DUI and criminal defense lawyer for Fort Lauderdale cases

In Fort Lauderdale, the Sheriff's Main Jail and the Central Courthouse stand side by side downtown, and the city has its own police department. The facts below come from the department, the court and the State Attorney. For how Mr. Mead approaches a DUI, start with the DUI defense page. Other charges are in the criminal defense practice areas.

How does a Fort Lauderdale case move, step by step?

1. The stop. An officer from one of the three districts, each with its own motorcycle officers, makes the stop or arrest.
2. Central Intake. The arrest is booked at the Broward Sheriff's Main Jail downtown.
3. The arrest PC. The person is immediately entitled to a copy of the probable cause document; the full report is released only after the State Attorney files.
4. First appearance. If not released, the person sees a magistrate judge next door in Courtroom 04155, West Wing.
5. The license. After a DUI arrest, the 10-day request goes to FLHSMV in Lauderdale Lakes.
6. County court. Later dates are at the Central Courthouse or a regional courthouse, as the notice says.

Who polices Fort Lauderdale?

The department lists its headquarters at 1300 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, a non-emergency line of (954) 764-HELP (4357) for reporting a crime, and (954) 828-5700 for staff and administrative inquiries. Its Operations Bureau, which delivers police service around the clock, has 427 members, including 298 sworn officers, 39 sergeants and 35 public service aides. It divides the city into three districts:

The department says it answers about 200,000 calls for service a year. It also staffs large beach events such as the Air and Sea Show and the Winterfest Boat Parade, and each district has its own motorcycle officers.

How do I get a Fort Lauderdale police report?

The Records Unit is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and can be reached by phone from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. It keeps offense, arrest and accident reports, including marine accidents, as well as tow slips, and handles about 230,000 reports a year. Reports are requested by mail or in person only; the department does not take phone, fax or email requests. Basic copies cost 15 cents a page, or 20 cents double-sided, and a crash report request requires a sworn statement.

Two points matter after an arrest. The department says a person who is arrested is immediately entitled to a copy of the arrest PC, the probable cause document. Incident reports involving an arrest, however, are released to the public only after the State Attorney's Office files the case, and the department lists the State Attorney's filing lines: felony (954) 831-6989, misdemeanor (954) 831-6955 and juvenile (954) 831-6960 or 6982.

What happens to a car towed by Fort Lauderdale police?

The department's towing page names Westway Towing, 775 NW 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, office (954) 731-1115, as the city's towing contact; its records page lists the same company with locations at 629 NW 7th Ave. and 3681 W. Oakland Park Blvd. The department says fees for non-consensual tows follow the rates in chapter 40.50 of the Broward County Administrative Code. Check the tow slip for the yard that holds the vehicle. The court-ordered impound that can follow a DUI conviction is a separate step, explained in what happens to your car after a Florida DUI.

Where does a Fort Lauderdale case go after an arrest?

County court judges also sit at regional courthouses in Deerfield Beach, Hollywood and Plantation, so the notice decides where later dates are held. That first day, from Central Intake to the bond window, is explained on our page about what to expect at the Broward Central Courthouse and Main Jail. The release rules are in the first 48 hours after an arrest. Posting bond is explained in how bond works in Florida.

What should I know about a Fort Lauderdale DUI arrest?

The license side of a Fort Lauderdale DUI is decided outside the city, by FLHSMV's Bureau of Administrative Reviews at 3718-3 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderdale Lakes, and the request has a deadline; see the 10-day rule for your license. FLHSMV's licensed DUI programs include the Broward Dade Safety Council at 110 SE Sixth Street, Fort Lauderdale. The criminal case follows the steps in what happens after a DUI arrest in Florida. Our first-week checklist puts them in order. A first misdemeanor on another charge may be considered for the State Attorney's Misdemeanor Diversion Program, with eligibility decided at arraignment, as explained in pretrial diversion in Palm Beach and Broward. The hearing itself is covered in whether you have to go to arraignment.

What changes the answer?

• Which district. The beach and the area east of the Intracoastal are District I; downtown, Las Olas and the Riverwalk are District III.
• Whether charges are filed. Arrest incident reports become public only after the State Attorney files the case.
• A towed car. A police tow follows the Broward County Administrative Code's rate rules, while a court-ordered impound comes only after a conviction.
• Misdemeanor or felony. Felonies are filed by the State Attorney's felony division and heard in circuit court (s. 26.012(2)(d)).
• A first offense. Misdemeanor Diversion is for first-time offenders, decided at arraignment.

