According to Florida DMV, there were 55,722 DUI tickets  issued in Florida in 2011. Out of 55,722 DUI tickets issued, 33,625 resulted in a DUI conviction. A DUI conviction may result in jail time, loss of your Florida driver’s license, fines, mandatory classes and  insurance rates increases.

Florida Penalties for DUI First Conviction

• Fine – $250 to $500
• Community Service – 50 Hours
• Probation – Not more than 1 Year
• Imprisonment – Not more than 6 Months
• Imprisonment with BAL of .08 or higher with a minor in the vehicle, not more than 9 months
• License Revocation – Minimum of 180 days
• DUI School – 12 Hours

The penalites for a first time DUI offender are severe.

If you are arrested for a DUI, call Skubiak & Rivas P.A. at 407-894-4449 for a free consultation.

Top Reasons Why You May Have Your Drivers License Suspended

1. Child Support Payments

If you are behind on child support payments, your license can be suspended. We can help your child support delinquency to reinstate your license.

2. DUI

A DMV can suspend your drivers license due to a pending DUI charge or a DUI conviction.

3. Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO)

If you are convicted of any three of the following crimes within a five year period, you may face a five-year driver’s license revocation in the State of Florida as a Habitual Traffic Offender:

• Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol
• Commission of any felony in which a motor vehicle is used
• Driving while license suspended or revoked
• Failing to stop and render aid leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or personal injury.
• If you receive 15 moving infraction convictions within 5 years you are considered a habitual traffic offender

4.Traffic Fines

If you do not may your traffic fines or tickets, your license may be suspended.

Our team of Traffic Attorneys can attempt to resolve any of these issues. Please call us at 407-894-4449.

Located at 811 W Mabbette St. Kissimmee, FL 34741, the Kissimmee office is fully staffed with a Spanish speaking legal team that specializes in the defending the rights of the Hispanic community.

“This under-represented population is a growing force in our region and they are entitled to the same legal representation as native English speakers,” said Robert P. Skubiak, founder and senior partner of Skubiak & Rivas Traffic Law Firm. “In fact, the immigration status of many Hispanics can compound the difficulty of resolving their traffic-related violations and offenses. That’s where we can help.”

According to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission’s Demographic Detail Report for Kissimmee, the 2000 Census Report estimated the 2011 population to be 55,405. Of that, 33,337, or 60.2 percent, are classified as Hispanic ethnicity. And the 2016 Hispanic projection is 67.6 percent.

“This is simply a growing population that we, as a Central Florida community, cannot ignore,” he said.

Skubiak & Rivas P.A. offers free consultations, and most cases can be handled over the phone – saving clients time and money. With more than 30 years of combined experience and thousands of cases resolved, the firm offers defense for the following violations:

• Speeding tickets
• Habitual traffic offender
• DUI defense
• Auto accident defense
• Red light camera defense
• Moving violations
• Reckless driving charges
• Drug possession charges
• CDL defense and renewal
• Suspended licenses

For more information or a free consultation, visit http://www.trafficlawfirm.com or call (407) 894-4449.

About Skubiak & Rivas, P.A.
With offices in Orlando, FL, Skubiak & Rivas, P.A. serves Central Florida’s criminal and traffic law defense firms. Founded by attorney Robert P. Skubiak in 1993, and partnering with attorney Alain Rivas in 1999, the practice represents clients involved in automotive and traffic-related infractions. Areas of focus include speeding tickets, red light cameras, auto accidents, reckless driving infractions, DUI charges, drug charges, tourist defense, habitual traffic offenders, suspended licenses, leaving the scene of an accident and more. For additional information, visit http://www.trafficlawfirm.com.

Partner Robert P. Skubiak founder and senior partner of Skubiak & Rivas, P.A., attorney
Skubiak graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Economics in 1989 and graduated University of Florida in 1992 with a degree in Law. In 1993 Skubiak opened his own law office in Orlando to provide clients with traffic and criminal defense.

Partner Alain Rivas graduated from Rollins College with a B.A. in Political Science and History in 1992 and graduated from Stetson College of Law in 1994. Rivas worked for the Hillsborough County Attorneys Office and as legal Counsel for Joelo Inc., Attorney Rivas has extensive experience with criminal and traffic defense and has a passion for excellent service and excels with representing all of his clients.

