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DUI Defense
A Florida DUI arrest starts two cases at once: a criminal charge in county court and an administrative license suspension with a 10 day deadline. The firm defends first t...
Explore DUIFlorida DUI Defense · Two Offices
Arrested for DUI in Florida? You need a former prosecutor.
Led by David Cannady, a former Florida prosecutor. We defend DUI, DWI, drug offenses, domestic violence, and every level of criminal charge across Brevard County, Central Florida, Bay County, and Broward County. Available 24 hours a day.
5.0Google rating, both offices
2014Admitted to The Florida Bar
24/7Answered day and night
What We Defend
Every level of Florida DUI and criminal charge.
First time DUI to DUI manslaughter. Simple possession to trafficking. Misdemeanor arrests to felony indictments. We take on difficult cases, including ones where the facts look hard at the start.
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DWI Defense
Florida has no separate DWI statute. If your paperwork, another state or an older record uses the term DWI, the Florida case is a DUI under F.S. 316.193, and it is defend...
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Drug Offense
From simple possession to trafficking, Florida drug charges range from first degree misdemeanors to felonies with minimum mandatory prison terms. The defense looks closel...
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Domestic Violence
A domestic violence arrest in Florida often comes with no contact conditions on release, and a petition for an injunction can run alongside the criminal case. Both are ha...
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Criminal Defense
From misdemeanor arrests to felony charges, a Florida criminal case can follow you into work, housing and your record for years. The defense starts with what the state ca...
Explore CriminalWhere We Practice
Four regions. Two offices. One 24/7 line.
We handle cases in Florida's 9th, 14th, 17th, and 18th Judicial Circuits, and we know how a DUI case moves through each of these courthouses, from arraignment to trial.
Space Coast
Brevard County
Eighteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Serving Satellite Beach, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Viera, and beyond.
Explore Brevard County
Orlando Metro
Central Florida
Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange, Osceola) and Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Seminole). Serving Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Kissimmee, and beyond.
Explore Central Florida
Florida Panhandle
Bay County
Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Serving Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven, Callaway, and beyond.
Explore Bay County
South Florida
Broward County
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Serving Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, and beyond.
Explore Broward County
After An Arrest
A Florida DUI arrest starts two cases, not one.
The criminal case and the driver license case run on separate tracks with separate deadlines. Both start on the day of the arrest.
Track one
Your driver license
The administrative suspension is handled by the Florida DHSMV, not the court. There are 10 days from the arrest to request a formal review hearing, and that hearing is often the first chance to test the state's evidence.
DMV formal review hearings
Track two
The criminal case
The criminal charge moves through the county court on its own schedule: arraignment, discovery, motions and then a plea or trial. The stop, the field sobriety tests and the breath or blood test are all open to challenge.
First time DUI defense
What Clients Say
Five star reviews on Google.
★★★★★
I reached out to DUI Lawyer Shield during a really stressful time and was impressed with how professional and responsive they were from the start. They took the time to explain the process clearly, answered my questions without rushing, and...
★★★★★
Not only did they handle the criminal case, they acted as a powerhouse at the DMV administrative hearing. They helped me get my driving privileges back much sooner than I thought was possible. This firm handles all aspects of a DUI case, wh...
★★★★★
Extremely professional and straight forward. Helpful every step of the way.
★★★★★
My DUI case was resolved in just a few months, and the final plea was far better than I expected going in. I got a swift and favorable resolution. I can finally put this behind me. Thank you for giving me my peace of mind back.
★★★★★
From the first consultation, the DUI Lawyers put your mind at ease. Going through a DUI is terrifying, but their team was always available to answer my questions, even the repetitive ones, with patience and clarity. You will be kept informe...
★★★★★
I am an out-of-state resident who got a DUI while visiting. They handled everything so I rarely had to travel back for court appearances. They were experts in managing the interstate legal difficulties and got me a fair resolution without h...
★★★★★
The team at the firm DUI Shield Lawyers is incredibly professional. The way they handle things in the courtroom was impressive; they are clearly respected and know how to argue a case. They fought hard for me and secured the best possible r...
★★★★★
I felt a significant amount of shame about my situation, but DUI Lawyers Shield provided exceptional support. At DUI Lawyers Shield, you are treated like a person, not just a case. Their dedication helped me turn a serious mistake into a ma...
★★★★★
I appreciated everything they did. They helped me when no one else would.
★★★★★
Highly recommend.
★★★★★
I reached out to DUI Lawyer Shield during a really stressful time and was impressed with how professional and responsive they were from the start. They took the time to explain the process clearly, answered my questions without rushing, and...
★★★★★
Not only did they handle the criminal case, they acted as a powerhouse at the DMV administrative hearing. They helped me get my driving privileges back much sooner than I thought was possible. This firm handles all aspects of a DUI case, wh...
★★★★★
Extremely professional and straight forward. Helpful every step of the way.
★★★★★
My DUI case was resolved in just a few months, and the final plea was far better than I expected going in. I got a swift and favorable resolution. I can finally put this behind me. Thank you for giving me my peace of mind back.
★★★★★
From the first consultation, the DUI Lawyers put your mind at ease. Going through a DUI is terrifying, but their team was always available to answer my questions, even the repetitive ones, with patience and clarity. You will be kept informe...
★★★★★
I am an out-of-state resident who got a DUI while visiting. They handled everything so I rarely had to travel back for court appearances. They were experts in managing the interstate legal difficulties and got me a fair resolution without h...
★★★★★
The team at the firm DUI Shield Lawyers is incredibly professional. The way they handle things in the courtroom was impressive; they are clearly respected and know how to argue a case. They fought hard for me and secured the best possible r...
★★★★★
I felt a significant amount of shame about my situation, but DUI Lawyers Shield provided exceptional support. At DUI Lawyers Shield, you are treated like a person, not just a case. Their dedication helped me turn a serious mistake into a ma...
★★★★★
I appreciated everything they did. They helped me when no one else would.
★★★★★
Highly recommend.
Reviews reflect individual experiences. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
A DUI is not a verdict. It is an accusation. Our job is to make the state prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt, and to challenge every step in the process that led to the charge.David Cannady · Founder
FAQ
Answers people ask us first.
A Florida DUI is prosecuted in the county where the arrest happened, not where the driver lives, and a Florida suspension can be reported to the driver's home state. Because a lawyer can appear at many misdemeanor pretrial hearings, not every court date requires a trip back.
Florida's implied consent license suspension applies to the breath test after a lawful DUI arrest, not to the roadside exercises. Field sobriety exercises, such as the eye test, the walk and turn and the one leg stand, are meant to be given and scored under national NHTSA standards, and video from the stop can show how they were given.
By driving in Florida, a driver is deemed to have agreed to a lawful breath test after a DUI arrest. A first refusal leads to a one year administrative suspension. A second refusal leads to an 18 month suspension and a first degree misdemeanor charge, and a refusal can be used as evidence at trial.
The standardized field sobriety exercises are the horizontal gaze nystagmus eye test, the walk and turn and the one leg stand. They are meant to be given and scored under national NHTSA standards. Video from the stop and the officer's report can be compared with those standards to see how the exercises were actually given.
Florida law calls the offense DUI under F.S. 316.193. There is no separate DWI statute in Florida. DWI is an older term, or one used by other states, but every Florida impaired driving prosecution is filed as a DUI.
A case can end by dismissal, plea or trial, and which one happens depends on the evidence. If evidence was obtained unlawfully, for example after a stop without reasonable suspicion, a motion to suppress asks the court to exclude it. No outcome can be predicted at the start, but the evidence can be reviewed for problems like these.
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