Underage DUI Attorney in Polk County

Protecting Your Future with Tenacity and Experience

Law enforcement officers make tens of thousands of DUI arrests every year in Florida. Anyone who faces such charges should seek legal representation, but this is even more true for underage drivers. Florida law takes a strict zero-tolerance approach to underage impaired driving. A DUI conviction for someone who is not yet 21 can carry serious consequences — even if they don’t meet the standard blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit. Due to the potential consequences, having a Polk County underage DUI attorney on your side is important.

At The Law Firm of Gil Colón, Jr., we’ve seen far too many of our state’s youth have their futures ruined due to DUI charges. For those under the age of 18, confinement in a juvenile detention center is possible. Anyone over the age of 18 but below 21 will face the same potential outcomes as adult DUI defendants. And while judges don’t typically use DUI law to send first-time offenders to jail, they do tend to hand down harsher sentencing for underage individuals to set an example. Fortunately, this isn’t a fight you have to handle alone.

Contact our Polk County DUI lawyers today to schedule your free consultation.

How Does the Criminal Justice System Treat Underage DUI?

How the state attorney chooses to pursue charges against an underage individual will depend on several factors. Perhaps the most important is the age of the defendant. If someone is under the age of 18, they’ll end up in juvenile court in most instances. Convictions will not lead to jail time, but juvenile detention is possible in extreme cases. The driver will face license suspension, DUI school, and possible probation and community service for their first offense. In this situation, the goal is rehabilitation.

When someone over the age of 18 gets arrested for impaired driving, potential consequences will depend upon their blood alcohol concentration. The Zero-Tolerance Police in Florida means an underage driver can be arrested if their BAC is 0.02% or higher. This will result in automatic license suspension, mandatory DUI classes, and possible community service. Jail time is not an option since this gets treated as an administrative penalty instead of a criminal charge.

Those over the age of 18 whose BAC is at least 0.08% will face standard DUI charges with penalties that could include six months in jail, a year-long license suspension, and fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense.

What Other Outcomes Are Possible for Underage DUI Convictions?

Whether this is your first criminal charge or previous convictions occurred in your past, the legal consequences are far from the only potential negative outcomes you’ll face. Even administrative punishments — such as losing your driver’s license — are only the tip of the iceberg. If you’re charged with being over the legal limit and under the legal drinking age, possible non-legal challenges you might face include:

Higher auto insurance rates
Loss of college scholarships
Employment issues
Difficulty finding housing
Social stigma related to public records and “mugshot tabloids”
Permanent criminal record

While the legal process may not be the least of your worries, it’s certainly not the only concern you should have. Our law firm has seen young lives forever affected when they don’t understand the severity of the prosecution’s case. Our law firm is here to fight on your behalf — because no one should have their life destroyed just when it’s starting. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. We’re here to assist.

What Strategies Will a Criminal Defense Attorney Use?

Whether you’re facing juvenile charges of impaired driving or DUI manslaughter allegations, you’re entitled to due process. This means you have the right to use the legal system to your advantage, and Polk County underage DUI lawyers can fight to help you avoid the most serious penalties related to an impaired driving criminal offense. If you’re arrested in Central Florida, your legal representation can use the following strategies to secure a favorable outcome:

Improper traffic stop
Faulty breathalyzer test
Rising BAC defense
Improperly trained officers
Issues with field sobriety tests
No probable cause for arrest
Violation of constitutional rights
Evidentiary concerns
Procedural errors
Involuntary intoxication

Our law office is ready to assist you at The Law Firm of Gil Colón, Jr.. We can help identify the best legal strategies given the circumstances of your case. With experienced legal counsel on your side, you won’t have to guess what potential defense strategy best applies to your case. We’ll use our knowledge and commitment to help you avoid severe penalties and a lifelong criminal record. You deserve a chance to keep your life on track, and that’s what we offer.

Contact Our Polk County Underage DUI Lawyers Today

Many people assume underage drivers will face lesser consequences for drinking and driving. In reality, the opposite is true. Juvenile offenders can be detained just like anyone else, and placement in a juvenile detention center is always possible. For those over the age of 18, penalties are just as severe as those faced by individuals over the age of 21. Even worse, potentially life-altering consequences can take place with a blood alcohol concentration as low as 0.02%.

At The Law Firm of Gil Colón, Jr., we know these are scary times. Whether you’re facing juvenile charges or a real risk of incarceration with the Florida Department of Corrections, you need a legal advocate who will fight tirelessly on your behalf. We’ve helped underage drivers have DUI charges dropped and removed from their records. We can also fight for you at trial, and if a plea bargain is the right choice, we will strive to minimize potential penalties and possibly secure a hardship license.

The outcome of your case will depend entirely upon your unique circumstances and how quickly you seek skilled legal representation. The Polk County underage DUI attorneys at our law firm are ready to help. Contact us at (863) 622-9602 to schedule your free consultation today.