Jacksonville Drug DUI Defense Attorney

Common Substances Leading to Drug DUI Charges

In drug DUI incidents, various substances can be commonly associated with impairment leading to unsafe driving conditions. 

Here are some substances frequently linked to drug DUI incidents:

• Marijuana: Cannabis, including marijuana and hashish, is one of the most commonly detected drugs in drug-related DUI cases due to its impairing effects on cognitive functions and motor skills.
• Prescription Medications: Certain prescription drugs such as opioids, benzodiazepines, and sleep aids can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and impaired coordination, making them common contributors to drug DUI incidents.
• Illegal Drugs: Substances like cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy (MDMA), and heroin are often linked to drug-related DUI incidents due to their stimulant or depressant effects on the central nervous system.
• Synthetic Drugs: Synthetic substances like synthetic cannabinoids (K2 or Spice) and cathinones (bath salts) can lead to unpredictable and dangerous behaviors that increase the risk of impaired driving.
• Over-the-Counter Medications: Some over-the-counter medications, including antihistamines, cough suppressants, and muscle relaxants, can cause drowsiness and other side effects that impair driving ability.
• Combination of Substances: Mixing different substances, such as alcohol and drugs, or multiple drugs together, can amplify the impairing effects and significantly increase the likelihood of a drug-related DUI incident.
• Inhalants: Household products like aerosols, nitrous oxide, and solvents, when inhaled for recreational purposes, can cause disorientation, hallucinations, and impaired judgment leading to unsafe driving behaviors.
• Cannabidiol (CBD): While CBD is not psychoactive like THC, it can still affect an individual's cognitive functions and coordination, potentially leading to impairment while driving.

Understanding these substances' effects on drivers highlights the importance of careful consideration and legal guidance if you face such charges. The law treats each case individually, considering various factors, including the substance involved, the driver's history, and the circumstances of the arrest. Comprehensive knowledge of these factors can significantly influence the handling and outcome of DUID charges.

Penalties for Drug DUI in Florida: What You Should Expect

In Florida, DUI is a serious crime that comes with a range of penalties if convicted. The penalties you face will depend on the severity of your offense and whether or not it is a first-time DUI or the second or third DUI offense. 

The following is a list of the penalties for a first-time DUI conviction in Florida:

• Up to 6 months in jail; up to 9 months if a minor was in the vehicle or the driver's BAC was at .15 or higher.
• Fines from $500-$2,000 - this can be up to $4,000 if a minor was in the vehicle or the driver's BAC was at .15 or higher.
• Driver's license suspension
• Required DUI school
• 50 hours of community service
• 12 months probation 

Penalties may increase significantly with multiple offenses, adding the risk of longer imprisonment, substantial fines, and a permanent criminal record, affecting future opportunities and personal lives. Understanding these penalties underscores the need for effective legal representation, aimed at reducing or potentially avoiding these consequences, by exploring defense strategies that challenge evidence, question procedure validity, or contest arrest legality.

How Our Jacksonville DUID Attorneys Can Challenge Your Charges

Effectively defending against your drug DUI charges requires having a skilled lawyer who has a solid grasp on Florida's DUI laws. Attorney Monroe has experience helping clients fight against their DUI charges and can work with you to come up with a custom defense strategy for your case.

Our firm can challenge the following: 

• Challenging the Traffic Stop: We can review the circumstances leading up to your arrest to ensure that the traffic stop was lawful and based on a valid reason.
• Questioning Field Sobriety Tests: Field sobriety tests, often administered during a DUI stop, can be unreliable indicators of impairment. We may be able to challenge the accuracy and validity of these tests.
• Challenging Blood or Urine Test Results: If your arrest involved a blood or urine test to determine drug impairment, our team will examine the testing procedures and results for accuracy and potential errors.
• Establishing Lack of Impairment: If we can demonstrate that your ability to drive was not impaired by the drug in question, this can be a key defense strategy.
• Medical Necessity: If you were using prescription medications, we may be able to argue that you were using them as prescribed and that you were not impaired while driving.
• Constitutional Violations: Any violations of your constitutional rights during the arrest, such as improper search and seizure, may lead to the suppression of evidence.

Defense strategies can also include investigating the credentials and methods used by arresting officers, ensuring all protocols were followed, and assessing the influence of legal medications prescribed. These comprehensive defense strategies enable our firm to advocate effectively on behalf of our clients, offering them the best possible resolutions and support throughout the challenging process of a DUID defense.