In Florida, depending on the type of charge you or your loved one is facing, the penalties can range anywhere from diversion, to a fine, to mandatory prison time – yes even on your first offense. However, our attorneys are proud of the fact that they do not use scare tactics to justify extremely high legal fees but instead will give you an honest assessment of what you will be facing based on your circumstances, as well as our knowledge of the type of charge(s) and the judge or prosecutor assigned to the case. It is a good idea to speak to an attorney who can give you that type of fair assessment before making a decision on how to proceed with your case. Jail time is typically NOT likely if it is a misdemeanor and you are a first time offender.
However, if your case involves a felony, particularly a felony, it is critical to speak to an attorney to discuss any minimum mandatory prison or jail time based on the particular charge. Usually mandatory jail or prison time comes into play if the crime is a drug trafficking offense (even if a first-time offense, or first offense), if the crime involved a firearm, and sometimes domestic violence crimes can carry mandatory time. Please feel free to contact one of our attorneys to discuss your specific facts so you can get a straight-forward answer to your questions.
Now, even though jail time is not an option for some cases, many of our clients care about keeping their record clean and what the impact will be of having this charge on their record when they look for employment or even a place to live. We will discuss all of these considerations with you and give you ideas on how to best protect your record and how to address any issues that come up surrounding the charge(s) while it’s still pending if employers or potential landlords bring up the fact that you have this arrest on your background check.