Been Charged with a Criminal Offense in Florida?
Facing criminal prosecution in Florida, especially one involving a weapons charge, can be a complex and confusing process for you and your family. The consequences of a conviction can be devastating, including prison time, fines and restitution, and loss of your voting rights if convicted of a felony. Your liberty and financial security are at stake. Choosing the right criminal defense attorney can make a difference. Here’s why Sando Law, P.A. servicing South Florida, including Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, or Monroe counties, should be your Florida defense lawyers.
Drew Sando is an experienced criminal defense attorney who intimately knows how the criminal system operates. He was a prosecutor, twice named “Best Prosecutor.” What that means to you is that Sando Law, P.A. understands the criminal justice process as well as all of the players—police and investigators, prosecutors, judges, and probation officers. Unlike other criminal defense offices, Sando Law, P.A. is a low-volume firm, affording each client our full attention and resources. The advice you get at Sando Law, P.A. is accurate, realistic, and trustworthy. We care about our clients and understand how important your case is to you and your family.
Florida has liberal weapons laws, but it is still illegal to process:
- Short-barreled rifles
- Short-barreled shotguns
- Machine guns
- Firearms with serial numbers that have been altered or removed
- Armor-piercing or exploding bullets or exploding bullets loaded in a handgun
The consequences of a criminal conviction for weapons offenses can impact the rest of your life. Under Florida law, if you use a firearm in the commission of another crime, the weapons charge alone can be charged as a second-degree felony. A second-degree felony conviction can mean up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Committing a crime with a concealed weapon can also be devastating and classified as a third-degree felony. Even a misdemeanor weapons conviction can mean up to one year in jail, up to one year of probation, and fines of up to $1,000.
A weapons conviction can mean job loss with a far-reaching impact that lasts a lifetime. A conviction can mean losing housing and making future rentals or even sales difficult, if not impossible. You might not be able to secure a bank loan or a credit card, and you might lose custody of your children. Although Florida does not have a specific alcohol-content restriction connected to possessing weapons, you can be charged with using a firearm while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
We know how serious these consequences are – and how important talented and strategic legal defense can be for you. That’s why Sando Law, P.A., with offices in Palm Beach and expertise throughout the South Florida region, is available to review your case file for free to help you decide which criminal defense attorney to hire to protect your rights and liberty.
When Should You Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney?
If you become aware that you are the target of a criminal investigation, especially one involving weapons charges, you should consider retaining experienced criminal defense counsel immediately. Hiring a Florida criminal defense attorney early in the process can protect you from abusive prosecutorial conduct because the police and prosecutors cannot interview you without your counsel present once they know you are represented. That is an important buffer to protect you from coercive interrogations, biased lineups, or pressured confessions.
Once you are arrested, being represented by experienced and skilled criminal defense counsel is essential to preserving your rights and ensuring a fair proceeding. You should have counsel at your arraignment and bail hearing to keep you out of custody pre-trial so that you can continue at your job, maintain your role in your family, and, most importantly, help your criminal defense lawyers develop your case.
Hiring a criminal defense attorney with experience as a prosecutor has its definite advantages. Sando Law attorneys know the players, understand the timelines and procedures required by different judges in South Florida, and can realistically evaluate the strength of the prosecution’s case against you to reveal possible options.
Of course, any defense, and its cost to you, is dependent upon a complex network of factors:
- The severity of the charges, including whether weapons were present and used
- Aggravating circumstances, the severity of injuries or death, financial losses
- Personal background of the defendant and any victims
- The complexity of the charges
- Location of the prosecution
Contact Sando Law for a Free Case File Review
If you have been charged with a criminal offense involving weapons charges in South Florida, including Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, or Monroe counties, contact Sando Law, P.A. for a free case file review. We will focus our experience, talent, and knowledge to provide you with a realistic evaluation of the state’s case against you, possible defenses, and options. Call 561-296-1665 or toll-free 833-SANDO-4U.
