Tampa DUI Lawyer

A Focused Defense When You Are Charged With DUI In Tampa

At The Mayberry Law Firm, a Tampa DUI lawyer builds a defense that protects your license, limits penalties, and challenges weak police work from the start. If you searched for DUI attorney Tampa or Florida DUI defense, you already know the stakes are real. What you do in the first few days shapes your options for months, so you need a clear plan now.

What A Tampa DUI Case Really Is

A DUI is not proven simply by showing a BAC reading. Under Florida law, prosecutors must prove that you drove or were in actual physical control of a vehicle while impaired or with an unlawful alcohol concentration. That means the stop, the field tests, the breath machine, and the video all matter. We focus on how the evidence was collected, whether the officer followed the rules, and whether the numbers tell the full story.

The First 48 Hours Matter

The timeline moves quickly after an arrest in Hillsborough County. You will receive paperwork that starts both a criminal case and an administrative license suspension. Preserving body camera video, 911 audio, and nearby surveillance often makes the difference later, so early requests are critical. A Tampa DUI lawyer also helps you decide whether to seek a hardship permit immediately or request a formal review hearing to challenge the suspension.

Protecting Your License And The 10-Day Rule

Florida’s administrative suspension process starts the day of arrest. You typically have ten days to act. Our team files your request on time, obtains a temporary permit when available, and prepares for the DMV hearing where the arresting officer can be questioned under oath. Even if the criminal case resolves well months later, missing this window can leave you unable to drive right now, so it deserves priority attention.

Field Sobriety Tests Are Not Scientific

Officers often rely on roadside exercises to claim impairment. Those tests were designed for controlled conditions and are easy to skew by heat, footwear, medical issues, sloped pavement, or confusing instructions. In Tampa, many arrests happen on brick or uneven surfaces in Ybor City or on wet shoulders near the causeways. We slow the video down, compare it to the officer’s words, and show jurors what really happened rather than what a checkbox report claims.

Breath Tests And The Intoxilyzer 8000

Hillsborough agencies use the Intoxilyzer 8000. The machine must be maintained, calibrated, and operated correctly. If the required observation period is short, if mouth alcohol or reflux is present, or if the operator missed a step, results can be unreliable. We request maintenance logs, operator certifications, and repair histories, then compare them to the timeline of your test. A single defect can exclude the result or reduce its weight in court.

DUI Drugs, Marijuana, And Prescription Medication

There is no per se legal limit for THC or most medications in Florida. Prosecutors must prove actual impairment while driving. Positive urine results often reflect past use, not present impairment, and hospital blood draws can be distorted by IV fluids or serum conversions. We use pharmacology and toxicology to explain tolerance, dosing, and benign medical explanations for so-called impairment signs. In many Tampa DUI drug cases, the science is weaker than it looks.

Refusals And Second Refusals

If you refused breath, blood, or urine testing, Florida’s implied consent law imposes a quick suspension and special rules for second refusals. The state must prove clear warnings and a willful refusal. We audit the body cam, the exact language used, the setting, and whether you were given a fair chance to test. At the DMV hearing, we cross-examine the officer and lock in testimony that often helps in court.

Local Realities That Shape Tampa DUI Cases

Tampa enforcement patterns change with events and locations. Late nights in Ybor, game days around Raymond James Stadium, and sunrise patrols on Bayshore Boulevard bring increased DUI patrols. The Gandy Bridge and Courtney Campbell Causeway see frequent stops tied to lane deviations and speed changes. These contexts matter because the reason for the stop and the testing environment often explains the so-called clues the state relies on.

Penalties, Enhancements, And Practical Fallout

Florida penalties vary by prior history, breath level, and whether there was a crash or a minor in the vehicle. Fines, probation, DUI school, community service, ignition interlock, and possible jail time are on the table even for first convictions. Insurance costs, job issues, and travel problems add pressure. Your plan should address the courtroom and the rest of your life at the same time so one decision does not trigger three new problems.

How We Build Your DUI Defense

A successful defense starts with a clear checklist. Here is what a Tampa DUI lawyer will typically do in the first steps of your case, followed by how that work comes together later.

• Review the legality of the stop and whether the detention was prolonged without cause.
• Demand body camera, dash camera, and jail camera video before systems overwrite it.
• Inspect field sobriety instructions and conditions against the video and police training.
• Obtain Intoxilyzer 8000 maintenance logs and operator records for reliability defects.
• Subpoena 911 audio, dispatch logs, and medical records when crashes or injuries are involved.

These steps allow us to file targeted motions to suppress, exclude unreliable test results, and narrow the issues for negotiation or trial. When the state’s evidence is trimmed to what is reliable, better outcomes follow.

Diversion, Reductions, And Trials

Not every DUI should go to trial, and not every DUI should end in a plea. In the right circumstances, a reduction to reckless driving or entry into a treatment-based path can protect employment and future sealing options. Where the evidence is thin or the stop is unlawful, we try the case. Preparing like a trial is certain often produces better offers. It also means we are ready when a jury makes the most sense.

What You Should Do Today

You do not need to figure this out alone. Gather your paperwork, do not post about your arrest, and write down a simple timeline. If you have photos of the roadside conditions, keep them. If there were witnesses, save their contact information. Small details that seem unimportant today can win a hearing two months from now.

Talk To A Tampa DUI Lawyer

If you were arrested for DUI anywhere in Tampa or Hillsborough County, call The Mayberry Law Firm at (813) 444-7435 or send a message through our contact form. You will get a step-by-step plan for the next ten days, help protecting your driving privileges, and a defense strategy that targets the stop, the testing, and the proof the state actually has.