Skilled Driving With a Suspended License Defense Attorneys in West Palm Beach, FL Help Clients Overcome Driving Charges and Related Criminal Proceedings in Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Throughout South Florida
Driving with a suspended license is a criminal offense in Florida. Many drivers fail to realize the severity of suspended license driving charges, which can include fines and jail time. Speak with our Florida suspended license lawyers today if you face charges or criminal proceedings of any kind involving driving with a suspended license. It is possible that you were driving with a suspended license unknowingly, which is a non-criminal charge, but even this can result in an even longer license suspension. We are here to help, so call our driving with a suspended license defense attorneys in West Palm Beach, FL today.
Suspended License Laws and Penalties
According to some estimates, one in every 10 drivers is on the road illegally. Of the approximately 15 million legal drivers in Florida, this means that there are about 1.5 million illegal drivers on the roads at any given moment.
FL Stat § 322.34 (2016) – the Florida law governing driving with a suspended, revoked, canceled, or disqualified license – provides the definitions, penalties, and other rules regarding driving with a suspended license. According to this statute:
- A first conviction will lead to a second-degree misdemeanor;
- A second conviction will lead to a first-degree misdemeanor;
- A third or subsequent conviction will lead to a third-degree felony.
The punishments for these crimes are provided in FL Stat § 775.082 (2013), FL Stat § 775.083 (2013), and FL Stat § 775.084 (2013), and include:
- Up to 60 days in jail and fines of up to $500 to pay for a first conviction;
- Up to 1 year in jail and fines of up to $1,000 for a second conviction;
- Up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to $5,000 for a third or subsequent conviction.
How Your License Can Be Suspended in Florida
There are many reasons why the FLHSMV (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) can suspend your license. These include:
- Accumulating too many points on your license
- Having a prior arrest or conviction for a DUI charge
- Acts of delinquency, such as failing to pay child support
- Failing to pay court fines or other court judgments
- Having a drug-related conviction on your criminal record
- Having a prior theft conviction
- Refusing to take a breathalyzer test
- Fleeing to elude arrest
- Facing a racing on the highway charge
- Failing to appear at a mandatory court hearing
- Being classified as a habitual traffic offender
- Failing to maintain insurance – according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the country at over 20%
We understand how difficult it can be to manage these restrictions and how they can complicate an already precarious situation. If you need help with a suspended license driving charge, call the skilled Florida suspended license lawyers at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. today. Our driving with a suspended license defense attorneys in West Palm Beach, FL will review your case and will collect evidence to help you beat the charges you face.
Crafting a Sound Defense with Our Knowledgeable Driving with a Suspended License Defense Attorneys in West Palm Beach, FL
With years of experience handling traffic violations and motor vehicle charges of all kinds, our skilled Florida suspended license lawyers will investigate your case to develop a sound legal strategy that can help you beat your charges. Based on the case specifics, some of the more effective defense strategies we can use include:
- Challenging the legality of your traffic stop
- Proving that your identity was mistaken with that of the actual offender
- Demonstrating that you were not aware of the suspension, revocation, or cancellation of your license
- Proving that you were not driving on a public highway
- Demonstrating that you were not operating a vehicle that is classified as a motor vehicle
- Showing that your license was reinstated or that you believed it was reinstated
A skilled criminal defense lawyer from our team can challenge your charges to either have them dropped or, in some cases, lowered to a charge of simply not having a driver’s license (instead of driving with a suspended license), or even a civil citation for failing to display your license, since these alternatives will help lower the severity of the penalties you may face. We can also help you reinstate your license. The steps are requirements for doing so are straightforward, but fighting suspended license driving charges is not to be taken lightly, so reach out to our team of experienced attorneys today for help with your case.
Contact Our Florida Suspended License Lawyers Today
Our driving with a suspended license defense attorneys in West Palm Beach, FL have extensive knowledge of Florida’s driving and criminal laws and can help you fight the suspended license driving charges you face. We can help you avoid fines and jail time for driving with a suspended license, so contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Suspended License Cases in West Palm Beach, FL
The FLHSMV provides detailed guidelines on reinstating a suspended license. The procedure you must follow will depend on why your license was suspended. If there are pending fines, those must be paid. You may need to attend traffic school or clear citations received in another state. If there are any reinstatement fees or court fees, those must be paid as well. Our driving with a suspended license defense attorneys in West Palm Beach, FL can help you determine what to do and will help you complete all the relevant processes so that your license can be reinstated as quickly as possible.
Visit the driver’s license checking page of the FLHSMV. This tool is a quick and easy way to check the status of your license. Any response besides “valid” should be investigated and you can speak with our Florida suspended license lawyers for assistance with clearing any issues with the validity of your license.