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DUI And BUI Defense Attorney In Miami

Last updated on July 31, 2026

One minute you are out celebrating with family and friends, enjoying a good time. The next minute, you find yourself in the back of a police car, charged with a DUI. I am attorney Orlando Rodriguez and I provide the hard-hitting defense you need right now. I know the local court system from the inside out. I have personally handled over 500 DUI cases over 20 years as an experienced criminal defense attorney in Miami-Dade County, and I guarantee you a rigorous defense. I fight to protect drivers in Hialeah, Doral, Miami and beyond from losing everything.

DUI Penalties In Florida: What Is At Stake?

A DUI conviction brings severe, lifelong repercussions. Florida laws punish drivers harshly, and the state updates these rules constantly to increase penalties. Here is what you face under the guidelines for a first DUI offense Florida penalties:

  • Fines: Totaling between $500 and $1,000.
  • Jail time: Up to six months in a county jail.
  • License revocation: A court-ordered mandatory revocation of driving privileges for 180 days to one year upon conviction, separate from immediate administrative suspensions.
  • Ignition Interlock Device: Mandatory installation in your car if your blood alcohol level was .15 or higher.
  • Community service: A mandatory 50 hours of public service.

If you face a second DUI conviction within five years of a prior offense, penalties increase significantly and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 days in jail applies.

Florida’s New Breath Test Refusal Law (Trenton’s Law)

You must understand a critical legal change that took effect on October 1, 2025, known as Trenton’s Law. Under Florida’s Trenton’s Law, the state now classifies your very first refusal to take a lawful breath or urine test as a second-degree criminal misdemeanor. Previously, a first refusal only caused an administrative license suspension. Now, refusing the test means you will face a separate, additional criminal charge at the same time as your underlying DUI case.

My Strategy: How I Fight Your DUI Arrest Process In Miami

At the Law Offices of Orlando Rodriguez P.A., I do not just accept the police officer’s version of the story. I dissect the entire DUI arrest process Miami law enforcement used against you. I immediately challenge the state’s case using aggressive, proven tactics.

  • Analyze field sobriety test accuracy in Florida: Officers often grade these physical tests unfairly, especially after a long, exhausting shift at a construction site or warehouse.
  • Expose breathalyzer test errors: Intoxilyzer machines fail when police do not calibrate them correctly or when they skip the mandatory 20-minute observation period.
  • File a motion to suppress DUI evidence in Florida: If police pulled you over without a valid reason, I ask the judge to throw out all the evidence they gathered.
  • Uncover DUI evidence challenges: I look for missing video footage, broken chain of custody for blood samples and contradictions in the officer’s report.

Through these steps, I build a strategy on how to beat a DUI in Florida by forcing the prosecutor to see the flaws in their case. I fight to get your charges reduced or dropped completely.

Boating Under The Influence (BUI) In Miami

Miami has beautiful waters, but law enforcement patrols Biscayne Bay and local marinas aggressively. A BUI arrest in Miami carries consequences just as damaging as a highway arrest. Boating Under the Influence (BUI) in Miami requires a serious, calculated defense.

The boating under the influence Florida penalties scale up quickly based on your record:

  • First BUI conviction: Punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
  • Third BUI within 10 years: Up to 5 years in Florida state prison because the state upgrades this to a third-degree felony.
  • BUI manslaughter: An accident resulting in a fatality is a second-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 4 years, which upgrades to a first-degree felony if you have prior qualifying impairment convictions.

Do not assume a boating ticket is minor. I apply the same aggressive defense tactics to marine law enforcement actions as I do to highway traffic stops.

Arrested While Visiting Miami?

If you live outside of Florida but police arrested you while you were visiting Miami on vacation, on a cruise or for college, you face unique headaches. I handle your local court appearances so you do not have to fly back to Miami constantly. I manage the paperwork and hearings remotely, allowing you to stay home and protect your job while I fight your charges here.

Do Not Wait. Contact Me Today To Defend Your Rights

When facing a DUI, timing is everything. Seeking legal assistance immediately is the best way to safeguard your rights. Contact me at 786-687-5174 or via email right now to set up a confidential consultation. I am ready to step up 24/7, and I will begin working on your defense without delay. Se habla español.