Fort Lauderdale runs one of the busiest DUI dockets in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. The geography drives a lot of it — Las Olas Boulevard, the beach and A1A corridor, the marinas, and the late-night downtown entertainment district all funnel impaired-driving stops into the same courthouse — and so does enforcement intensity. Between Fort Lauderdale PD, the Broward Sheriff's Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol on I-95 and I-595, there are dozens of trained DUI investigators working a typical weekend night.
All of those cases land at the Broward County Courthouse at 201 SE 6th Street, and most of them plea-resolve within a few months of arrest. The cases that don't — the ones where the defense files real motions, where the breath instrument has a documented problem, or where the stop itself was bad — are the ones where good outcomes actually happen.
The Fort Lauderdale DUI stops I see most often
The Las Olas / downtown late-night stop. Fort Lauderdale PD patrols heavily around closing time. These stops usually begin with a minor traffic infraction — a missed signal, a roll-through — and escalate into a DUI investigation. Body-camera footage is critical, and we demand it in the first week of the case.
The beach and A1A stop. During boat shows, spring break, and event weekends, enforcement on A1A and the beach approaches spikes, and a large share of those arrested are out-of-state visitors. The logistics of defending a non-resident — minimizing court appearances, coordinating the DHSMV case — are part of the strategy from day one.
The highway stop. FHP makes a heavy share of DUI arrests on I-95 and I-595. Field sobriety exercises performed on a narrow shoulder with traffic passing at highway speed are a standard cross-examination point.
The administrative license case is separate — and the clock is shorter
Independent of the criminal case, DHSMV will administratively suspend your license. You have ten days from arrest to demand a formal review hearing. We treat that hearing not only as a way to fight the suspension but as a free, early deposition of the arresting officer — testimony we can use later in the criminal case.
Possible dispositions
- Dismissal following a granted motion to suppress (stop, statement, or breath test).
- Reduction to reckless driving ("wet reckless"), with no DUI conviction — often available where the breath reading is borderline or the field-sobriety performance is mixed.
- Diversion, where the 17th Circuit State Attorney's Office offers it for eligible first-time offenders without a criminal history.
- Plea to DUI with adjudication withheld — still a permanent DUI on the record, and the outcome we work hardest to avoid.
"I spent nearly four years as a public defender in Broward before going private, so I know the 17th Circuit DUI docket from the inside. Fort Lauderdale prosecutors will talk when the defense files real motions early — the worst thing you can do is wait until the eve of trial to challenge the stop or the breath test."
Recent Fort Lauderdale case results
Charge
DUI — Las Olas Boulevard stop, breath reading .11
Outcome
Reduced to reckless driving; no DUI conviction.
Charge
DUI with property damage — A1A near the beach
Outcome
Charges dismissed after motion to suppress the traffic stop.
Charge
DUI breath refusal — Fort Lauderdale (out-of-state tourist)
Outcome
Not guilty at jury trial.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is fact-specific.
Where Fort Lauderdale cases are heard
Broward County Courthouse (17th Judicial Circuit)
201 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
All felony arraignments and trials for Fort Lauderdale arrests are heard at the Broward County Courthouse downtown. First appearance / bond hearings are held daily before a magistrate at the Broward County Main Jail (555 SE 1st Ave) within 24 hours of arrest.
Arresting agency: Fort Lauderdale Police Department (1300 W Broward Blvd)
Fort Lauderdale DUI — Frequently Asked Questions
›Which agencies make DUI arrests in Fort Lauderdale?
Three primarily: the Fort Lauderdale Police Department inside city limits, the Broward Sheriff's Office in unincorporated areas and contract cities, and the Florida Highway Patrol on I-95, I-595, and the state highways. All of them file in the 17th Judicial Circuit, and their cases are heard at the Broward County Courthouse at 201 SE 6th Street. Their breath-test rooms, body-camera practices, and report-writing styles differ, which matters when we cross-examine the arresting officer.
›Will a Fort Lauderdale DUI show up on a background check if adjudication is withheld?
Yes. A Florida DUI conviction cannot be sealed or expunged — even with adjudication withheld. The arrest and disposition stay on FDLE and FBI background checks for life. That is why our first goal in most cases is a reduction to reckless driving (which can sometimes be sealed) rather than accepting a DUI plea.
›I was arrested for DUI on the beach as a visitor — do I have to keep coming back to Broward?
Often not. For many out-of-state and tourist defendants, we can appear on your behalf at most court dates so you do not have to fly back to Fort Lauderdale for every setting. We coordinate the DHSMV administrative case and the criminal case together to keep your appearances to a minimum.
›How fast do I need a Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer?
Within 10 days. That is the deadline to demand a formal review hearing with DHSMV to fight the automatic administrative suspension of your license. After day 10 the suspension is final and your options narrow.
›Can the State use my breath-test refusal against me?
Yes. Florida's implied-consent law lets the prosecutor argue that a refusal shows 'consciousness of guilt.' We push back by establishing the surrounding circumstances — confusion, a language barrier, a medical condition, or the officer's failure to read the implied-consent warning correctly.