DUI with Property Damage – No Jail and Minimum Penalties

Driving Under the Influence with Property Damage (Fla. Stat. §316.193(3)(c)1) – Coral Springs, Broward County, Florida

Leifert & Leifert represented a client charged in Broward County following a DUI investigation conducted by the Coral Springs Police Department after an early morning wrong-way crash in Coral Springs, Florida. Prosecutors alleged that the client drove while impaired near the intersection of Riverside Drive and West Atlantic Boulevard before colliding with a utility pole owned by Florida Power & Light.

According to police reports and crash investigation materials, officers observed the client’s black Honda Accord traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Riverside Drive shortly before the collision occurred. Investigators alleged that the vehicle ultimately struck an FPL utility pole, causing property damage and disabling the vehicle.

Law enforcement further alleged that when officers made contact with the client, he displayed multiple indicators commonly associated with impairment, including:

• bloodshot and watery eyes,
• slurred speech,
• an odor of alcoholic beverage,
• and difficulty maintaining balance.

Officers also reported locating an open bottle of Grey Goose vodka inside the vehicle and alleged that body-worn camera footage captured statements relating to alcohol consumption prior to driving.

During the investigation, police alleged the client provided breath samples registering alcohol concentrations above the legal limit. Officers also advised the client regarding Florida’s implied consent law pursuant to Fla. Stat. §316.1932(1)(a) during the DUI investigation.

As a result of the investigation, the client faced allegations relating to:

• DUI,
• DUI with Property Damage,
• implied consent / breath testing issues under Florida law,
• and possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

The allegations exposed the client to serious criminal and driver’s license consequences, including:

• possible incarceration,
• probation,
• driver’s license suspension,
• substantial financial penalties,
• and a permanent criminal conviction.

After being retained, Leifert & Leifert conducted a detailed review of the crash reports, body camera evidence, witness statements, implied consent documentation, and all discovery materials produced by the State Attorney’s Office. The defense carefully analyzed the circumstances surrounding the crash, the alleged indicators of impairment, the breath testing evidence, and mitigation factors relevant to sentencing and disposition negotiations.

Leifert & Leifert then engaged in extensive negotiations and advocacy aimed at minimizing the long-term consequences of the allegations and avoiding incarceration for the client.

Despite allegations involving a wrong-way crash, property damage, possession of alcohol inside the vehicle, and breath alcohol readings allegedly above the legal limit, the defense successfully secured a resolution allowing the client to avoid any jail sentence and receive the minimum penalties available under the circumstances.

RESULT: The client resolved the DUI-related charges without serving any jail time and received the minimum penalties available despite the seriousness of the allegations and evidence involved.