Broward DUI Lawyer Blog

Many consider the summer the "100 deadliest days" for teen driving, so Broward DUI Lawyers have seen many teens charged with traffic-related crimes over the years, especially during the summer. Underage drinking and driving, reckless driving and accident-related charges are all areas where teens can be introduced to the criminal justice system. And while many consider charges as a teen no big deal, they can lead to problems in the future if not properly defended.

Here are the top 10 deadly teen driver mistakes, which parents should discuss with their teens before letting them get behind the wheel:

• Risk Taking
• Driving Without a Seat Belt
• Speeding
• Rowdy Passengers
• Using Cell Phones
• Messing with Music
• Late Night Cruising
• DUI
• Peer Pressure
• Overconfidence

Parents should make many efforts to talk with their teens about safe driving, especially as they get out of school and we enter the summer months. Perhaps using a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement can help keep them safe on the roads.

But if your teen gets into trouble with the law, don't hesitate to contact an experienced and aggressive Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer. These charges must be fought aggressively. Having a criminal record can cause teens to lose their ability to serve in the military, earn scholarships and get jobs. So, being aggressive for the teen's first charge can save them trouble in the future.

Hiring an attorney with decades of experience handling these kinds of cases can make a big difference. Juvenile charges can be punished with community service and other sanctions, while adult charges can result in jail or prison time for your teen.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than 1 in 3 deaths. In 2009, eight teens 16 to 19 die every day from a motor vehicle accident. In 2009, 3,000 teens 15-19 died and 350,000 were sent to emergency rooms for injuries in motor vehicle accidents.

Everyone knows that teens can have problems driving. It's a big responsibility and in such a traffic-heavy area as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida, they can find themselves in accidents, some causing property damages, injuries or deaths, depending on the severity. Talk with your teens and keep them safe as they drive. If they get in trouble, though, call today so we can work to find the best resolution possible for their future.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Teens Beware of 100 Deadliest Days This Summer" »

Every year, nearly 500 students die in alcohol-related traffic accidents during prom and graduation season. Recently at Coral Springs Charter School, students saw the effects of a mock drunk driving accident, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The Law Offices of Carlos Canet encourage teens to resist the desire to drink and drive, especially at this time of year when they are graduating or enjoying prom. But it is important that if they are arrested for DUI, they seek quality legal representation. Simply being under 18 doesn't mean the charges will disappear. Rather, these types of charges, if they result in a conviction, can stay on a teen's record for life. It could result in them being disqualified from serving in the military, being shut out of many quality jobs and being unable to get financial aid or a college education.

A 2008 U.S. Department of Transportation report stated that teens have the highest fatal crash rate of any age group. These types of crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds.

Around South Florida, various groups have been reaching out to teens and parents to encourage young drivers not to drink and especially not to drink and drive. Parents with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in April held workshops for parents in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The Broward Sheriff's Office has a "No Future With Alcohol" video on its website designed to discourage teen drinking and driving.

Obviously, all of this is positive. Teens shouldn't be drinking and driving. But if they do, an aggressive DUI attorney will be needed. Penalties for DUI in Florida are steep. Even first time DUI convictions can result in fines, fees, community service, DUI school enrollment and jail time. If the DUI involves property damage or injury, the penalties will increase. DUI accidents involving a death will result in prison time.

Just because a suspect is a teen when arrested doesn't mean they will face juvenile charges. That is a decision made by the State Attorney's Office at their discretion. These types of charges can keep your child out of premier universities and colleges and make finding a job difficult.

But the DUI charges can be beat. If your teen has been arrested and charged with DUI this prom and graduation season, don't put their future in danger. Consult with an experienced Miami DUI attorney immediately.

Continue reading "Teen DUI Charges in Fort Lauderdale Can Carry Long-Term Consequences" »

From time to time, Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyers are asked to get a Florida DUI charge expunged.

Once someone is convicted of drunk driving in Florida, the record cannot be sealed or expunged. This often comes as a surprise and is just another reason why it is critical to fight a charge from the start. Unfortunately, parents sometimes force teens to plead guilty to a drunk driving charge -- either to save money by not hiring an attorney, or as a way of teaching a young person a lesson -- thinking that he or she will get a fresh start once they turn 18. They do not realize that the drunk driving conviction will not remain a part of a young driver's juvenile record, but instead will follow them into adulthood.

The consequences of a drunk driving charge are many. It can keep you from getting certain jobs, or holding certain professional licenses. It may even impact a young person's ability to join the military or receive certain types of government assistance, including student loans.

And, of course, it will leave them with a mark on their driving record that could make it more likely they will be stopped in the future -- and will subject them to substantially more serious penalties in the event of a repeat conviction for violating Florida's DUI laws.

