Florida Board Certified Expert in Criminal Law - Broward County DUI Defense Lawyer HOME CONTACT LINKS OFFICE LOCATION SITEMAP Question: What is a sentence "enhancement"? ANSWER: Florida law increases the punishment in DUI cases if certain facts exist. The most common of these is an earlier conviction for the same or a similar offense within seven years of the current offense. Other commonly encountered enhancements (which must usually be alleged in the complaint) include: A child was in the car at the time. The defendant was traveling 20 or 30 miles over the speed limit at the time. The blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) was over .20%. The defendant refused to submit to a chemical test. There was property damage or injury. The defendant was under 21 ("zero tolerance" laws commonly require a much lower blood-alcohol level and impose longer license suspensions). The existence of any personal injury caused by someone who is DUI elevates the offense to a felony. A death can trigger manslaughter or even, if special circumstances exist, murder charges. 16 of 20 Previous | INDEX | Next These questions and associated answers have been adapted to Florida law with permission from Lawrence Taylor.

© 2006 Robert David Malove. All Rights Reserved. HOME • CONTACT • LINKS • OFFICE LOCATION • SITEMAP