Getting charged with a DUI in the state of Florida comes with a huge, nasty stigma along with the various fines and other penalties. In fact, when the average person thinks of “drunk drivers,” they probably think of alcoholics. People who care so much about their next drink that they do not even think about who they might hurt or even kill with their actions. These are the kinds of people that get charged with Florida DUIs, right? The habitual drunks who have driven while intoxicated again and again and finally got caught. Then receiving a DUI is just justice being served. You may be surprised to learn that this isn’t the case.

Florida DUI: Who are These Drunks?

With the state ofFloridahanding out so many charges for driving under the influence, it begs the question of who all of these drunks are, and where they come from. After all, there can’t be that many broken down alcoholics out there, can there?

The answer, which any experienced Florida DUI attorney can tell you, is simple and frightening: absolutely anyone can – and does – get charged with DUIs inFlorida. Those guilty of driving under the influence in the state include mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, teachers, bankers, crossing guards, the rich and the poor, the very old and the young, and those who get drunk on a daily basis or those who had their first beer on the day they were charged – literally anyone can have it happen to them.

Florida DUI: How is it Possible for Anyone to Get Charged?

Driving under the influence charges inFloridaare largely based on your blood alcohol level as determined by a chemical or breath test. If you are pulled over by an officer of the law and it is discovered that you are over the legal limit, you will be arrested and charged with a DUI.

Anyone can have this happen to them because even though the legal BAC limit always stays the same number, what constitutes going over that limit is different for every person. That’s right. While one person might be able to have three drinks over an hour or two and be fine, another might only be able to have one of the exact same drink before their BAC shows up as going over the legal limit. How is this possible? A number of factors influence your BAC:

• Whether or not (or how much) you have eaten while drinking
• How big or small you are
• How fast or slow your metabolism is

Worse, even those who don’t drink could potentially be arrested and charged with a DUI for taking a breath test that shows them over the legal limit. Sometimes, this might be due to operator error – the officer simply didn’t administer the test correctly. Other times, it could be because the machine was calibrated or maintained incorrectly, or due to some other malfunction in the equipment. But even if everything is working the way it is supposed to work, many breathalyzers can read other kinds of alcohol – such as that in the mouthwash you use – and calculate that you have been drinking and are over the legal limit.

Florida DUI: What to Do if You Have Been Charged?

Because of the many possible variables involved in a driving under the influence charge and the laws and technology associated with proving it, the only real way to ensure that you receive the best outcome that you can in your case is to get a professional on your side as quickly as possible.

An experienced Florida DUI attorney will know all of the ins and outs of Florida DUI law and will be able to ask the right questions so that you and he or she can build an appropriate defense for the specific circumstances of your case. Did the officer or officers that arrested you follow appropriate procedures? What kind of testing equipment was used to determine your BAC level? How was it stored? How was the test administered? These are just some of the questions a good Florida DUI lawyer will ask that could lead to your charges being dropped and the case being dismissed.

By The Ladan Law Firm, P.A.