Gainesville DUI Drug Defense Attorneys

Nearly every motorist in Florida is aware that driving under the influence of alcohol is against the law. However, not all drivers understand that the same laws apply to driving under the influence of drugs. The DUI laws in Florida though, are focused on the legal concept of impairment. Due to the fact that many drugs, both illicit and lawful prescription drugs, can impair a motorist’s ability to drive safely, a conviction for driving under the influence of drugs will come with the same serious penalties. A Gainesville DUI drug defense attorney can help you avoid those penalties by providing the solid defense you need.

Our Attorney Explains DUIs Involving Drugs

Unlike the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol, which has a concrete blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent, there is no such measure for driving under the influence of drugs. The law on drugged driving simply states that if a motorist is in physical control of a vehicle and is impaired by a prescription or illegal drug to the point that their normal faculties have been affected, they have broken the law.

It is important to note that having physical control of the vehicle does not necessarily mean a person is driving it. In fact, a person can be found in physical control of their vehicle when they are not even inside of it. Under the statute, a person’s normal faculties include a number of bodily functions, such as:

• Seeing
• Hearing
• Walking
• Talking
• Judging distances
• Making judgments

If you cannot perform the above functions, or any other parts of daily life properly, an officer may determine that you are impaired by drugs.

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Our Attorney Handles DUI Cases Involving Many Types of Drugs

Due to the fact that a charge for a DUI drugs in Gainesville only requires impairment and physical control, it is entirely possible to be arrested for driving under the influence of drugs even after you have just consumed them. This is true even when the drug is prescription and takes some time for the effects to be felt. Some of the most common types of drugs involved in DUI cases include:

• Cocaine
• Heroin
• Methamphetamine
• Marijuana

It is important to note that a drug does not have to be illegal in order to be charged with impairment. Even if you have a prescription for a certain medication, that does not provide a defense if the drug impaired your normal faculties and affected your ability to drive safely.

Our Gainesville DUI Drug Defense Attorney Offers Free Consultations

Being charged with a DUI that involves drugs is very scary and for many, quite unexpected. If you or someone you love has been arrested, our Gainesville DUI drugs attorney at Meldon Law can provide a strong defense so you have the best chance of beating the charges. Contact us today by filling out our online form to schedule a free case review with one of our skilled attorneys and to learn more about how we can help.