From our attorneys
Grand theft in Florida starts at $750 and climbs to a 30-year felony at $100,000 — and some property, like cars and firearms, is grand theft at any value. How § 812.014 grades the charge, how value is actually proven, and where the defense fights.
Fraud charges in Florida usually mean organized fraud or communications fraud under § 817.034 — and organized fraud is a felony at any dollar amount, with no misdemeanor tier. How the charges are graded, how they differ from theft, why counts multiply, and when the case turns federal.
Pending criminal charges mean a case is open but not resolved — and in Florida, an arrest is not the same as a formal charge. The State Attorney decides whether to file, strict deadlines govern how long that decision can take, and the speedy trial clock now starts when formal charges are filed. The full timeline, stage by stage.
In Florida, only the State Attorney can drop a criminal charge and only a judge can dismiss one — but there are established paths that push a case toward that result: the filing decision, pretrial diversion under § 948.08, motions to dismiss, self-defense immunity, and speedy trial. How each one works and what to avoid while a case is pending.
Identity theft in Florida is charged as criminal use of personal identification information under § 817.568 — a felony from the very first offense, with mandatory minimum prison terms as the dollar amounts and victim counts climb, and a federal system that adds a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. How the charges are graded and what actually matters in the defense.
Florida has no separate crime called embezzlement — it is prosecuted as theft under § 812.014, and the dollar amount decides whether that means a misdemeanor or a 30-year felony. How the charges are graded, when the case turns federal, and what actually matters in the defense.
Florida divides misdemeanors into two degrees — up to 1 year in county jail for a first-degree misdemeanor, 60 days for a second-degree. The common charges at each level, when a misdemeanor becomes a felony, and why a “minor” charge still creates a permanent criminal record.
In Florida, agreeing with someone to commit a crime is itself a crime — even if the planned offense never happens. How conspiracy charges are ranked and punished under state and federal law, what prosecutors must prove, and the defenses that apply.
A no-contact order in a Florida criminal case can only be changed by the judge — not by the alleged victim, and not by private agreement. What the order prohibits, how to ask the court to modify it, and how it differs from a civil injunction.
Domestic violence is not a single crime in Florida — it's a designation that changes arrest, bond, jail minimums, probation, record sealing, and gun rights. What the accused and the accuser both need to know.