A DUI manslaughter charge is among the most serious offenses prosecuted in Florida courts. The case against you will involve toxicology evidence, accident reconstruction, expert witnesses, and a state attorney's office determined to secure a conviction. The defense must match that effort at every stage, and then exceed it.
Florida classifies a first DUI manslaughter as a second-degree felony. Beyond the statutory maximums, the Criminal Punishment Code scores this offense at Level 8. As a result, the lowest permissible sentence under the guidelines often exceeds the statutory mandatory minimum unless a downward departure is granted. As of October 1, 2025, under Trenton's Law, a second or subsequent DUI manslaughter conviction is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Every element below must be proven by the State. Each element is a point of attack. A focused defense isolates the weakest link in the prosecution's chain of proof.
Reasonable doubt is not found in a single fact. It is constructed through methodical investigation, retained experts, and an unrelenting examination of every piece of evidence the State intends to introduce.
Direct answers to the questions most often raised by clients and family members in the first conversation about a DUI manslaughter charge.
Properly defending a DUI manslaughter case is not measured in court appearances. It is measured in retained experts (toxicologists, accident reconstructionists, biomechanical engineers) and in the hundreds of hours a trial team will spend on motion practice, deposition strategy, and trial preparation over the eighteen to twenty-four months a case typically takes to resolve.
Lafrance Golondrino Law accepts a limited number of these matters each year. Engagement requires a substantial defense retainer reflective of the work the case demands. We believe in being honest about that at the first conversation, both because it respects your time and because a defense conducted on insufficient resources is a disservice to a case where the stakes are this high.
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Call directly to speak with Houson R. Lafrance about your case. Initial conversations are confidential and protected. Time matters. Physical evidence degrades, witnesses scatter, and the State's investigators are already at work.
954-998-4567