Boating Under the Influence (BUI)
Boating is a favorite past time in Florida. Each year, countless people choose to take advantage of the state’s perfect weather conditions by taking their motor boats, sail boats, yachts, and jet skis out onto the water. Boating is a leisurely recreational activity that many people choose to partake in with both their family and friends. However, even though boating is considered a “fun” activity, it is important to remember that it is an activity that involves great responsibility.
Boats are classified as vessels and are similar to motor vehicles. Just as it is illegal for a person to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, it is also illegal for a person to operate a water craft while impaired by drugs and/or alcohol.
Florida law states that it is illegal for any person to operate a vessel while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Any person who is believed to be boating under the influence will have to consent to chemical testing to determine his/her blood alcohol concentration. If a person’s blood alcohol concentration is found to be 0.08% or higher, he/she can be arrested for boating under the influence. Additionally, the person can face further criminal charges if he/she is under the legal age of 21, has caused property damage, has other drug and/or alcohol related offenses on his/her record, or has caused bodily harm to another person.
If you have been charged with BUI in Florida, it is imperative that you consult with a professional criminal defense attorney immediately. If convicted of BUI, you can be sentenced with jail time, fines, probation, community service, and mandatory drug/alcohol treatment. Additionally, your boat may be impounded and you may lose your right to operate your boat or any other vessel in the future. With the legal consequences being so adverse, you cannot afford to be without representation from a skilled BUI defense lawyer, like the lawyers at The Law Office of Lowell J. Kuvin.
The penalties for BUI are the same as for DUI. Follow this link to see a list of the standard mandatory minimums.
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