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Today's topic is 3 things that every DUI defendant needs to
know. I'm Steve Kramer of the Kramer Law Firm. I'm a criminal
defense attorney here in the state of Florida. And the first
thing you need to know if you're facing a DUI is that you need to
hire an attorney as soon as possible. Because what happens
is the day you get pulled over the clock starts ticking. You
likely blew a . 08 or above if you're facing a DUI. The other
alternative is you didn't blow a . 08, you didn't blow at all,
you refused a breathalyzer - and if that's the case, they
probably took away your license because you refused to blow. In
either case, you lost your license and the bottom line is
they gave you a ticket - this yellow ticket - that says you
can drive for a limited time. But the problem is you've only
got 10 days to appeal this administrative suspension. So,
what we're talking about is the second you get pulled over for a
DUI, you're dealing with - probably - an administrative
suspension of your license. And if you get to an attorney within
that 10 day period, we can ask for a formal review hearing.
That's not in criminal court, that's in front of the
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, where we
actually challenge the suspension of your license so
that you can get your license back while your DUI case is
pending. Otherwise, you may face two suspensions of your license
- one from the administrative side and one from the criminal
side. And this is an opportunity - and the good thing is - just
by asking for that hearing, you're going to get a 30 day
license and that is huge. It's usually 30 days. It's about to
the date of the hearing. But, it's going to let you drive. And
if you're like most people, you've got business to do. You
may have friends, you may have family, you may have kids you've
got to take care of, you've got to get to work, you've got to go
to the doctor, and that's what this business purpose only
license does. It lets you keep your life moving forward. Now,
any good DUI lawyer should be looking at the stop to see if
you were pulled over in a way that is legitimate. They should
also be looking at the breath to see if the breath was done
properly, if there were challenges to the breath test,
if there's challenges to the breathalyzer machine itself.
That's what a good DUI lawyer should be doing and you need to
know that. That's something you got to look for in your DUI
attorney. And the third thing you've got to know is if there's
a problem with the stop. If you were pulled over in an illegal
way, if you were questioned without being read your rights,
if the breathalyzer procedure wasn't done properly. If any of
these things happen, then you may have the right to file a
motion to suppress. And your attorney should be discussing
that with you because this is something that can result in
your case being totally dismissed or lesser charges -
like reckless driving or dry reckless or whatever - but
lesser charges, and more minimalized consequences. And
you know this isn't one of the 3, but the other thing your
lawyer should be talking with you about is getting into some
sort of DUI counseling. Because sometimes it doesn't matter
which way the case works out, it doesn't hurt and if it works out
in such a way that you're required to do counseling,
you've already got a head start and that can be huge for your
case. Why am I telling you this? If you're facing DUI, these are
questions you're going to have. These are issues you need to
know about. And I've dealt with this thing. I deal with this
thing on a daily basis, these issues. Call me at the number
below, we can talk about your issues. I'm glad to help you.
Also, if you're watching this video on Facebook or YouTube,
click the "Like" button. This way your friends and family can
benefit from the information I'm sharing with you. Thank you for
watching. I'm Steve Kramer of the Kramer Law Firm.