Cops Witness Driver without License Dropping off Prostitute at Motel

The Charges

Officers arrested a driver allegedly dropping off a prostitute at a motel under surveillance. The driver possessed a business purpose only driver’s license. Officers arrested and charged the defendant with driving on a suspended or revoked license.

Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License in Florida

Driving on a suspended or revoked license is a criminal offense in Florida that is labeled as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances of the case. Penalties for a first offense could be a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by a maximum of 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. A second offense could be labeled as a first-degree misdemeanor, with penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail. A third offense could be considered a third-degree felony, which is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and a maximum of 5 years in prison. 

If an individual has three or more offenses within a period of five years, they will be labeled as a habitual traffic offender. One will need to wait one full year before applying for a hardship license if they have been labeled in this way. 

There are many reasons as to why a license could be suspended or revoked. This could include:

• Too many points on a driving record
• DUI arrest or conviction
• Behind in child support payments
• Petit theft conviction
• Drug-related conviction
• Failure to appear in court
• Failure to pay any fines or court costs
• Plea to racing on highways charge
• Habitual traffic offender classification 
• Failure to have continuous insurance

Defenses to Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License

There are many defenses to driving on a suspended or revoked license. These include:

• The accused was not really driving
• The vehicle was not a motor vehicle
• The accused had no idea of the suspension
• There were legal challenges to the validity of the traffic stop

Musca Law

If you have been charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license, it is in your best interest to hire an attorney to assist you in your case. Traffic and criminal offenses are more complex than you may think. At Musca Law, we serve the entire state of Florida. We have offices in many different cities and accept phone calls 24 hours per day in order to be accessible when and where you most need our services. We will negotiate with the prosecution on your behalf. Many of our clients have seen charges completely dropped or lowered. Our attorneys will put together a strong defense after reviewing your case. We look forward to hearing from you and scheduling a no-obligation free initial consultation. 

RESULT: The defense cast doubt on the reasons for the police stop. The attorney convinced the State that the client did not violate the conditions of his license because he was on his way home from work at the time of the arrest. The strategy of the defense paid off and the State DROPPED all of the charges.