First DUI.

What is the name of your state? Florida
Hello all. I received my first DUI on 6-4-07. I was in an accident. The accident only involved myself and my vehicle. There was no one else involved. No property damage other then the damage to my vehicle. I blew a .223 on the breathalizer. So I was arrested and taken to jail. Plead guilty in first appearance. I bonded out after two days on 1,000 bond. I work part time at a home depot and go to college so I do not have the means to pay for a lawyer. Basically, from what I read there is a possibility of a 6 month jail sentence that at all cost I would like to try to avoid. I'm trying to get an idea as to what I could do to avoid jail time. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Yikes. That's a VERY high BAC. Because of that and the fact that you had an accident too, you may be facing jail time. You really need an attorney - Big time.

I was afraid thats the answer I was going to get. I did ask for a public defender. I sure hope they will be able to help me out. I would be more the happy with house arrest or anything else for that matter.

Well I don't know much about Florida, but I was arrested in Maryland for blowing a .09. No accident or anything, but an arrest just the same.
My attorney advised me to start doing things (attend a MADD Victim Impact Meeting, get an alcohol assessment, attend group alcohol classes, etc...) and do these before I went to court. This shows the judge that I am remorseful and taking responsibility for my HUGE mistake. Usually for first time offenders that show remorse, the judge MAY show some leniency. BUT, with that said, some states won't recognize things like this if they are not court ordered. Each state has their own rules - That's why an attorney is so important. You probably won't get much info or help from a public defender. Good Luck.

That's a REALLY high BAC. I don't know the specifics about Florida law, but I would not be at all surprised if you got jail time. This is the kind of situation judges like to throw the book at.

I would be scraping together whatever I could for a lawyer. Think about it this way: If you do end up with jail time, you'll probably end up losing your job. If you lose your job, you're monetary situation will only get worse. Plus six months in jail will certainly have a negative impact on your college career.

Get yourself a lawyer.

BigMistakeFl

Any BAC over .20 is going to be considered high. And there is a rumbling that this may be reduced to .18, which is actually twice the "legal limit".

I survived my arrest in Florida, but my BAC was low and I didn't have an accident. Despite no other vehicles or persons being involved in the accident, that fact that you had one will also affect your penalties. As everyone has suggested, I'd try to find a way to hire a lawyer, not to get out of it 'cause that's not going to happen.

As suggested above, get started immediately on the DUI classes, offered in every county in Florida, and the MADD Victim Impact Panel. Drunk driving is very popular here in Florida, and those classes fill quickly, in advance. The sooner you get started on the obvious penalties, the better it will look to your Probation Officer and the court, and the sooner you'll get through them. Hang in there; you will get through this tough time, and hopefully learn from the experience.

You'll probably do some time in county jail, but even if you get six months you'll only do about half of that if you get all of your good behavior credit. Not horrible, but definately inconvenient