Receiving a citation from an officer is a completely different ball of wax then getting caught by a red light camera. Red light cameras simply detect movement once the light turns red and take a picture of any moving cars license plates as they pass beneath the camera. These same cameras can also calculate speed in many instances, and will also snap photos of speeding offender’s license plates. So if you are going through a yellow light that turns red, then the camera is very likely to see that as a violation where an officer may not. This discrepancy is one of many reasons that obtaining advice from a qualified red light camera attorney, lawyer, or consult is critical to escaping an undeserved fine.

Another issue that is often faced when dealing with red light cameras is malfunction. If the camera is not working properly, then it will often continuously capture license plates rather than only capturing the license plates of those speeding or failing to stop at the light. You see there is no one to double check the cameras information, and citations are automatically generated by matching your license plate to your registration information, and generating a summons or citation to be mailed to your address on file automatically. It is important to understand that you are not dealing with people as in the case of being pulled over by an officer. You are simply dealing with information that is processed by the camera to a computer.

So, what abilities do you have to fight with the decisions of machines? This is one of the many things that can be answered by a qualified traffic ticket lawyer. Florida is changing many of the ways that citations are issued in order to try to remove more of the human element from them. It is important to know that equipment can fail, cameras can capture the image of the wrong vehicle, and wrongful charges can often be sent to your doorstep. Before you think of simply paying a citation, understand that you may have done nothing wrong and seek assistance from a qualified Orlando attorney who is familiar with the new traffic camera systems.

Call Skubiak & Rivas P.A. for a Free Consultation at 407-894-4449.

First, it is important to understand that a DUI charge is much different than a speeding ticket, and that a typical traffic ticket attorney is not going to be enough to help convince the judge that you should be given another chance. The reason for this is that a traffic ticket lawyer may not fully understand exactly what penalties you are facing as a first time DUI offender. So exactly how bad can the penalties be for a first time DUI in Florida?

If you are by yourself, or only have other adults in the car with you at the time of arrest, then you are only looking at a maximum jail term of 6 months. I know, you’re probably thinking “only 6 months, that’s a long time!” Well, if you happen to have someone under the age of 18 in the car with you, that jumps to up to 9 months in jail, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg or consequences.

Besides potential jail time, you are also going to face fines. If convicted, you will be fined no less than $500 and no more than $1000. It is important to also remember that these fines do not include court costs, which in some areas can be up to $150 per offense. So, if you were charged with DUI, happened to be missing your license or registration on you, and didn’t have your seat-belt on at the time, you may be tacking on a few hundred more dollars to your fine totals. As if all this wasn’t bad enough, the list of consequences continues.

Unless the car that you were driving is your family’s only means of transportation the car can be impounded for up to 10 days. Once the 10 days has passed then you will be required to pay an additional fine in order to remove it from impound. The catch here is that you aren’t going to be able to drive it away from impound anyway, as your license will be suspended for 6 months following conviction. The other major problem that you are going to be facing is that you are going to need your car in order to complete all of the work that you are going to have.

See, another consequence to your first DUI is that you are going to have to complete 50 hours of community service, or pay an additional $500 to opt out of the community service. It’s also important to note that as a first time DUI offender, you will have to complete DUI School as well, which of course isn’t free, and may cost upwards of $300. All of these possible fines can quickly cost you thousands of dollars, jail time, your job, and also result in public ridicule and personal costs for years to come.

It is important, however, to remember that all of these consequences result only after a conviction. There are many people who are in place to help you avoid that conviction in the first place, starting with a good DUI attorney. Orlando can be a wonderful place to drive once again for you by taking the time to ensure that you find a qualified Orlando attorney.

Call Skubiak & Rivas P.A. for a Free Consultation at 407-894-4449.

“Some traffic violations are fairly cut and dry, but most of the time the best course of action is to seek legal representation,” said Robert P. Skubiak, founder and senior partner of Skubiak & Rivas. “Each day we represent people who have received unwarranted citations. We also help those who are clearly in the wrong navigate the legal system, with the goal of continuing clients’ full driving privileges.”

