From our attorneys
After a Florida arrest, two early hearings shape the whole case: first appearance, where release conditions are set, and arraignment, where you enter a plea. What each hearing does, what the judge asks, and the mistakes to avoid.
Florida pretrial intervention can end a first-offense charge in a dismissal after you complete a program. Who is eligible under § 948.08, who must consent, what it costs you, and what it does and does not protect.
How to confirm an active Florida arrest warrant, why it doesn't expire on its own, and how a voluntary surrender differs from waiting to be arrested.
How bail is set after a Florida arrest, the difference between a cash bond, a surety bond, and release on your own recognizance, and when the law lets a judge deny bond entirely.
Every Florida felony sentence starts with a scoresheet: a point total built from the charge, any additional counts, injury to a victim, and criminal history. How the Criminal Punishment Code scores a case, what 44 points means, and when a judge can go below it.
No bond, no jury, and a lower burden of proof. What a Florida VOP hearing involves, and the technical violation off ramps in section 948.06.
An arrest is not a charge. How long the State Attorney has to file, what happens at arraignment, and when the speedy trial clock starts in Florida.
Only the State Attorney can drop a charge in Florida. Six paths that end a case early, including diversion, self-defense immunity and speedy trial.
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.
Why the State Attorney, not the alleged victim, controls criminal charges in Florida, what a victim's wishes can actually change, and what both sides should avoid while a case is pending.