We told you weeks ago about the looming increase in fees for driver license and vehicle registration renewals. We said get it done early but you didn’t listen did you? Thousands of Florida drivers who are eligible to renew licenses and registrations before the almost 50% fee increases take effect on September 1. So many citizens have tried to renew online that the Department of Motor Vehicle website crashed Friday. (read more)
There have been long lines all over the state including here in Manatee County. There were 60 people waiting in line near DeSoto Square Mall Friday morning and over 7,000 online transactions were processed Tuesday, almost double the number from the previous day. This is the first time these fees have been increased in 20 years.
If you have been involved in a traffic accident anywhere in Florida please do not hesitate to contact Florida Traffic Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping by our comprehensive website.

State law in Florida requires that drivers found guilty of certain traffic violations twice in a 12-month period be required to take a driver-improvement course. That law will be changing on October 1st when driver’s who run a red-light, who are involved in highway racing, get cited for reckless driving or for failing to stop for a school bus will be required to take the four-hour class. (read more)
Drivers who are cited for those infractions currently have the option to take the course in order to keep points off their driving record. This law will make that mandatory and failing to comply will result in a license suspension. The law also includes a fine increase of $65 for three of the four violations, the exception is running red lights.
Stephen Higgins, a traffic lawyer in Tampa, questioned whether a driving school mandate will solve the problem.
“It’s a slippery slope because people are not only going to be required to pay the ticket, but now the state is also going to expect them to attend driver improvement school,” said Higgins. “Driver Improvement school is an added cost to the citizens of Hillsborough County, not to mention the fact that it takes 4 hours to complete the school – taking people’s time away from working or spending time with their family.”
If you have received a traffic ticket anywhere in Florida please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced Traffic Attorneys at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-348-4848) to discuss the matter. Also you can contact us by visiting our website dedicated to ticket defense all over the state of Florida.

If you read our blog here at Finebloom & Haenel you know that texting and driving is a subject we have been following closely. It has the attention of the Obama Administration and it is now getting set to take center stage in Florida as well. Fox 13 reporter Doug Smith reported this week that state representative Doug Holder of Sarasota will try for a third time to pass a bill banning texting while driving. (read more)
While Holder has been unsuccessful in his previous two attempts this month to get a law passed he believes the third time will be a charm. His case will be bolstered by numerous studies that have been released recently that show the practice of distracted driving is exponentially more dangerous than even drunk driving. If Holder’s bill passes, the ticket will carry a $30 fine.
Texting and driving is not yet illegal but if you have received a traffic ticket anywhere in Florida please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Traffic Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Just before noon Monday on U.S. 19 in New Port Richey two mothers got the scare of a lifetime when a fellow driver pulled out a shotgun and aimed it at them. The driver of the other car was identified as 28-year-old Matthew Tweel who allegedly took aim at the car with his finger on the trigger and pointed the gun into the car with the two mothers and their children. (read more)
The pair wanted to talk to Tweel and alert him that they had three children in their car and his driving was unsafe due to his speeding and near accident with the couple when he cut them off. When they got next to Tweel they saw he had the shotgun pointed right at them. They called 911 and New Port Richey Police apprehended Tweel. After searching his car, police say they found a 12 gauge shotgun, .40 caliber pistol and controlled substances Diazepam and Hydrocodone.
If you have been charged with a crime in St. Petersburg, please do not hesitate to contact Pinellas Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our new Pinellas County office located at 4500 140th Avenue North Suite #219.

Are Orlando’s red light cameras unconstitutional? That is what a class action suit filed in Orange County is claiming. The city claimed the cameras, which were installed in September, are there to save lives but the lawsuit alleges that their only purpose is to generate revenue. (read more)
There is only one named plaintiff in the suit filed by a West Palm Beach attorney. The suit claims that the red light cameras do not identify drivers only cars and the owner of the car is presumed guilty, which is the opposite of the standard which is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If the suit is certified as a class action, more plaintiffs are expected to be added.
If you have a traffic ticket in in Florida, we can help. Please do not hesitate to contact Traffic Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT to discuss the matter or visit our website fightyourtickets.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email.