Reviewed by Michael P. Maddux, Esq. | Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer | Florida Super Lawyer for 16 Consecutive Years

Here’s something that catches nearly everyone off guard. One DUI arrest creates TWO separate legal battles.

1. The Formal Review Hearing (DMV)

This has nothing to do with whether you’re guilty of a crime. This is the DMV’s process to decide if your license gets suspended, and you typically have just 10 days from your arrest to request it. No request equals automatic suspension. An experienced attorney can challenge the legality of the stop, the field sobriety testing, and the breathalyzer results right here.

2. The Criminal DUI Case (Court)

This is the criminal side, where your freedom, record, and finances are on the line. Penalties can include fines, DUI school, probation, and jail time. This case plays out in front of a judge and operates entirely separately from the DMV hearing.

Why does this matter? Because you need a defense strategy for BOTH, and they require action at different times.

Don’t wait. Don’t assume one outcome affects the other. And don’t try to navigate this alone.

📞 Call us today at (813) 253-3363.