Facts:
My client was charged with a DUI with a blow over 0.15. He had a public defender for months and contacted me because his case was a mess. It seems that he had prior DUIs out of state, but no one could figure out how many. The prosecutor in Pinellas County was asking for a lot of jail and threatened that the case was going to be increased to a felony. My client hired me to figure it out.
I immediately had him start DUI school, the Victim Impact panel, and any other conditions he could complete. He was compliant, but then violated his bond when his ankle bracelet alerted for alcohol. Thus, he was sent to the Pinellas County Jail while I tried to figure things out. The Prosecutor announced in court that they were seeking one year in jail as a penalty. Things were not looking good.
The Case:
We first researched how many prior DUIs there were. We found two, not three as the prosecutor thought. But, even with two DUIs, this current case should have been a felony. So, we needed to move quickly and get the case resolved before it could be enhanced. We started looking at ways to get him counseling. His wife was a big help and found a rehab center that would accept him for 28 days. We then submitted everything to the prosecutor.
The Result:
Our client was given 60 days jail followed by the 28 days in rehab. We were able to keep the case as a misdemeanor. It could have been A LOT worse. Hopefully, his issues with alcohol are finally fixed and he can move on with his life.