Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Arrested for DUI in St. Augustine?
The First 10 Days Matter More Than You Think A DUI arrest in St. Johns County actually starts two separate cases. One is the criminal charge that will be handled in the St. Augustine courthouse. The other is an administrative action against your driver’s license that begins the moment the officer takes your card…. Read More »
Sealing vs. Expunging a Criminal Record
What Is the Difference? A criminal case that was dropped years ago can still cost you a job, an apartment, or a professional license, because the arrest shows up on background checks even when nothing came of it. Florida law offers a fix, but it comes with strict rules, a one-time limit, and a… Read More »
Arrested While Visiting St. Augustine?
What Out-of-Town Defendants Need to Know St. Augustine draws millions of visitors a year, and a small percentage of them leave with a criminal charge instead of a souvenir. A disorderly conduct arrest on St. George Street, a DUI on the way back to a Vilano Beach rental, or a possession charge after a… Read More »
Probation Violations in St. Johns County
Why the Rules Are Different Many people assume a probation violation is a minor matter, a slap on the wrist for a missed appointment or a late payment. In Florida it is closer to the opposite. A violation of probation exposes you to the full maximum sentence for the original offense, is decided by… Read More »
Pretrial Intervention in St. Johns County
How First-Time Offenders Can Avoid a Conviction For a first-time offender, the most important question is usually not what the sentence will be but whether there will be a conviction at all. In St. Johns County, pretrial intervention, commonly called PTI, offers a path to dismissal for eligible defendants who complete a supervised program…. Read More »
Resisting an Officer Without Violence in Florida
You’ve probably heard the term “resisting arrest” on many occasions, especially on TV or in the movies. Usually, a police officer is depicted as trying to arrest someone and the person shouts obscenities, refuses to get out of their car, refuses to be detained, or runs away from the cop. Once the officer catches… Read More »
Can I Travel Abroad with a Felony Record?
If you’re a U.S. citizen who was convicted of a felony in the past, you may be wondering if you can travel abroad with a felony on your record. This is a very good question and one that should be answered before you book your big trip. For starters, let’s discuss U.S. passports. Generally,… Read More »
COVID-19 Lockdown Could Lead to More Divorces
Ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the COVID-19 outbreak is a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the United States and many countries throughout the world have issued “stay-at-home” orders to have people isolate themselves at home in order to “flatten the curve.” Although being at home with a spouse all day… Read More »
Will My Case Go to Trial?
If you’re facing criminal charges for the first time, you probably have a lot of questions going through your mind right now. Will you be found guilty? Will you be incarcerated? How much will the fines be? Will you lose your job? And, will your case go to trial? For the purposes of this… Read More »
Can “Stand Your Ground” Always Be Used as a Defense?
Generally, Florida’s “stand your ground” law protects people from facing criminal charges if they use or threaten to use force against a person who unlawfully places them at risk of harm. The defender’s actions must be equal to those of the assailant. That means if Bill punches Tom, Tom can push or threaten to… Read More »
