A DUI arrest creates more than one problem at once: a criminal case, a driving issue, paperwork with dates on it, and evidence that needs to be preserved before it disappears. Orlando DUI defense work starts by pinning down the charge, the Orange County court date, the driving notice, and the records that can actually be reviewed. The goal is a case plan based on what happened, not a generic promise about what will happen.
Call (321) 463-9784No obligation · Written for Orlando · Orange County
Six boxes, about thirty seconds. You pick when to be called back, and that is when the phone rings.
Or call (321) 463-9784The first useful move is not guessing the outcome. It is protecting deadlines and finding the records that show what actually occurred.
A useful defense begins with the citation, notices, reports, video, and test records. Early promises are not a substitute for knowing what the State can actually prove.
Court paperwork controls the local appearance location, and the Ninth Circuit’s PTI policy has its own eligibility screen. Both can change the work on a case.
A court date does not erase a driver-license deadline. The suspension notice needs to be read and acted on separately from the criminal case.
A prior case, crash, refusal, commercial license, or high reported level can change the path. Those facts should be addressed in the record, not minimized.
Nothing is filed and nothing is owed until you decide what to do next.
Keep the citation, release papers, suspension notice, bond conditions, and court notice together. Write down the stop location, timing, and any testing while details are still clear.
The criminal case, driving action, and evidence requests have different jobs. A case plan identifies each one instead of waiting for a single court date to solve everything.
Reports and recordings are compared to the allegation. The work may involve the stop, testing process, witness evidence, a local program screen, or consequences of a proposed disposition.
Illustrative photographs only. No specific Orlando case, client or property is shown.
A DUI charge changes with the facts, the paperwork, the evidence, and the local Orange County path. These four issues determine where the work starts.
The label “DUI” does not tell the whole story. The alleged test result, refusal, crash, prior history, and charge level shape what evidence and consequences need attention.
Orange County processing is case-type dependent. The notice, not a remembered address, supplies the appearance date, time, and place that must be followed.
Ninth Circuit PTI requires multiple approvals and has published DUI exclusions. Eligibility is a fact-specific screen, not a promised result for a first arrest.
A suspension notice can have a near-term deadline, while an ignition interlock can follow a conviction before a permanent or restricted license is issued. They require separate planning.
Four situations account for many of the questions people have after a DUI arrest. Each needs a careful, document-based response rather than a quick label.
You were let go with a handful of paper that does not agree with itself. Read the citation for the statute subsection, the release sheet for a court setting, and the driving notice for a deadline that belongs to a different agency. Keep all three pages unmarked in one folder, then write the night down while the times are still exact.
The notice of suspension is not the criminal case and does not wait for it. It travels with a temporary permit that dies at midnight on the tenth day after it was issued. Do not find out the hard way whether you can still drive to work. The suspension page covers the review request and the restricted privilege.
A number typed on a citation is one line lifted out of a long paper trail: the warning read aloud to you, the operator's state permit, the monthly instrument inspection, the sworn affidavit. A recorded refusal has its own warning script and its own consequences. Note the arresting agency, the report number, and the clock time of the sample.
A prior conviction, a crash that hurt somebody, a passenger under 18, or a commercial license pushes a DUI out of routine county court territory. Some of those combinations are filed as felonies at the downtown courthouse instead. Follow every written bond condition exactly and post nothing about the crash anywhere.
This page is general information, not a verdict on any case. The citation, notices, evidence, and court record decide what should be done next.
Checked against primary sources on 2026-08-22. Every claim below links to where it came from.
The Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Pretrial Intervention program requires approval from the program administrator, prosecutor, victim, and judge. Its published DUI exclusions include a reported alcohol level above 0.22, a prior alcohol-related criminal traffic arrest or citation, a crash, or a commercial driver license.
Why it matters: Diversion is a local, fact-specific possibility rather than a result that follows automatically from a first DUI arrest. The charge, history, and case facts have to be screened early.
Source: sao9th.com
Florida Statute 322.2715 sets ignition-interlock minimums that vary by conviction and facts: at least six months in specified first-offense situations, at least one year for a second DUI, two years for a third DUI, and five years for a fourth or later DUI.
Why it matters: An interlock is tied to issuance of a permanent or restricted driver license. Its length and vehicle coverage need to be considered when evaluating the consequences of a proposed disposition.
Source: leg.state.fl.us
Orange County Clerk says felony criminal cases are processed at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando, while misdemeanor cases can be processed at any of its locations, and directs people to their court paperwork for arraignment location.
Why it matters: A DUI defendant should follow the individual court notice for the correct time and place rather than assume that every Orange County criminal case starts at the same courthouse.
Source: myorangeclerk.com
The Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office operates a Pretrial Intervention program, but entry is discretionary rather than automatic. It requires approval from the program administrator, prosecutor, victim, and judge. Its published DUI exclusions include a breath or blood alcohol level above 0.22, a prior alcohol-related criminal traffic arrest or citation, a crash, or a commercial driver license. The charge, history, and facts all matter. That local policy is why a generic Florida DUI page cannot tell you whether the option fits a particular Orange County case.
Do not use a neighbor’s court location as a guide. Orange County Clerk says felony criminal cases are processed at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando, while misdemeanor cases can be processed at any of its locations, and it directs people to their court paperwork for the arraignment location. Check the charging level and every notice you receive. The Clerk’s main downtown criminal address is 425 North Orange Avenue, but the written notice controls the place, date, and time for your case.
Florida’s rules depend on the conviction and facts. Under section 322.2715, a first DUI with an unlawful alcohol level may carry at least six continuous months; a first DUI involving the higher level described by the statute or a passenger under 18 requires at least six months. A second DUI requires at least one year, and later convictions have longer minimum periods. The device is required on vehicles the person owns, leases, and routinely operates before a permanent or restricted license is issued. Exact consequences should be checked against the actual charge and disposition.
Get the papers, dates, and evidence plan organized before the first Orange County court setting becomes the only thing you are reacting to. Keep every document, follow written release conditions, and do not make driving decisions based on a guess about the suspension notice.
Call (321) 463-9784No obligation · Written for Orlando · Orange County