A worked example

For example, picture a hypothetical visitor arrested for DUI on Las Olas Boulevard by a District III officer late on a Saturday. The car is towed to the city's towing company, and the visitor is booked at Central Intake. Released on bond on Sunday, the visitor gets a copy of the arrest PC right away but learns that the full incident report will be released only after the State Attorney files. The visitor checks the tow slip for the yard, pays the tow under the county's rate rules, and mails a request to the Records Unit for the report once the case is filed. Within 10 days of the notice of suspension, the visitor files a license request with FLHSMV in Lauderdale Lakes. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Emailing or calling for a police report; the Records Unit takes requests by mail or in person only.
• Driving to the wrong tow yard; the department lists more than one Westway Towing address.
• Expecting the full arrest report before the State Attorney files.
• Waiting until the court date to deal with the license.

What to do this week

1. Get a copy of the arrest PC.
2. Find the car using the tow slip.
3. For a DUI, count 10 days from the notice of suspension.
4. Read the court notice for the courthouse and date.
5. Call a lawyer before arraignment, when Broward's program decisions start.

Questions people ask after a Fort Lauderdale arrest

License

• The hearing in Lauderdale Lakes is explained in the formal review hearing.
• Work driving is covered in a hardship license.
• The Broward Dade Safety Council and other programs are on our list of licensed DUI schools.
• Interlocks are covered in ignition interlock periods.
• Insurance is covered in FR-44 coverage after a DUI.

Evidence

• Refusals are covered in refusing the breath test.
• Breath testing rules are in how breath tests must be given.
• Blood draws are covered in blood tests after a crash.
• Drug impairment is covered in DUI for drugs or medication.
• Drivers under 21 are covered in underage DUI.
• Visitors should read what happens to a home-state license.

Penalties and outcomes

• Ranges are in the Florida DUI penalties table.
• Crash charges are in DUI with injury or damage.
• Fatal crashes are covered in DUI manslaughter sentencing.
• Costs are in what a DUI costs beyond the fine.
• A lesser plea is weighed in reducing DUI to reckless driving.
• Sealing is covered in whether a DUI can be sealed.
• Withholds are explained in a withhold of adjudication.
• Dismissals are covered in whether charges can be dropped.
• Trial timing is in speedy trial deadlines.
• Maximums are in the criminal penalties chart.
• Felony scoring is in felony scoresheets.
• Self-defense is covered in stand-your-ground immunity.
• Carry rules are in carrying without a permit.
• A felony record and a gun are covered in felon in possession of a firearm.

Traffic tickets

• A Fort Lauderdale ticket goes to the Broward Clerk; the 30-day options are compared in whether to pay a ticket, elect school or request a hearing.
• Points from Fort Lauderdale tickets are counted under Florida's suspension thresholds.

Criminal traffic charges

• A Fort Lauderdale suspended-license citation is explained in when driving while suspended is a crime.
• Reckless driving on Las Olas or A1A is compared with careless driving in reckless versus careless.
• Which Fort Lauderdale citations require court is explained in the criminal or civil ticket guide.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Fort Lauderdale Police Department?

At 1300 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312; the non-emergency line is (954) 764-HELP (4357).

How much is a Fort Lauderdale police report?

Basic copies cost 15 cents a page, or 20 cents double-sided, according to the Records Unit.

When can I get my arrest report?

The arrest PC is available right away to the person arrested; the incident report is released to the public only after the State Attorney files the case.

Who tows cars for Fort Lauderdale police?

The department names Westway Towing; check the tow slip, because the department lists more than one address for it.

Where is first appearance for a Fort Lauderdale arrest?

Next to the Main Jail, in Courtroom 04155, West Wing, of the courthouse at 201 SE 6th Street.

Which nearby cities do we also cover?

Two more Broward cities with their own police departments have pages: Coral Springs, with its own city code rules.

The other is Hollywood, home of the South Regional Courthouse. The county overview is on our Broward County page.

Who handles the case?

Mr. Mead has spent more than three decades in South Florida criminal courts, and criminal defense is his entire practice. He works one-on-one with each client from the office at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, Boca Raton. You can call 24 hours, and Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. More is on the firm overview page.

Every case is different, and no result can be promised. If you or someone in your family was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, a confidential phone call to (561) 362-6677 is a sound first step.

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