DUI and criminal defense lawyer for Hollywood, Florida cases

A Hollywood arrest moves through Broward's county-wide system, but some of what matters most, such as how long police video is kept and which courthouse may hear the case, depends on the city. Below is what the city, the court and the State Attorney publish. How Mr. Mead defends DUI charges is covered on the DUI page. His approach to other criminal cases is on the criminal defense page.

How does a Hollywood case move, step by step?

1. The stop. Hollywood police make the stop or arrest; towed cars are located through the police department.
2. Booking in Fort Lauderdale. Hollywood arrests are booked at the Sheriff's Central Intake Bureau in the Main Jail.
3. First appearance. Anyone not released sees a magistrate judge in Courtroom 04155, next to the jail.
4. Video and records. Body camera footage must be requested within 90 days of the incident, through the city's Public Records Center.
5. The license. After a DUI arrest, the 10-day request goes to FLHSMV's bureau office in Lauderdale Lakes.
6. Court in Hollywood or downtown. County court dates may be at the South Regional Courthouse on Hollywood Boulevard or the Central Courthouse.

Who polices Hollywood?

The Hollywood Police Department lists its headquarters at 401 S. Park Road, Hollywood, FL 33021, with a main number of 954-967-4636 and a non-emergency number of 954-764-HELP (4357) for police and fire. The city tells owners of vehicles towed by the city to call the police department at 954-764-4357 to locate and recover them. What else can happen to a car after a DUI, including the court-ordered impound, is explained in what happens to your car after a Florida DUI.

How do I get Hollywood police reports and body camera video?

The Records Unit handles offense, supplemental, accident, arrest and incident reports, and the city asks for requests through its online Public Records Center.

Two rules stand out for anyone facing a charge:

• Body camera footage is time-limited: the city says body-worn camera footage is only available up to 90 days after an incident. Review and redaction cost $35 an hour, and payment must arrive within 30 days before work begins, or the request is closed and must be filed again.
• 911 audio comes from BSO: requests for 911 recordings go to the Broward Sheriff's Office Communications, not to Hollywood police.

Crash reports are not public for the first 60 days except to people entitled to them under section 316.066, Florida Statutes, who must complete a sworn statement; the city also points to the state's crash portal, where a report costs $12. The records window at 401 S. Park Road is open Monday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to noon, at 954-967-4480. In a DUI or criminal case, a 90-day limit on video is a reason not to wait.

How do Hollywood's school zone cameras work?

The city's School Zone Safety Camera Program began at the start of the 2024 school year, after a 30-day grace period with warnings, and covers 33 public, private and charter schools. A violation is issued to drivers going 11 mph or more over the posted limit in a school zone, from 30 minutes before school starts until 30 minutes after it ends. The city says the penalty is $100 with no points, but if it is not paid on time, a Uniform Traffic Citation is issued and higher penalties, including court costs, can follow. Ordinary tickets are covered on our traffic tickets page.

What is at the South Regional Courthouse?

The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit lists the South Regional Courthouse at 3550 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, FL 33021, with normal operating hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and names Hollywood among the three satellite courthouses where county criminal judges sit. The Clerk of Courts lists traffic and misdemeanor services there, with its traffic counter in Room 200, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., excluding holidays. The State Attorney's South Satellite Office is in the same building, at (954) 831-0340. The notice to appear or court notice decides whether a case is heard here or at the Central Courthouse.

Where does a Hollywood case go after an arrest?

The first step happens downtown. Hollywood arrests are booked at the Sheriff's Central Intake Bureau in the Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, and first appearance is held in Courtroom 04155 of the courthouse next door. Our page about the Broward Central Courthouse and Main Jail explains that day and the bond window. How amounts are set is explained in how bond works in Florida. The rules for the first hearing are in what happens in the first 48 hours after an arrest.

Later dates may be at the South Regional Courthouse on Hollywood Boulevard or downtown, as the notice says. Our page on whether you must attend arraignment explains the usual first one.

What should I know about a Hollywood DUI arrest?

For a Hollywood DUI, two local offices are worth knowing. FLHSMV's licensed DUI program list includes Metro Traffic School at 2416 Hollywood Blvd. FLHSMV's Hollywood office on Sheridan Street handles motor vehicle services only, so driver license services, which FLHSMV says include reinstatements, are handled at Broward's state driver license centers. The administrative suspension starts at the arrest, with a 10-day window described in the 10-day rule for your license. The criminal side is laid out in what happens after a Florida DUI arrest. The first days are in our DUI first-week checklist. First-time defendants on other charges may want to read about Broward's diversion programs.

