It is an unfortunate reality that thousands of Florida residents will be arrested each year. An arrest can have a significant impact on a person’s life, potentially causing them to lose their job or even affecting child custody arrangements, among other potential consequences. But, the good news is that an arrest is not a conviction – every Florida resident has the constitutional right to present a criminal defense.
However, determining the right approach to a criminal defense strategy can be complicated. After all, no two arrests are the same – the factual circumstances are different, the number of people involved in the incident may vary and the amount of evidence that law enforcement officials have collected may vary as well. Based on the crime charged, one criminal defense strategy can look quite different from another.
The starting point is to fully examine exactly what the crime charged is, what evidence has been collected and then make a determination as to whether the prosecution and law enforcement will be able to prove every element of the charge. There are defense options to consider at each step of a criminal case. For example, maybe the circumstances of the arrest lead to an unlawful search or seizure. Or, maybe the law enforcement officials on the scene did not follow the proper procedures. Or perhaps, when the case gets in front of a jury, the right persuasive argument can provide a point of view that might not have been previously considered.
At our law firm, we do our best to help Florida residents whose lives have been impacted by an arrest. The ultimate goal is usually to avoid a conviction, but there may be other, more feasible options. For more information about how our law firm might be able to help with your case, please visit the criminal defense overview section of our website.