Without the ability to expunge or seal a DUI conviction in Florida, it means a driver will be left with a lifelong conviction. As always, the best defense to a drunk driving charge is an aggressive and experienced offense.

Continue reading "Florida DUI convictions cannot be sealed or expunged " »

A teenager charged with drunk driving in Miami is accused of killing his best friend in an accident after losing control of his vehicle and striking a pole, the Miami Herald reported.

An experienced and aggressive Miami drunk driving defense lawyer will need to fight to prevent this tragedy from ruining the life of the young man who was behind the wheel in this case. The 18-year-old defendant will likely face very serious prison time as an adult. Even juvenile DUIs in Miami that do not involve an accident should be handled by an experienced attorney. These charges do not disappear in adulthood, but remain on a person's driving record. Too often, parents do not take them seriously enough; a DUI conviction can impact a young person's ability to hold certain jobs, join certain professions or even be admitted into some colleges or obtain government assistance like student loans.

But the fact that the charges involve a fatal accidents means the state will likely move aggressively to seek lengthy prison time and other harsh penalties. Judges are all too often willing to comply. The 18-year-old Hollywood man surrendered to authorities this week and faces charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI manslaughter impairment and DUI property damage. His 18-year-old friend, a Hollywood Hills High School graduate, died at the scene.

Under Florida law (F.S. 316.193(3)), DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide are second-degree felonies, carrying a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Bond was set at $60,000 and the defendant was ordered to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Continue reading "Teen charged with DUI manslaughter in Miami after alleged drunk driving accident claims life of friend" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has told the state of Florida that it must do more to combat teen drunk driving accidents, according the Channel 10 News.

Veteran Fort Lauderdale drunk driving defense lawyers and DUI lawyers elsewhere in Florida are likely to support additional education for young drivers. Not just about drunk driving, but about the dangers of speeding, distracted driving and other poor driving decisions.

Florida is one of the only states in the nation that has not passed a distracted driving law aimed at regulating text messaging while driving or cell phone use while behind the wheel -- the majority of states have already done so -- particularly when it comes to teenagers. Not Florida. In fact, Florida is one of the few states that has not only failed to pass a distracted driving law but has passed a law preventing local city governments from enacting their own restrictions.

The federal government reports that 40 percent of all fatal drunk driving accidents involve teenagers. Teens are also substantially more likely to be involved in an accident caused by speeding or by distracted driving. If we can cut the number of fatal accidents in half by eliminating teen accidents caused by drunk driving, we're all for any and all educational initiatives.

But we also believe that teenagers arrested for DUI in Fort Lauderdale deserve access to high-quality legal representation. Saddling a teenager with a drunk driving conviction to "teach them a lesson" or for other reasons, is a very bad idea. A drunk driving conviction will follow a teenager into adulthood. It will not disappear from a driving record when a motorist turns 18. And it can prevent teens from qualifying for certain types of assistance, including student loans.

And it will ensure that they have a strike against them in the event that they are ever cited for a serious moving violation in the future.

Continue reading "Teens need experienced representation when charged with DUI in South Florida" »

A Naples teenager was sentenced to 6-9 months in a non-violent juvenile treatment program after being convicted of DUI manslaughter in the wake of a fatal drunk driving accident in Estero, which claimed the life of a 16-year-old friend.

While the victim's family told The News-Press of Fort Myers that they believed the girl should have received a stiffer punishment, this case illustrates the challenges of dealing with teenagers involved in serous or fatal drunk driving accidents.

As tragic as the mistake, it's hard to argue that a long prison sentence would be appropriate for a 16-year-old girl. Additionally, the area where the accident occurred reportedly involves a set of railroad tracks and a steep roadway, which has drawn teenagers to the area to jump the tracks -- causing serious and fatal accidents both before and since this case occurred.

Let's fix defective roads and talk to our kids about the dangers of drunk driving and other poor choices behind the wheel. Traffic fatalities are the leading cause of death among teenagers, ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, a total of 5,864 teenagers were killed in traffic crashes and more than 228,000 were injured. In Florida, 516 teens were killed.

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice recommended to the judge that the girl be sent to a program for teens who commit non-violent crimes. Case law would only have permitted the judge to deviate from the recommendation in exceptional circumstances, which were not present in this case.

The teen's driver's license was also suspended for life.

Police report she was traveling 70 mph in a 30 mph zone when she lost control of her SUV, which flipped over and slammed into a group of pine trees at the side of the road. Her blood-alcohol level tested at .165, more than twice the legal limit of .08 in Florida. The 16-year-old passenger was ejected and pronounced dead two days later at Lee Memorial Hospital.

As school lets out for the year, talk to your teenagers about making good choices behind the wheel and staying safe through the long, hot South-Florida summer.