What changes the answer?

• Timing of a video request. Body camera footage is available only up to 90 days after an incident, according to the city.
• Which recording. 911 audio comes from BSO Communications, not from Hollywood police.
• Camera notice or citation. A school zone camera violation is $100 with no points if paid on time; otherwise a Uniform Traffic Citation follows.
• Which courthouse. The notice decides between the South Regional Courthouse and the Central Courthouse.
• A felony. Felonies are circuit court cases (s. 26.012(2)(d)).

A worked example

For example, picture a hypothetical driver stopped by Hollywood police on Hollywood Boulevard and arrested for DUI, whose car is towed. The driver is booked at Central Intake in Fort Lauderdale and released on bond. That week, the driver calls the police department at 954-764-4357 to locate the car, files a request through the Public Records Center for the body camera footage, and pays the $35-an-hour review and redaction charge within 30 days so the request is not closed. Within 10 days of the notice of suspension, the driver files a license request with FLHSMV in Lauderdale Lakes. The arraignment notice then sets the case at the South Regional Courthouse or downtown. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Waiting more than 90 days to ask for body camera footage.
• Asking Hollywood police for 911 audio, which comes from BSO.
• Missing the 30-day payment window for a records request, which closes it.
• Going to FLHSMV's Hollywood office for a driver license matter; it handles motor vehicle services only.

What to do this week

1. Request any body camera footage through the Public Records Center.
2. Locate a towed car through the police department.
3. For a DUI, count 10 days from the notice of suspension.
4. Check the notice for the courthouse and date.
5. Call a lawyer before arraignment.

Questions people ask after a Hollywood arrest

License

• The suspension hearing is covered in the DUI review hearing.
• A work license is covered in a business-purposes license.
• The Hollywood Boulevard program is on our list of licensed DUI programs.
• Interlocks are covered in interlock rules after a DUI.
• Insurance is covered in FR-44 requirements after a conviction.

Evidence

• Refusals are covered in refusing a DUI test.
• Breath testing rules are in breath test requirements.
• Blood draws are covered in blood draws after a crash.
• Drug cases are covered in DUI and medication.
• Young drivers are covered in the under-21 alcohol rule.
• Visitors should read Florida DUI for visitors.

Penalties and outcomes

• Ranges are in Florida DUI punishments.
• Crash charges are covered in DUI crashes in Florida.
• Fatal crashes are covered in DUI manslaughter law.
• Costs are in a DUI's total cost.
• A lesser plea is weighed in reckless driving reductions.
• Sealing is covered in sealing a DUI case.
• Withholds are explained in what withheld adjudication means.
• Dismissals are covered in dismissal and nolle prosequi.
• Trial deadlines are in Florida speedy trial time limits.
• Maximums are in the chart of maximum penalties.
• Felony points are in felony scoresheet rules.
• Self-defense is covered in stand-your-ground defenses.
• Carry rules are in concealed carry rules.
• A felony record and a gun are covered in felon with a gun charges.

Traffic tickets

• A Hollywood officer's ticket, unlike a school zone camera notice, can carry points; compare paying, school and a hearing.
• Hollywood drivers can count toward the limits in the Florida points rules.

Criminal traffic charges

• Hollywood suspended-license stops are covered in when driving while suspended is a crime.
• Reckless driving on Hollywood Boulevard or A1A is compared with careless driving in the reckless driving page.
• Which Hollywood citations are criminal is explained in criminal or civil traffic citations.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Hollywood Police Department?

At 401 S. Park Road, Hollywood, FL 33021; the main number is 954-967-4636.

How long does Hollywood keep body camera video?

The city says body-worn camera footage is only available up to 90 days after an incident.

Where is the South Regional Courthouse?

At 3550 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, FL 33021, with the Clerk's traffic counter in Room 200.

How much is a Hollywood school zone camera ticket?

$100 with no points, if paid on time; otherwise a Uniform Traffic Citation is issued and higher penalties can follow.

How do I get a crash report?

During the first 60 days, only people entitled under section 316.066 can get one, with a sworn statement; the city also points to the state crash portal, where a report costs $12.

Which nearby cities do we also cover?

Our Fort Lauderdale page covers the city where Broward's jail and main courthouse are. The county overview is on our Broward County page. An arrest across the county line to the south is a Miami-Dade case, covered on our Miami-Dade County page.

Who handles the case?

Criminal defense is the whole of Mr. Mead's practice, and he works with each client one-on-one rather than through a rotating team. His office is at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, Boca Raton. You can call 24 hours, and Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. See the firm overview for his background.

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

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