As should be expected, any loss of life and driving under the influence (DUI) are the two main issues regarding drivers that Florida law takes most seriously. With that in mind, it would seem to logically follow that any combination of the two would draw an over-abundance of instant concern from law enforcement officers and the Florida court system. If a driver in Florida is operating a vehicle while in an intoxicated state, and is involved in a crash or accident which results in or causes another’s death is subject to severe penalties for DUI manslaughter under Florida criminal codes.

The seriousness of a DUI manslaughter charge

If you or someone you know have been accused of DUI manslaughter in the State of Florida, your foremost concern should be the immediate contacting of a Palm Beach DUI attorney. The consequences for charges such as this can be especially harsh, including maximum jail sentences ranging as high as fifteen years and fines totaling Ten Thousand Dollars in some cases. Of potentially equal or more import is that the minimum sentence for those convicted.  Florida law mandates at least a four-year stay in jail.

With matters of arrest, it is usually most advisable and very important to act quickly and enlist the help of a skilled, competent, and experienced attorney who can fight for your rights in court. Musca Law offers the expertise of Palm Beach DUI attorneys that will work to establish facts in your favor and contest these serious charges.

Defense specific to a DUI manslaughter charge

A Palm Beach DUI lawyer will guide you through the long, tiresome, difficult, and emotionally draining process and determine which or whether any affirmative defenses are available. Often, Palm Beach DUI lawyers will be able to exclude some or all of the evidence that might otherwise have been detrimental to your case. Through a series of coordinated pre-trial motions and creatively customized and inventive defenses, we will strive to OUR UTMOST to make sure you avoid a wrongful conviction.

Breath tests, field sobriety tests and other forms of DUI detection are notoriously and provenly unreliable in and of themselves, and a variety of factors can cause  mistaken results. Good Palm Beach DUI attorneys recognize the fragility and instability of validity of these tests and they understand how to argue the reliability factor in your favor. With our help, you can minimize or avoid altogether the devastating penalties associated with such a charge. Not to mention the blow to your social standing at work, at home, and in your community.

Reinstatement of driver’s license

You should be well aware that by getting a Palm Beach DUI, you can have a very difficult time driving legally in the future, especially when manslaughter is asserted. There are mandatory waiting periods, and the lifelong revocation of your license is a possibility. Getting a DUI in Palm Beach does not have to mean the end of your Florida driving experience. Contact Musca Law so we can help you find the best possible solution to your DUI problem before it’s too late. Don’t wait until you have one strike against you, for it becomes costlier and more difficult to defend oneself a second time for the same offense. Call your legal team at Musca Law and nip your current situation in the bud.

How to Avoid Appearing At The Arraignment, After your arrest under DUI charges, and after your release through bail, you will receive a Court Notice issuing you a summons to appear before the Court to plead guilty or not. This first hearing is called an arraignment. You are required to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest. At this point, the State will not provide any information regarding any witness, Police report, video recordings, or medical reports relating to the case. If you appear on your own, you may be subjected to pressure from the Prosecutor Attorney.

In the absence of your Defense Counsel, the State Attorney will send all necessary documents to you, and prepare the case for future hearings. The Prosecutor will offer you a one-time deal for arraignment. Failure to accept the offer will result in more severe penalties in the future for the defendant. The defendant is deprived of investigating their own case and defense if they appear at the arraignment on their own. In these circumstances, the Court will try to settle the arraignment by applying pressure, so that they can reduce the burden of pending cases.

Those who are unfortunate to not have a Defense Counsel at the time of hearing their arraignment will have to withstand the pressure alone, unsupported of experienced legal techniques, and ultimately submit the case themselves. The only way to get out of the situation is to hire a West Palm DUI Lawyer to stand as your Defense Counsel. Your Attorney will then file a Notice of Appearance, and a written plea of not guilty. This avoids having to appear for the arraignment, and protects you from the pressure of the Prosecuting Attorney. The only way to avoid arraignment without knowing the State’s evidence against you is to hire a West Palm DUI Lawyer. The Defense Attorney will take all necessary steps to ensure that the defendant is not required to attend the first arraignment.