“We added the Google Website Language Translator option to our site because we felt strongly that non-English speakers were falling through the cracks of our legal system,” said Skubiak. “We also Integrated Google Maps and a separate mobile-friendly version for ease of use. Throughout the past year, we have seen an increase in mobile device users and we needed to specifically cater to this user base.”

Everyone at Skubiak & Rivas P.A. stands by their work and embraces social media as a way for clients to rate our performance. Included on the new Website are links for reviews on Google, Yelp and Dex. That’s also an effective way for prospective clients to evaluate whether the firm is right for them.

As the new Website indicates, Skubiak & Rivas offers free consultations, and most cases can be handled over the phone—saving clients time and money. With more than 30 years of combined experience and thousands of cases resolved, the firm offers defense for the following violations:

• Speeding tickets
• Habitual traffic offender
• DUI defense
• Auto accident defense
• Red light camera defense
• Moving violations
• Reckless driving charges
• Drug possession charges
• CDL defense and Renewal
• Suspended licenses

For more information or a free consultation, visit http://www.trafficlawfirm.com or call (407) 894-4449.

About Skubiak & Rivas, P.A.
With offices in Orlando, FL, Skubiak & Rivas, P.A. serves those in Central Florida with criminal and traffic law violations. Founded by attorney Robert P. Skubiak in 1993, and partnering with attorney Alain Rivas in 1999, the practice represents clients involved in automotive and traffic-related infractions. Areas of focus include speeding tickets, red light cameras, auto accidents, reckless driving infractions, DUI charges, drug charges, tourist defense, habitual traffic offenders, suspended licenses, leaving the scene of an accident and more.

Partner Robert P. Skubiak founder and senior partner of Skubiak & Rivas, P.A., attorney
Skubiak graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Economics in 1989 and graduated University of Florida in 1992 with a degree in Law. In 1993 Skubiak opened his own law office in Orlando to provide clients with traffic and criminal defense.

Partner Alain Rivas graduated from Rollins College with a B.A. in Political Science and History in 1992 and graduated from Stetson College of Law in 1994. Rivas worked for the Hillsborough County Attorneys Office and as legal Counsel for Joelo Inc., Attorney Rivas has extensive experience with criminal and traffic defense and has a passion for excellent service and excels with representing all of his clients.

The State of Florida may suspend your Florida Driver’s license for the following:

• Lack of Auto Insurance
• Too may Points
• Not completing traffic school
• Failure to Appear on a Traffic Summons or Pay Fine
• Inadequate Vision
• Suspension for Points
• Traffic Violation resulting in personal injury or death
• Delinquency in Child Support

We can help you with the following:

• We can help you get your license back.
• We can help you get your license reinstated.
• We can help you with your suspended license.
• We can help you with your revoke license.
• We can help Point Suspension.
• We can help with DUI Suspension.
• We can help with Controlled Substance Suspension.
• We can help with Habitual Traffic Offender Suspension

Contact Skubiak & Rivas P.A. at 407-894-4449

Arguments include:

• Increased Driver Safety
• Another Revenue Source
• Lack of Enforcement
• Reduced Budgets

Whatever the reason, running a red light camera will cost you a few hundred dollars and depending on how many times you have been caught by a red light camera in the City of Orlando, the punishment maybe more severe.

It is in your favor to hire a traffic attorney with years of experience fighting red light cameras and other traffic tickets in court.

Traffic crimes that can results in a HTO charge:

• Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol
• Commission of any felony in which a motor vehicle is used
• Driving while license suspended or revoked
• Failing to stop and render aid leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or personal injury
• If you receive 15 moving infraction convictions within 5 years you are considered a habitual traffic offender

Each of these traffic crimes is a serious offense and you as a driver should seek proper defense from a Florida based attorney with experience in traffic and criminal law.

In the State of Florida, driving as an Habitual Traffic Offender is a Felony and can result in a prison sentence up to 5-years.

If you receive multiple citations, call us directly at 407-894-4449 to discuss your options. We always offer Free Consultations.