Where Your Case Will Be Heard in Pasco County
Pasco County sits in the Sixth Judicial Circuit alongside Pinellas, with criminal cases heard at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. One Pasco wrinkle worth knowing: the DUI formal review hearing is handled through the Florida DHSMV office in Tampa rather than Clearwater, and the ten-day deadline to request it still applies.
That license side runs separately through the Florida DHSMV. For Pasco County, formal review hearings are held at the Tampa Bureau of Administrative Reviews (the BAR) on East Hillsborough Avenue, which also handles Hillsborough, Pasco, and several nearby counties. Demanding that hearing within the ten-day window is the only way to fight the suspension, and it is an early chance to put the arresting officer under oath. We file the formal review demand and appear at the Tampa BAR for you.
I am Rory Safir, and I defend DUI and criminal cases across Pasco County, in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. I began my career as an Assistant Public Defender in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, and I am one of only six attorneys in Florida recognized as a Forensic Lawyer-Scientist by the American Chemical Society. On the breath and blood chemistry I am trained in, I read the raw data myself, and on DNA, digital, and other evidence I bring in the right expert. The firm is based in St. Petersburg and works remotely, so distance is never a reason to settle for less. Learn more about my background.
DUI and Criminal Defense Across Pasco County
Pasco stretches from the Gulf coast across to its eastern farming towns, and the long US-19 corridor and the growth around Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes both draw steady traffic enforcement. DUI stops, drug arrests out of traffic stops, and license cases are common here, and the same forensic questions that win a case in a big-city court win one in Pasco.
We defend cases throughout Pasco, including New Port Richey, Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, and Trinity.
Spring events like the Chasco Fiesta in New Port Richey, along with the busy US-19 corridor, tend to bring extra DUI patrols on weekend nights. And with the Gulf coast and the Cotee River right here, boating under the influence is its own charge with its own rules around the stop, the testing, and the roles of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard; our Pasco County boating under the influence page covers it.
Pasco County by the Numbers
Pasco is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida, now home to about 675,000 residents. Rapid growth along the Interstate 75 and US-19 corridors, from Wesley Chapel to the Gulf, has brought rising traffic and rising enforcement across the Sixth Judicial Circuit’s east and west courthouses. Population figures are from the latest U.S. Census estimates and are approximate.
How We Help
Whatever the charge, the work starts with the evidence: the stop, the search, the testing, and the witnesses. Here is where we can help in Pasco County.
Cities and Communities We Serve in Pasco County
From the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey to the Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City, we defend DUI and criminal cases across Pasco:
Local Law Enforcement and the Pasco County Jail
Arrests in Pasco County come from several agencies, including the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office along with the New Port Richey, Port Richey, Dade City, and Zephyrhills police departments, plus the Florida Highway Patrol on US-19 and Interstate 75.
After a Pasco arrest, booking runs through Pasco County Corrections at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center on Central Boulevard. Visitation is handled by video rather than in person, with free onsite video visits at the facility and fee-based remote visits scheduled through the jail’s vendor. As your attorney, I can set up a private video visit so we can talk through the case early. Inmate search and visitation information are on the Pasco County inmate services site.
Treatment Courts and Diversion in Pasco County
Not every case has to end in a conviction. The Sixth Judicial Circuit, which covers Pasco, runs a range of diversion programs and treatment courts that can lead to a dismissal or a reduced charge for the right case: pretrial intervention for many first-time misdemeanor and non-violent felony charges, the Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion program that can resolve an eligible misdemeanor before charges are ever filed, and the DROP program for a first DUI. For cases driven by addiction, mental illness, or military service, the circuit also runs Adult Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Treatment Court. Eligibility is specific, and entering a program means giving up certain rights, so we walk through the tradeoffs with you before deciding whether diversion or fighting the charge is the better path. The Sixth Circuit State Attorney publishes its own overview of these programs, including options beyond DUI, on its site.
DUI School in Pasco County
If your Pasco County case ends in a DUI conviction, or you simply need your license back, Florida will require you to complete DUI school. The licensed program assigned to Pasco County is Pride Integrated Services, based in New Port Richey and Zephyrhills, and the course comes in a twelve-hour Level 1 for a first offense and a twenty-one-hour Level 2 for repeat offenses, each with a substance-abuse evaluation built in. DUI school is also a condition of the Sixth Circuit’s DROP diversion program for eligible first offenses, so finishing it on time helps protect that resolution. We point you to the right provider, make sure you can register without delay, and keep the timing lined up with your court and license deadlines. Our Florida DUI school guide walks through exactly what to expect.
What to Do After a Pasco County Arrest
If you have just been arrested in Pasco County, a few things matter more than anything else. Stay calm and stay quiet, because you have the right to remain silent and using it is not an admission of anything. Do not consent to a search of your car, your phone, or your home. If a DUI is involved, the clock is already running: you generally have ten days to act to protect your driving privilege, and missing that window can cost you your license before your case is ever heard in court. Write down everything you remember about the stop, the testing, and what the officers said while it is fresh, since those details often decide a case. Then call us. The sooner we are involved, the more of your Pasco County case we can protect, and the first consultation is free and available any hour of the day.
How We Defend Pasco County Cases
We get the full file rather than the summary, test the science with the right expert, press the constitutional issues around the stop and the search, and tell your whole story in negotiation and, when needed, at trial. It is the same forensic-first approach in every county we serve.
Working a case in Pasco County also means knowing the local courts and what truly moves a matter here, from an early conversation with the State Attorney to a fully built mitigation package when the facts are hard. We map out the path with you at the start, in plain language, so you always know what comes next and never feel like just another case number in the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
Common Questions
Do you handle DUI and criminal cases in Pasco County?
Yes. We defend DUI and the full range of criminal charges in Pasco County, including drug, theft, violent, weapons, domestic violence, and probation matters, along with sealing and expunging.
Do you cover both sides of Pasco County?
Yes, west and east. We handle cases at both the New Port Richey and Dade City courthouses, and we appear wherever your case is set.
What makes your Pasco County DUI defense different?
I am one of only six attorneys in Florida recognized as an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist, and I read the breath, blood, and urine science myself rather than taking the State’s report at face value. That scientific read is where many Pasco County cases turn.
How fast should I call after a Pasco County arrest?
As soon as possible. A DUI arrest starts a ten-day clock to protect your license, evidence can be lost, and the earlier we are involved, the more of your case we can protect. The first consultation is free and we are available 24/7.
Do you handle injury cases in Pasco County too?
Yes. Alongside our DUI and criminal work, we handle serious personal injury and crash cases in Pasco County.
Where is my DUI license hearing held for a Pasco County arrest?
The administrative suspension of your license is handled by the Florida DHSMV, not the criminal court. Formal review hearings are held at the Tampa Bureau of Administrative Reviews on East Hillsborough Avenue, which serves Hillsborough, Pasco, and several nearby counties. You have only ten days from the arrest to demand that hearing, so it is worth calling right away.
Is there a diversion program for a first DUI in Pasco County?
For an eligible first DUI, the Sixth Judicial Circuit offers the DROP program, which can reduce a DUI to reckless driving after you complete enhanced conditions. Eligibility is specific and decided by the State Attorney, so we review whether it fits your case or whether fighting the charge is the better path.
This page is general information about Florida law and our service area, not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Court structure and procedure in Pasco County are summarized and can change, so confirm details with counsel about your own case. Every case turns on its own facts, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
