Many drivers accused of DUI / DWI in Florida are understandably nervous about taking their cases to trial. However, in some cases a jury trial can be avoided by a carefully negotiated plea bargain. One possible outcome involves pleading guilty to a charge known as “wet-reckless.” A Florida attorney who focuses on drunk driving defense can advise whether a wet-reckless is possible or desirable in each individual case.  

Prosecutors sometimes offer plea bargains when their case against the driver isn’t very strong. But a plea bargain should be just what the name implies – a bargain for both sides. The prosecutor is relieved of the burden of taking the case to trial. The driver pleads guilty in exchange for a lesser charge, a reduced sentence, or both.

Wet-reckless is another name for alcohol-related reckless driving. Many drivers who plead guilty to wet-reckless will also see their insurance rates rise significantly, because most insurance companies view wet-reckless the same as a driving under the influence conviction; and the driver will pay considerably more for car insurance.

Despite the repercussions, a wet-reckless plea is superior to a drunk driving conviction in nearly every way. The charge carries no alcohol education requirement, no mandatory license suspension, and no SR-22 filing required if the driver wins his or her DMV hearing. The best news is that wet-reckless isn’t priorable as a DUI / DWI offense – if the motorist is arrested for drunk driving again, the wet-reckless conviction doesn’t count as a prior drinking and driving conviction.

Prosecutors most often offer to reduce a DUI / DWI charge to wet-reckless when the driver had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .10 percent or less. Wet-reckless carries less severe court punishment than a DUI conviction.