Florida Highway Patrol doesn’t issue tickets in crashes with two government vehicles

The Florida Highway Patrol apparently has one set of rules when government vehicles are involved in crashes and another for all other incidents, according to a First Coast News report. Last week, a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective was in an unmarked car when he slammed into a Florida Highway Patrol car. The JSO officer was listed at fault, according to the television news report, but the driver was not ticketed for careless driving or any other traffic infraction in Jacksonville. Instead of getting a ticket, an FHP spokesman told the television station the agency’s policy is to stay out of any discipline and let the driver’s government agency handle it. That changes if there’s an injury or private property damage, but if the only damage is to a government vehicle, no tickets are issued.

Trust our Jacksonville traffic violation attorneys, if you’re not a police officer and you smash into a highway patrol officer, you’ll have a ticket to answer to. You are not only facing a ticket, but could also be under suspicion for DUI or Driving Under the Influence in Jacksonville. Our Jacksonville DUI Attorney has represented many clients who have been arrested for driving under the influence in Duval County following a traffic crash. Once a traffic accident occurs, the first thing the officer at the scene looks for are signs of impairment. Signs of impairment could be red/bloodshot eyes, watery eyes, smelling like alcohol, inability to stand straight, and smelling like alcohol. If the police officer observes any of these signs, he or she will almost assuredly ask you to perform field sobriety exercises. These “tests” designed to give the officer ammunition against you in a Florida criminal DUI case. The exercises are the “walk and turn”, “finger to nose”, “one leg stand”, and reciting the alphabet. If the officer says you failed, you will be headed to jail. Once at the Duval County jail, also called the Pretrial Detention Facility, you will be asked to blow into the breathilizer. It is your choice, but know that if you do not blow, your license will be suspended for twelve months. Even if your Jacksonville DUI case is dropped, your license will still be suspended. That is why it is so important to discuss your Jacksonville criminal traffic case with an experienced Jacksonville criminal attorney.

Traffic offenses and penalties can add up quickly. They can send insurance rates climbing and even result in your license being suspended. Most people choose to just pay the ticket and move on. But, by doing that, you are admitting guilt and accepting the fine and points that come with the offense. Our Jacksonville criminal defense law firm has defended hundreds of people on traffic offenses and can look at the ticket to determine if there’s a chance the penalties can be reduced. If you’re not a law enforcement officer who won’t be written a ticket even if you crash into a patrol car, our attorneys might be able to help.

If you need a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call Mussallem and Associate, PA at 904-365-5200 for a free consultation. A Jacksonville Criminal Attorney is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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