DUI arrests in Seminole County have been decreasing over the years. It has not been a straight decline but it has been a downward trend. DUI arrests in Seminole County peaked in 2008 with 1269 arrests. The 2016 arrest total is the lowest since records have been available online at the DHSMV website. Records have been available since 2003. The fact that less people have been arrested is meaningless if you have been arrested for a Seminole County DUI. The reality is that the number of misdemeanor prosecutors in Sanford has not changed. If you are arrested for a DUI you will need a Seminole County DUI Attorney. Each misdemeanor prosecutor is now handling around 65 DUI cases per year. In 2008 the 10 misdemeanor prosecutors handled nearly 1269 DUI cases or around 120 a year.
Not all DUI cases are misdemeanors so it is not as simple as dividing the total number by the number of prosecutors. Most DUI cases will be resolved in county court as misdemeanors. Some DUI cases are felony eligible and will be filed as felony cases. These include a third DUI with one prior in the last 10 years, fourth or subsequent DUI cases, serious bodily injury and death cases will be handled in felony court. Some DUI cases are also attached to a fleeing and eluding, felony drug possession, resisting with violence or other felonies.
The bottom line is if you are arrested for a DUI in Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary, Longwood, Sanford, Winter Springs or the surrounding areas in Seminole County you need an experienced DUI defense attorney. For a misdemeanor prosecutor DUI cases and domestic violence cases are the most time consuming. DUI case load is lower per prosecutor giving them more time to focus on each case. Combine that with driving on a suspended license cases decreasing and most misdemeanor prosecutors tend to be less aggressive on misdemeanor marijuana cases as public opinion changes. This does not mean that a DUI case cannot be defended. It is just less likely that a DUI will be reduced because a prosecutor is unable to focus the time on a case.