If you are caught driving in Florida with a suspended license, you could face potentially harsh penalties that include jail time and fines. A driver’s license is imperative to most people in order to function in daily life. Although your initial violation may only be classified as a moving violation, subsequent violations can lead to more serious charges.
It is important to hire a traffic violation defense attorney if you have been charged with Driving With a Suspended License. This charge may have resulted from an underlying offense that caused your license to be suspended for a lengthy period or indefinitely. An attorney can help you resolve the underlying charge and help you have your license reinstated.
Tallahassee Driving While License Suspended Attorney
If you have been charged with Driving With a Suspended License in Leon County, an experienced attorney can help you find possible defenses or facts in your case to have your charge dropped or reduced. Don Pumphrey, Jr. is knowledgeable about Florida’s traffic laws, and can assist in finding the best possible outcome for your alleged offense. If you have been charged in Florida for driving while your license was suspended, contact Don Pumphrey, Jr. today for a consultation about your alleged offense in Tallahassee.
Driving While License Suspended Information Center
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Florida Definition for Driving While License is Suspended
Florida Statutes § 322.34 – Any person who operates a motor vehicle on a Florida road while their license has been suspended or revoked, and knows their license has been suspended or revoked, can face harsh penalties. This provision requires the driver to know their license was suspended, which means under Florida law, the person has previously received a citation for Driving While License is Suspended, the person admits to knowing the license was suspended, or the person received notice of a court order or judgment the license was suspended. A person is presumed to have received notice if the judgment or order appears in the department’s records.
If a person operates a motor vehicle on Florida roads while their license was suspended or revoked, but they did not know it was suspended or revoked, they are only subject to a conviction for a moving violation. This is a non-criminal charge. However, if you are charged with this violation, the knowledge required for a criminal conviction will be satisfied for any subsequent convictions.
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Reasons Your License May Be Suspended in Florida
Your driver’s license may have been suspended in Florida for numerous reasons. These can include:
- Court orders or judgments revoking your license
- Being a Habitual Traffic Offender
- Not having insurance
- Failing a driving test
- Certain medical conditions
- Failure to comply with certain civil penalties
- Failure to pay child support
- A conviction for vehicular manslaughter
- A conviction for possession of a controlled substance
- A conviction for fleeing the scene after a car accident resulting in death or serious bodily injury
- A conviction for theft or shoplifting
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Penalties for Driving With a Suspended License in Florida
Driving With a Suspended License is Florida is a misdemeanor of the second degree. This type of misdemeanor can incur up to 60 days imprisonment and/or fines up to $500.
A second conviction of Driving With a Suspended License is a misdemeanor of the first degree. These misdemeanors can include imprisonment up to one year and/or fines up to $1,000.
A third conviction of Driving With a Suspended License is a felony of the third degree. This felony can involve Florida prison time of five years or less and/or fines up to $5,000.
Additionally, three or more convictions for Driving With a Suspended License within five years can result in being classified as a Habitual Traffic Offender, and result in more severe punishments.
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Options to Fight a Driving With a Suspended License in Florida
Someone who has been charged with Driving With a Suspended License in Florida may be able to have this charge reduced or dropped. For example, if someone did not have knowledge their license was suspended or revoked, as defined under Florida law, their attorney can use this to have their charge reduced to a lesser offense.
Clerk’s Withhold – In Florida, prior to your arraignment date for a Driving With a Suspended License offense, the law provides for an alleged offender to resolve the reason for a suspended driver’s license and present a valid driver’s license to the clerk’s office. This type of resolution to your case will likely be more beneficial than appearing in front of the state prosecutor, who will most likely attempt to give you a harsh punishment.
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Law Offices of Don Pumphrey, Jr. | Driving While License Revoked Lawyer in Tallahassee
If you have been charged with Driving While License is Suspended in Leon County, Tallahassee, contact Don Pumphrey, Jr., of the Law Offices of Don Pumphrey, Jr. to discuss the facts of your particular case. An experienced traffic lawyer in Tallahassee may be able to find mitigating circumstances or a defense applicable to your charge, and have it reduced or dropped altogether. Lawyer Don Pumphrey, Jr. has represented those accused of driving with a suspended license in Florida, and will aggressively fight your criminal charge. Contact Don Pumphrey, Jr. at (850) 681-7777 for a consultation about your alleged traffic offense.