DUI and criminal defense lawyer for Jupiter cases

Jupiter's town code and police department shape how a local case begins, and the county's courts take it from there. This page gathers what the town, the court and the State Attorney publish. Mr. Mead's approach to DUI is on the DUI defense page. Other charges are listed in the criminal defense practice areas.

How does a Jupiter case move, step by step?

1. The stop. Jupiter police on land or, on the Intracoastal, the department's Marine Unit.
2. First appearance. A person not released sees a judge at the jail on Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach within 24 hours.
3. Records and video. Requests go online to the Records Department or the Property and Digital Evidence Unit at 196 Military Trail.
4. The license. After a DUI arrest, the 10-day request goes to FLHSMV's bureau office in Lauderdale Lakes.
5. North County Courthouse. Jupiter's mandatory-hearing citations and county criminal cases go to PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens.
6. Trial. A jury trial request moves the case to West Palm Beach.

Who polices Jupiter?

The town says its police department has 122 sworn officers and 35 civilian staff, organized into a Patrol Bureau, an Operations Support Bureau and an Administrative Services Bureau. The Patrol Bureau covers patrol, traffic enforcement, beach patrol, marine patrol, the K-9 unit and code compliance, among other duties. The department's Marine Unit patrols the Intracoastal waters and enforces violations it observes there.

The department also runs a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team, founded in 2020, with nine pilots certified under the Federal Aviation Administration's Part 107 rules. The town says the team flies to locate missing persons, capture fleeing suspects and support officers on tactical operations.

Which town rules lead to tickets or charges in Jupiter?

Chapter 4 of the Code of the Town of Jupiter regulates alcohol, and some of its rules differ from those of nearby cities:

That beach exception is narrow: it covers the container, not driving afterward. Florida's DUI law applies the same way after a day at the beach as anywhere else, and the penalties are set out on our page about Florida DUI penalties.

How do I get a Jupiter police report or video?

The department's main number is 561-746-6201 and its non-emergency line is 561-799-4445. The town says its Records Department is in the lobby of the police department at 196 Military Trail, Jupiter, FL 33458, and that public records requests and digital evidence requests are submitted online. The Records Department answers general records questions at 561-741-2296, and the Property and Digital Evidence Unit answers questions about digital evidence at 561-741-2251. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays, and the Records Department also processes payment for parking tickets. For crash reports, the town notes that under section 316.066, Florida Statutes, only the people listed on the report can get a copy during the first 60 days; after that, anyone may request one.

Where does a Jupiter case go after an arrest?

Under Administrative Order 4.603, Jupiter is in the Northern Region, so its county criminal cases are heard at the North County Courthouse, 3188 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, where the State Attorney holds misdemeanor, criminal traffic and DUI arraignments and non-jury trials every week. If a jury trial is requested, the State Attorney says the case moves to the main courthouse in West Palm Beach.

Before any of that, a person held after arrest sees a judge at first appearance on Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach, the stage covered by what happens in the first 48 hours after an arrest. Bond is explained in how bond works in Florida. The North County Courthouse's Clerk counter and parking are described on our Palm Beach Gardens page. License reviews after a DUI arrest go to FLHSMV's Bureau of Administrative Reviews in Lauderdale Lakes. An arrest across the county line in Martin County is booked and heard in Stuart instead, as our Martin County page explains.

What should I know about a Jupiter DUI arrest?

A Jupiter DUI follows the same state rules as any Florida DUI, with a local twist on timing: some first-time defendants may be offered the State Attorney's program, which must be accepted at arraignment at a satellite courthouse such as North County. Its terms are on our page about the Palm Beach County first-time DUI program. The license deadline is explained in how to keep your license within 10 days. The steps are in what happens after a DUI arrest in Florida. The first days are in a first-week checklist. For other charges, the first court date is explained in whether you have to go to arraignment. First offenses may qualify for pretrial diversion in Palm Beach and Broward.

What changes the answer?

• Where the drink was opened. Town Code section 4-5 treats streets, parking areas, the area within 500 feet of a commercial parking lot and public beaches differently, as the table shows.
• Which part of town. Bar hours end at 2:00 a.m. on property designated High Density Residential, Mixed-Use, Inlet Village Flex or Riverwalk Flex, and at 3:00 a.m. elsewhere (s. 4-1).
• Land or water. The Marine Unit patrols the Intracoastal and enforces observed violations there.
• Crash reports. For the first 60 days only the parties listed can get a copy, under section 316.066.
• A felony. Felonies are circuit court cases (s. 26.012(2)(d)), not North County misdemeanor matters.

