ARRESTED? INVESTIGATED? ARRESTADO? INVESTIGADO?

Driving With a Suspended License

You may not realize this, but knowingly driving with a suspended license in Miami, Florida is a crime, punishable by time in jail and / or a fine. Many people think that it is a civil offense (infraction) and that you may only face a fine if caught. This is only true if you drive on a suspended or revoked license but genuinely do not realize that you were doing so.

If you have been arrested or just given a criminal citation for driving while license suspended, DWLS, you should contact a DWLS attorney as soon as possible.

There are many reasons why this charge can be dismissed or at least the charge reduced to a lesser charge. You do not want to have a criminal conviction hanging over you and your family, especially if this is the first time this has happened. A criminal conviction, even a second degree misdemeanor conviction, like a

first DWLS, can have a severe impact on your life. You may lose your job, your career, or future job prospects and it can affect your family’s financial security, at the very least because you will almost certainly immediately lose your right to drive a vehicle. It will also count as one of your three strikes towards being the delared a habitual traffic offender and having your license revoked for five years.

Suspension revocation or cancelation of a Florida driver license

There are many reasons why your driver’s license could be suspended, revoked or canceled. A suspended license means that you do not have the right to drive for a temporary period of weeks or months while a revoked license means that your right to drive is more permanent. A canceled license means that you have no license to drive at all.

Suspension of a license usually happens because you have accrued more than a certain critical number of points on that license. For example, if you have amassed 12 points in a year, your license could be suspended for 30 days.

The Florida DMV allocates points according to the severity of the driving infraction you have made. If you have been given a ticket by a law enforcement officer and pay the fine, then this means that you have admitted that you broke the law. You could soon have your license suspended and may then be arrested for DWLS if it is alleged that you knew that it was suspended.

A DWLS conviction could mean jail time

If you are convicted for DWLS (knowing that you were suspended) it is classed as a second degree misdemeanor under Florida statute s.775.082. You could go to jail for up to 60 days and pay a fine of up to $500.

If it is a second offense, this could be classed as a first degree misdemeanor and the jail time is increased to a maximum of a year and the fine increased to $1,000.

A third conviction could even be regarded as a felony if you have been convicted of a felony before.

A criminal defense attorney can help dismiss or reduce the severity of a DWLS charge

Just because you are charged with an offense, it doesn’t mean you are guilty. Prosecutors must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you knowingly drove on a public highway or road with a license that was suspended, revoked or canceled. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help devise a strategy that leads to a dismissal of the charge completely or reduces the charge to a civil infraction or a lesser charge such as a ‘no valid’ license.

Experience counts. Albert Quirantes has over 30 years of experience defending criminal and traffic matters and has helped over 8000 people get justice in court. Please take advantage of our free face-to-face consultation with an attorney by calling 305-644-1800.