Since the 80s, society and the criminal justice system have changed to reflect a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to driving under the influence. In many states – Florida included – this means that those arrested and convicted of a DUI can expect not only hefty fines and probation but potentially more serious sanctions, ranging from the loss of their license to jail time. Despite these punishments, FBI statistics show that over a million people were arrested for DUI in 2014.

It is important to know that not all of these arrests led to convictions. When in the hands of a good DUI criminal lawyer, such charges can be successfully fought. The following local news item offers an illustration of the type of case that Fort Pierce DUI Attorney Jeffrey H. Garland has spent over 30 years representing clients in:

Sheriff’s deputies recently responded to a report of a car that had crashed and come to a halt on the railroad tracks along Old Dixie Highway, several miles north of Fort Pierce. After getting the car off the tracks, the deputies observed a man milling about near the scene of the crash. Several witnesses pointed to this man as being the driver of the crashed car. One witness told deputies that they suspected this man was intoxicated when he left the crashed vehicle. Another witness told deputies that he was driving behind the man before the crash and observed him driving erratically.

According to the deputies, though the man didn’t smell of alcohol, he had slurred speech and failed several sobriety checks. The deputies said they located various marijuana “joints” and other drug paraphernalia. They then determined that his keys matched the crashed car, and they arrested and charged the man with DUI, committing a moving violation while driving on a suspended license, and drug possession.

This is the kind of case that Fort Pierce DUI Attorney Jeffrey H. Garland has handled over the course of his 30 years as a criminal defense lawyer. He will fight for his clients, from the admissibility of different types of evidence to the legality of a police search, and defend them from losing their license or going to jail.

If you been in a similar legal situation, or know someone who has, contact The Law Office of Jeffrey H. Garland, P.A. at 772.489.2200