If you have been charged with a DWLS or driving while the license is suspended, you could be facing additional consequences and problems with your legal case. You need to consult with an experienced Florida traffic ticket attorney immediately. Suspended license with knowledge is one of the most common criminal charges in Florida and is the result of a violation such as knowingly driving while your license is currently suspended. Often referred to as DWLS, it is considered much more serious than your traditional traffic ticket.
Why You Might Have a Suspended License
A suspension of a driver’s license can occur for many different reasons in the State of Florida, including too many traffic tickets, unpaid traffic tickets, civil judgements, a DUI, failure to pay child support and other issues not related to your driving record. It is critical that you understand why your license was suspended and the specific rules surrounding the suspension.
Depending on how you are charged, and the individual facts of your case, and whether or not you had knowledge you could be looking a serious criminal charge. In Florida, a third-degree felony is punished by up to 5 years prison and up to $5000 in fines, whereas a first-degree misdemeanor is punished by up to $1000 in fines and up to a year in jail. If the state categorizes you as a habitual traffic offender, your driver’s license suspension period can be lengthy.
If you have to get your license reinstated, there are fines associated with that as well.
What Happens if I Didn’t Know My License Was Suspended?
Many people do not even realize that their license has been suspended because a notification related to this was sent to them in the mail and they never received it. A consultation with an experienced Florida traffic ticket attorney can help to illuminate you about the challenges in your case and whether these may apply for particular protections as you move forward with your legal claim.
You may be eligible, for example, to use some of this information in your defense. If you were driving while your license was suspended and an officer pulls you over and explains this to you, it may come across as a shock if you never received the initial notification that your license was suspended to begin with. You could be driving on a suspended license in Florida and not even know about it.
The penalties for being convicted of driving on a suspended license are severe and if you have multiple offenses of the same nature on your record, this could lead you to being classified as a habitual traffic offender, which comes with a mandatory loss of your driver’s license privileges for 5 years.
It can be a mistake for people to try to cooperate with the police and admit that knowledge of driving on a suspended license. This is because driving on a suspended license while the driver knows about it is a criminal misdemeanor. You may wish to exercise your right to remain silent and speak to an experienced traffic attorney. Do not try to believe that you could intimidate or outsmart the cops or threaten them. It is strongly recommended that you use your right to a traffic ticket attorney to prevent you from being assessed as a habitual traffic offender. An experienced traffic ticket lawyer can also help you by reducing the charges and the penalties.
If you did not know about the driver’s license suspension, for example, you may be able to bring this up as part of your criminal defense. It is overwhelming to find yourself in the position of dealing with the consequences of such an allegation, but hiring an experienced traffic ticket attorney immediately can open your eyes to the opportunities available to you and allow you to take action swiftly. Speak to an attorney before you pay a ticket or face the criminal consequences.
A strike against your driving record may be assessed if you do not retain experienced legal protection immediately. There are many different reasons for which your license could have been originally suspended and talking to an attorney about these as well is valuable, particularly if there has been a mistake on your record. You cannot afford to give up your rights or to go forward without the proper knowledge in such a situation. Make sure that you retain a criminal defense attorney from The Ticket Clinic who cares about you and your future. Call 1-800-CITATION for a free consultation.