A worked example

For example, picture a hypothetical driver who spends an afternoon at a Jupiter beach, drinking from plastic cups, which the town code's beach exception allows, and is stopped by Jupiter police while driving home. The officer arrests the driver for DUI after a 0.10 breath test. The beach exception does not matter to the DUI charge, which follows state law. After release, the driver submits a digital evidence request online for any recordings of the stop, and, because there was no crash, a crash report is not at issue. The license request goes to Lauderdale Lakes within 10 days, and the arraignment is at the North County Courthouse, where the State Attorney's first-time program plea would be entered if the driver is approved. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Assuming the beach container exception allows open containers in a beach parking lot or near a business's lot.
• Staying at a bar past 2:00 a.m. in a district where the earlier closing time applies.
• Expecting a crash report before 60 days without being a party listed on it.
• Going to the West Palm Beach courthouse when the notice says North County.

What to do this week

1. Submit any records or digital evidence request online.
2. For a DUI, count 10 days from the notice of suspension.
3. Read the notice for the North County Courthouse date.
4. Keep the bond and tow paperwork together.
5. Call a lawyer before the arraignment.

Questions people ask after a Jupiter arrest

License and records

• The administrative hearing is explained in a DUI license review.
• Work driving is covered in restricted licenses after a DUI.
• Course locations for north county residents are on our list of DUI programs in the two counties.
• Interlock rules are in the interlock requirement.
• Insurance is covered in FR-44 insurance.

Evidence

• Declining a test is covered in breath test refusals.
• Instrument rules are in breath test regulations.
• Blood after a crash is covered in blood testing after a crash.
• Drug-related impairment is covered in drug DUI in Florida.
• Young drivers are covered in the rules for drivers under 21.
• Seasonal visitors should read an out-of-state license after a Florida DUI.

Penalties and outcomes

• Crash-related charges are in DUI collisions.
• Fatal crash charges are in DUI manslaughter.
• Costs are itemized in the price of a DUI.
• A towed car is covered in DUI vehicle orders.
• A reduced charge is weighed in pleading to reckless driving.
• Sealing is covered in sealing a DUI.
• Withholds are explained in withheld adjudication.
• Dismissals are covered in dropping criminal charges.
• Trial deadlines are in speedy trial in Florida.
• Maximums are in penalty limits by degree.
• Felony points are in the scoresheet page.
• Self-defense is covered in stand-your-ground immunity hearings.
• Carry rules are in permitless concealed carry.
• Felony records and guns are covered in the felon in possession charge.

Traffic tickets

• A Jupiter traffic citation still goes through the Palm Beach Clerk; compare paying, traffic school and a hearing.
• Jupiter drivers can check how close they are to a suspension in the points guide.

Criminal traffic charges

• Jupiter drivers stopped while suspended should read the suspended license page.
• A Jupiter reckless driving charge is compared with careless driving in reckless versus careless.
• Whether a Jupiter citation is a crime is explained in criminal or civil traffic tickets.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Jupiter Police Department?

At 196 Military Trail, Jupiter, FL 33458; the main number is 561-746-6201 and the non-emergency line 561-799-4445.

Which court hears a Jupiter DUI?

The North County Courthouse, 3188 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, because AO 4.603 places Jupiter in the Northern Region.

Can I drink on a Jupiter beach?

Town Code section 4-5(d)(4) exempts drinking on public beach areas from the open container rule when the drink is in an aluminum or plastic container.

When do bars close in Jupiter?

At 3:00 a.m., or 2:00 a.m. on property in the listed districts, under section 4-1.

How do I get Jupiter police video?

Through an online digital evidence request; questions go to the Property and Digital Evidence Unit at 561-741-2251.

Who handles the case?

Mr. Mead's practice is devoted entirely to criminal defense, and he works one-on-one with each client. The office is at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, Boca Raton; you can call 24 hours, and Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. His background is on the firm overview page. The rest of the county is covered on our Palm Beach County page.

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

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