What is the DETER Program for DUI’s?
The Driver Enhanced Treatment Education Rehabilitation (the DETER Program) is a program for people arrested and charged with Driving Under The Influence for the first time. If the defendant successfully completes the program, the State Attorney’s Office will reduce the DUI to a Reckless Driving with Alcohol as a Significant Factor charge. The State Attorney’s Office will also offer a withhold of adjudication (as opposed to a conviction of guilt) on the Reckless Driving charge.
Does my DUI qualify for the DETER Program?
In order to be eligible for the DETER Program, the defendant must meet the following conditions:
1. Be charged with a Misdemeanor DUI only (no felony DUI charges are allowed in the program).
2. The DUI cannot have any aggravating factors (such as a minor in the car, a blood alcohol content over .20, or a car accident).
3. First-time DUI offenders only (no prior DUI charges). (Also, cannot have a prior reckless driving where alcohol was a factor, a prior driving on a suspended driver’s license that involved serious bodily injury or death, or a prior vehicular homicide)
4. No felony charges within the past 5 years from the date of the DUI offense. (If the felony case was dropped, you may still qualify).
5. Cannot have a pending: Florida driver’s license suspension, a pending DUI case, a pending DWLS with serious bodily injury or death case, a pending vehicular homicide case, and you cannot already have participated in a DUI diversion program.
Soler & Simon offers reduced legal fees for those charged with crimes for the first time, this also includes those charged with DUI for the first time.
If you have any further questions regarding the DETER program or would like our DUI attorneys to review your case and let you know if the DETER program may be a good option for you, please call us for a free case evaluation. Also, please visit our Driving Under The Influence page for more information about DUI’s and the DUI lawyers at our law firm.