Contact Us (941) 358-5400

Even If You've Already Left Florida, We Can Help

Florida is a great place to visit and plays host to millions of tourists every year. Our biggest tourist season is during the winter months, when the white sand beaches call to housebound northerners. But all year round, our roads are filled with visitors from other states and other countries. When a DUI mars your vacation, sometimes you don't have time to find a lawyer before your plane leaves to go back home.

We are happy to deal with "long-distance" relationships. We regularly represent people who left the State of Florida before we ever spoke. We can do our paperwork by email, and give you some good advice in order to get your life back to normal.

Traveling Home

For a lot of people, the scariest thing about a vacation DUI is going to the airport without a Drivers License. Relax. The Transportation Security Administration deals with this situation on a regular basis. Just get to the airport an hour or so earlier than normal, and let the TSA know what the problem is.

Even if you do not have any government-issued photo ID, you will be able to get onto your plane. However, you will get some extra scrutiny. Be prepared for an interview, and to show the TSA investigators whatever ID you DO have, including credit cards, library cards, health insurance cards and the like.  You should also have a copy of your DUI citation, so that you can corroborate the reason for not having your standard identification. The TSA can use other available public databases to confirm your identity, but there may be some delay, so arrive early.

Working Long Distance

If you contact us after you have returned home, we will consult with you by phone and will email you all of the information you need so that we can start work defending your case.  If necessary, we can meet "face-to-face" by Facetime or Zoom, so that you can feel comfortable with what we are doing for you.

In general, our clients do not have to appear for routine court appearances, and if they are out of town, the judges are understanding, so long as we show them that we are taking the matter seriously and making progress toward a resolution. And if we can work out a case through plea negotiation, you can enter a "plea in absentia," so that you can resolve the entire case without having to return to the Sunshine State. 

Most clients who are put on probation can report by mail, so that the entire situation can run its course without you ever having to come back.

So if you just got home from Florida, and now are wondering what to do next about your DUI arrest, call us today. Our number is (941) 358-5400, or you can contact us through our Contact page on this website.

Copyright 2003-2022  Law Office of Thomas S. Hudson, P.A. All Rights Reserved

Why We're Different

Board Certification as a DUI Specialist by the National College for DUI Defense. Formal NHTSA Certification as an Instructor of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests given by police in DUI cases. Formal training as a NHTSA Drug Recognition Evaluator. ("Drug Evaluation & Classification") Formal training to operate the Intoxilyzer 8000, Florida's official breath test instrument. Extensive experience in teaching other attorneys how to handle DUI cases. Hundreds of jury trials both as defense lawyer and as prosecutor.

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