Courthouse. The firm is led by David Cannady, a former Florida prosecutor admitted to The Florida Bar in 2014. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, and the first case review is free.

Orlando at a glance

County: Orange County
Court: The Orange County Courthouse at 425 North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando
Circuit: Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit
The firm's Orlando office is at 815 N Magnolia Ave, near the Orange County Courthouse. See Orlando office.

Other Central Florida cities

General information only, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Orlando DUI questions

At the Orange County Courthouse, 425 North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. Orlando DUI charges are filed in Orange County Court, which is part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The firm's Orlando office at 815 N Magnolia Ave is near the courthouse.

It can. The Orlando Police Department handles arrests inside city limits, while the Orange County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas. Either way the case is prosecuted in Orange County, but each agency produces its own reports, video and testing records, and those records are what the defense examines.

The arrest begins an administrative suspension through DHSMV, separate from the criminal case at the Orange County Courthouse. A formal review hearing has to be requested within 10 days of the arrest, or the suspension takes effect. A hardship license may be possible during some suspensions, depending on the type of suspension and your driving record.

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