• Sarasota Florida DUI Attorney
  • DUI Defense Sarasota County
  • Sarasota DUI Lawyer
The Criminal Case

The Initial Arrest

If an officer decides he has probable cause to arrest you for DUI, you will be handcuffed and transported to the county jail. While there you will be asked to submit to a breath or urine test. Your personal property such as your keys, cell phone and wallet will be taken and locked away for safekeeping. The booking officer will take your mugshot and fingerprints and place you in a holding cell. You will be given a bond. By law, the jail must keep you in the jail until they feel you are no longer impaired, your blood alcohol level drops below a .05 or until eight hours has elapsed.

While you are in jail, the law enforcement agencies start collecting the evidence to build a case against you. This is the time to call an attorney!! Don’t wait! The attorneys of Finebloom & Haenel are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week just by calling 941-404-5073. We can contact family members, try to arrange bond and if necessary represent you at first appearance to try to secure your release.

Bond and First Appearance

After you are arrested for DUI, you will be taken to jail and assigned a bond. If you can afford the bond right away you can post it and be released. A friend or family member can bring the money to the jail and you will be released.

If you do not have the entire bond amount you may be able to use a bail bondsman. You pay a bondsman 10% of your bond amount along with some kind of collateral. The collateral is usually some type of personal property such as jewelry or title. After receiving the money and the necessary collateral, the bondsman posts the bond for you so that you can be released. The 10% fee is non-refundable. However, you will get the collateral back at the conclusion of your case.

If you cannot afford the bond then you will be brought to first appearances. A first appearance is a hearing held in the jail within 24 hours of your DUI arrest. A judge will inform you of your charges and your rights. The judge will review your bond and decide if it should be higher, lower, or if it should stay the same. In some cases the judge may release you “ROR.” This means you are released without posting any money. It is not often a person is released ROR.

In Sarasota, if you do not bond right away and are brought to first appearances, it is customary for a judge to place you on supervised release or “SPR.” This is true even if they also give you a monetary bond. If you are placed on SPR it is possible that you will have to report to an SPR officer a few times a week and that you may have to undergo random drug testing and attendance at AA. Violating any condition of SPR will result in a warrant for your arrest! This is only one of the reasons it is so important to have representation as soon as you are arrested. Call us now at 941-404-5073.

 

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200 N Washington Blvd.
Sarasota, Florida 34236

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