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Visiting Clearwater for Vacation or Spring Break? Don’t Let a DUI Follow You Home

Did you know that if you are charged with a DUI while visiting Florida, it could negatively impact your driving privileges, even when you’re back home? The existence of interstate compacts and the National Driver Registry means that any penalties you receive when visiting the state of Florida could be enforced by your home state when you return.

Fortunately, we at Russo, Pelletier & Sullivan, P.A. have more than 30 years of experience representing clients charged with DUI in Pinellas County. Because Pinellas County is a tourist destination, we have represented hundreds of individuals from other states, and even other countries, who were charged with a DUI while visiting St. Petersburg or Clearwater on vacation or spring break.

Here are three things you should know if charged with a DUI when visiting Clearwater:

1. Interstate Compacts for Traffic Violations Share Details Regarding DUI Charges With Your Home State 

Interstate compacts are defined as, “a contractual arrangement made between two or more states in which the assigned parties agree on a specific policy issue and either adopt a set of standards or cooperate on a particular regional or national matter.” Florida is a part of two different interstate compacts for traffic violations: the Driver License Compact (DLC) and the Non-Resident Violators Compact (NRVC).

If your home state is also a part of one of these interstate compacts, the details regarding your arrest and any DUI charges brought against you may be provided to governing authorities, and any penalties (such as driver’s license suspension) resulting from the traffic violation and charges may be enforced. Think your home state might be one of the lucky states excluded from this arrangement? Think again! You likely live in one of these states–only two states (Michigan and Wisconsin) are not a part of one of these interstate compacts.

2. We are Local Attorneys Who Can Minimize, if not Eliminate your Need to Appear in Court

One of the concerns that many clients who are charged with a DUI on vacation or Spring Break have is the need to return to Clearwater to appear in Court. In most DUI cases, our office can handle the entire DUI case from start to finish without our client ever having to return to Florida. The Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure allow an individual charged with a DUI to waive his or her appearance in court if he or she is represented by an attorney. Our office can prepare this waiver on your behalf and file it with the Clerk of Court.

3. Work With The Best DUI Lawyers in Clearwater and Leave Your Worries Behind

A DUI arrest in Pinellas County results in an immediate license suspension. You may also lose your license if you refuse to take a breath test for a suspected DUI. Drivers under the age of 21 who have any alcohol in their system may also face underage DUI charges.

Don’t let your week of fun in the sun turn into a license suspension or DUI charge that follows you home. Contact the attorneys at Russo, Pelletier, & Sullivan. We have decades of experience defending DUI charges in Pinellas County, including Clearwater, and we will utilize that experience to achieve the best possible outcome in your case.

If you are looking for the best DUI lawyers in Clearwater, contact Russo, Pelletier & Sullivan, P.A. today. Complete our contact request form or give us a call at (727) 578-0303.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

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©2021 Russo, Pelletier & Sullivan, P.A. All Rights Reserved. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. This web site provides general information only since the facts and circumstances of your case are unique. The information presented on this website is not to be interpreted as formal legal advice nor does it constitute the formation of an attorney/client relationship.

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