Many Tampa DUI attorneys are asked about how many driving under the influence charges it takes before they are charged as a felony by the State Attorney’s Office. Simply put, if you have three DUIs in ten years, the State Attorney’s Office has the option to charge it as a felony. The State Attorney’s Office also has the option to charge the DUI as a felony, if it is one’s fourth DUI charge. Obviously, a felony charge carries far more significant penalties than a misdemeanor. In these cases, a significant amount of time is spent analyzing one’s prior convictions to determine whether the prior charges satisfy the statutory requirements for the charge to constitute a felony. For a simple overview of the felony DUI requirements, check out the DHSMV website.
It is worth noting, as we discuss elsewhere on our Tampa DUI attorney blog, a DUI involving “serious bodily injury” or death will also be charged as a felony in Florida. Ultimately, the issue as to what constitutes “serious bodily injury” is heavily litigated by Tampa DUI attorneys. We discuss the other issues associated with “serious bodily injury” DUIs elsewhere in our Tampa DUI attorney blog. We have had great success working with the State Attorney’s Office to avoid felony DUI charges being pursued against our Clients.
If you have questions concerning whether a driving under the influence charge should be a felony or misdemeanor, contact the Tampa DUI attorneys of Hackworth Law for a free case consultation. We have handled thousands of criminal cases throughout the Tampa Bay area and have the experience necessary to protect your rights. If you would like to contact one of our Tampa DUI attorneys immediately, please use the “contact us now” tab in the upper right hand corner of our website. We appreciate you taking the time to check out our Tampa DUI attorney blog and look forward to working with you.