Tampa DUI Lawyer Blog
Golfer Tiger Woods will plead guilty to reckless driving in South Florida for an incident back in May, and enter into a DUI diversion program.
Woods will enter the plea Friday for a May 29 arrest where officers found him unconscious in a parked car.
Woods has also agreed to enter into a diversion program for intoxicated drivers. He’ll spend a year on probation, pay a $250 fine and attend DUI school.
A toxicology report showed the 41-year-old Woods had the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers, a sleep drug and an anti-anxiety drug in his system when he was arrested. There was no alcohol, however.
Being ready for trial is always the best way to defend a DUI case, however, sometimes after pretrial negotiations, an alternative to a DUI plea can be reached. The most common plea that enables a DUI to be dropped is a reckless driving plea. There is a huge difference between a reckless driving charge and a DUI in Florida. DUI is an alcohol crime that stays on both your driving and your criminal records forever. Reckless driving is a non-alcohol specific traffic offense. If you are able to get your DUI charge dropped to a reckless driving charge, your record will show the DUI charges were dismissed and that you instead pled to the reckless driving traffic charge.
The biggest benefit to a reckless driving charge is that it carries no mandatory driver’s license suspension. Even a first time DUI charge can suspend your driver’s license for up to a year. This saves you the trouble of having to apply for a hardship license for some period of time and then paying the fees and taking the time to reinstate your driver’s license.
Not every DUI case can be dropped to reckless driving. Our South Florida DUI Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton will examine your case thoroughly with an eye towards trial so that you have the best chance of achieving a favorable outcome. Even if you think your case is hopeless, we can help. Call us today at 561-367-8777 or contact us online for a free consultation.