Probation Defense
Violation hearings have no jury, often no bond, and a lower standard of proof. They deserve to be taken seriously.
Read moreIf you have been arrested or charged, the days right after matter more than almost anything else. The sooner someone is looking at your case, the more can be done with it.
Pick the closest match, or just call. We would rather talk to you before you have figured out what to call it.
Violation hearings have no jury, often no bond, and a lower standard of proof. They deserve to be taken seriously.
Read moreA DUI starts two cases at once. The deadline to protect your driver license is measured in days.
Read moreAn old arrest shows up on background checks even when the charges were dropped. Often it can be cleared.
Read moreFrom simple possession to trafficking. How the evidence was obtained usually matters more than what was found.
Read moreAssault, battery, and domestic cases, including self defense and the no contact orders that come first.
Read morePetit and grand theft, shoplifting, and fraud. Value and intent are both more arguable than people assume.
Read moreFirst: you do not have to explain yourself to the police. People facing charges very often believe that if they simply tell their side of the story, the misunderstanding will clear up. In practice, statements given without a lawyer present are used against people far more often than they help them. You can be polite, give your name, and say that you would like to speak with a lawyer. That is not an admission of anything.
Second: evidence disappears. Surveillance video is overwritten on a schedule, sometimes within a couple of weeks. Witnesses move and forget. Injuries heal before anyone photographs them. A large part of what a defense lawyer does early on is simply preserving what exists before it is gone.
If you are not a United States citizen, a criminal case is also an immigration case. A plea that seems like a good deal in criminal court can quietly create a removal problem. Because we practice in both areas, we look at the two together rather than solving one and creating the other.
We are members of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and we handle matters in state and federal court.