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DUI (F.S. § 316.193); FAIL TO OBEY POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT
DUI REDUCED TO WET RECKLESS; ALL COUNTS A/W
Santa Rosa County, FL
January 29, 2026
Client was charged in Santa Rosa County with DUI (F.S. § 316.193) and Failure to Obey a Police Officer — charges that carried potential jail exposure, a mandatory license revocation of 180 days to 1 year, mandatory completion of DUI School, 50 hours of community service, installation of an ignition interlock device, and skyrocketing insurance premiums through Florida's FR-44 high-risk insurance requirement. The arrest arose from a [REDACTED] traffic encounter in which the arresting officer alleged [REDACTED] indicators of impairment. The client submitted to [REDACTED] testing. Beyond the immediate criminal penalties, a DUI conviction in Florida can never be sealed or expunged — it remains permanently on the defendant's record and is publicly accessible for the rest of their life. For this client, who was [REDACTED] and whose [REDACTED] career required a clean driving record, the permanent nature of a DUI conviction made the stakes particularly high.
The defense team conducted a comprehensive review of all evidence in the State's possession, including body camera footage, in-car video, intoxilyzer room recordings, and all documentation related to the [REDACTED] field sobriety exercises and chemical testing. Our analysis identified [REDACTED] procedural issues and evidentiary weaknesses that created significant litigation leverage. Through strategic positioning and aggressive negotiation with the Santa Rosa County State Attorney's Office, we obtained a reduction of the DUI charge to Wet Reckless Driving with adjudication withheld on all counts and 12 months probation. This resolution was significant on multiple levels: it avoided the mandatory DUI penalties (license revocation, DUI School, interlock device, FR-44 insurance), avoided the permanent DUI designation that can never be expunged, and resulted in adjudication withheld rather than a conviction — meaning the client was not formally adjudicated guilty on any charge. The Failure to Obey charge was also resolved with adjudication withheld as part of the global resolution. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case depends on its facts and circumstances.