A simple mistake can have lifelong consequences. Virtually everyone at some point in their lives has had a bit too much to drink, made a bad judgment, and gotten behind the wheel of a car. Almost 11,000 people make this very mistake every year in the state of Florida, many a simple error and took a bad risk. Alcohol will do that; one of its less well-appreciated effects is that it makes otherwise normal people do what they otherwise would never dream doing.

The state of Florida takes a very hard line against those that drive drunk. A person can be charged with a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) if they exhibit at least .08% alcohol per 100 milliliters in their blood or .08% alcohol per 210 liters of breath. The inconsistencies and unreliability of these machines aside, people often help convict themselves of drunk driving merely by taking these tests. You cannot be forced to take roadside sobriety tests in Tallahassee, but the penalties for refusing to take them are quite stiff should a person be convicted of a DUI.

The penalties for drunk driving in Tallahassee are quite stiff. A first offense DUI is punished by a $250-500 fine and potentially six months in jail, a second offense drunk driving conviction $500-1000 with possibly nine months in jail and an ignition interlock device placed in the defendant’s car for a year. A third DUI conviction in Tallahassee in 10 years is a third-degree felony. This crime is penalized by a prison term of up to one year and an ignition interlock device for at least two years, at the defendants’ expense.

In addition to monetary penalties associated with a drunk driving arrest in Tallahassee, a person convicted of a DUI can also face the loss of their driving privilege. A first conviction mandates at least a 180 day revocation with a maximum of one year, a second in five years mandates a minimum five year revocation, and a third drunk driving arrest in Tallahassee requires a 10 year revocation. Any further convictions within 10 years require mandatory permanent revocation, particularly if there are other associated circumstances such as with Murder with Motor Vehicle.