Aggravated DUI

Answer:

An aggravated DUI in the state of Florida is basically an enhancement; it’s an enhanced DUI. We’ve had clients that come into our office and they don’t have a regular DUI, but they have what’s called an enhancement to their DUI. Unfortunately, these situations can be very serious. An enhanced or aggravated DUI could be any one of the following.

It could be a DUI where a serious bodily injury was perpetrated or where it resulted in the death of someone else. If you were charged with a DUI and as a result of the DUI you crashed into someone’s car, and someone was severely injured or they passed away, then it is not only a DUI, but you can be charged with an enhancement or an aggravation of the DUI, such as manslaughter, which can bring significant and serious penalties.

Another enhancement could be that you’re pulled over and charged or convicted of a DUI where your blood alcohol concentration was very high. There are different sanctions and different sentences available for someone who is charged with that type of DUI. If you’re over the higher standard amount, if you’re over 2.0 or if you’re over 2.5, once those start getting higher, they start enhancing those DUIs and that can be an aggravation. Also, if you are fleeing or eluding an officer, any type of property damage that you commit – maybe you were charged with a DUI and part of that DUI was having crashed into a building or some other type of property – that can bring on an enhancement or an aggravation as well.

All of these enhancements or aggravations to a DUI are very serious in nature and take what is a normal DUI – which is a unique crime in the sense that it’s a second-degree misdemeanor, but has its own different sanctions and sentences – and enhances it and brings it up to a higher level misdemeanor, and even into the felony range, which requires or could require felony sentences such as prison time upwards of five years.

At the end of the day, any type of DUI aggravation or enhancement is going to be a serious situation where you need to consult with an experienced DUI attorney to help you through this case, help build your defense, help find ways to minimize any of the damage that has been caused, to best help you and secure your freedom or get your freedom back and help lessen the impact of many of these sanctions as you resolve your case. If you have any other questions about DUI enhancements, please call the Victory Law Firm.