After a Florida law enforcement official stops your car, administers a breath test and then charges you with drunk driving, you may face serious penalties if the charge ends up leading to a conviction. The penalties you face for a Florida DUI conviction may vary based on a number of different factors. However, in some cases, you may wind up having to spend time in jail or prison after a drunk driving arrest and conviction.
Per the Bradenton Times, one factor that may help determine if you have to go to jail or prison following a conviction for drunk driving is whether the conviction is for a first-time DUI or a subsequent DUI arrest.
Jail time and first-time DUI convictions
Jail time is not mandatory after most first-time DUI offenses. However, the judge may decide to order you to jail or prison following your conviction. The decision of whether to do so is at the judge’s discretion.
Jail time and repeat-DUI convictions
If you face a second DUI charge, the potential repercussions are more severe than those associated with a first-time DUI. Jail time becomes mandatory after a second DUI, and you must spend, at minimum, 10 days behind bars after a second conviction. Jail time is also mandatory after any additional DUI convictions you receive moving forward.
While having to go to jail after a drunk driving conviction may make it harder to hold down a job or attend school, among other examples, other repercussions associated with a drunk driving conviction may negatively impact other areas of your life, too.
