Jacksonville Attorneys Represent Juveniles Accused Of DUI

Providing a strong defense for your teen’s underage drinking and driving charges

In Florida as in all states, the legal drinking age is 21. To protect teens from driving under the influence, our state has imposed a zero-tolerance juvenile DUI law: Anyone under the age of 21 who is stopped by law enforcement and found to be driving with a blood alcohol content, or BAC, of .02 percent but lower than .08 percent can be charged with juvenile DUI. If your teenage son or daughter faces this charge, it’s important to consult an experienced and compassionate attorney as soon as possible.

Field tests are not designed to prove your innocence.  They are tools to develop evidence against you.  So are breath tests.  Once arrested, your license will be suspended, effective in 10 days.  You only have that short time to fully protect your rights and privileges.  Do not wait.  Get experienced legal help immediately. At Fallgatter Catlin & Varon, P.A., our DUI defense attorneys have more than 80 years of combined experience representing teens accused of juvenile DUI. We understandthat your child’s safety and well-being are paramount to you, and we work quickly but also take great care to assure your teen that his rights are being protected and that his best interests are also ours.

The penalties and consequences for teens who drink and drive

Police officers and other law enforcement have the right under Florida law to administer a blood alcohol test to an underage driver when they have reasonable cause to suspect that driver has been drinking. The penalties for underage drinking while driving are as follows:

• If the teen has no prior record, a six-month suspension of the teen’s license if the BAC is between .02 and .05.
• If the BAC is above .05, asuspended license until either the teen reaches 21 or undergoes a substance abuse evaluation.

It’s important to know, however, that if a teen exceeds the adult legal BAC limit of .08, that teen can be tried and sentenced in the juvenile justice system and face confinement in a juvenile facility. And if the teen’s underage drinking and driving led to a death, the teen may be charged as an adult, facing the same harsh punishment that an adult would.

A juvenile DUI carries serious consequences that may follow a young person well into adulthood.That’s why it’s important to secure legal help for your teen as soon as possible following DUI allegations. Our lawyers work quickly to fight the administrative suspension of your teen’s license, question the validity and accuracy of the blood alcohol test, and keep a juvenile DUI conviction from marring his or her life before it’s even really begun.

Contact us for help with a juvenile DUI charge in Florida

If your son or daughter has been charged with juvenile DUI, it’s important to seek solid legal counsel as soon as possible, to protect your teen’s rights and future. At Fallgatter Catlin & Varon, P.A., our Jacksonville attorneys understand the consequences of juvenile DUI conviction in Florida and are thoroughly prepared to offer compassionate counsel and a determined defense. Contact us online or call our office today at 904-353-5800 for a free consultation with a member of our firm.