“Criminal defense” is a broad label that can hide four very different procedural paths.
Call (813) 588-6602No obligation · Written for Tampa · Hillsborough County
Six boxes, about thirty seconds. You pick when to be called back, and that is when the phone rings.
Or call (813) 588-6602“Criminal defense” is a broad label that can hide four very different procedural paths. Felony allegations commonly make first appearance, release, filing, and circuit-court notices central. Misdemeanor allegations may move through county court after a notice to appear or a short booking period. Drug allegations add a search, property inventory, laboratory, and statutory-schedule layer. Assault and battery allegations often place immediate attention on release conditions and the charge level.
The confusion matters because the same arrest sheet can contain multiple counts, a statutory degree, and conditions that do not all move together. A court notice is not a substitute for the booking record; a booking record is not the final charging document; and a driver-license suspension following a DUI arrest can have its own administrative timetable. Read the page that matches the written charge first, then preserve the original paperwork.
Two Clocks After a DUI Arrest
Definitions, Minimums and No-Contact Orders
Value Tiers, Priors and Retail Theft
What 810.02 Actually Requires
Every Degree Is a Felony
Carrying, Exhibition and Possession
Quantity Decides the Charge
Affidavits, Arrest and Release
Detention Clocks and Direct Filing
Aggregation, Tiers and Investigations
Degrees, 48 Hours and Record Limits
One Court-Ordered Outcome in a Lifetime
Criteria, Conditions and Revocation
Degrees, Fines and Time Limits
Florida distinguishes felony from misdemeanor by the authorized place and length of incarceration, and individual statutes can raise or lower the charge level based on allegations or prior convictions.
Arrest, first appearance, filing, arraignment, and trial preparation are different stages. Each produces different public paperwork and different questions for independently retained counsel.
No-contact, stay-away, and supervision terms are orders, not suggestions. A later message from another person does not itself erase a condition imposed by a judge.
A DUI arrest can trigger a driver-license suspension process under a motor-vehicle statute. It has an independent ten-day review-request deadline that deserves immediate attention.
Use this page to understand the public process and to keep paperwork organized. A particular charge, release condition, or deadline calls for legal advice from a Florida lawyer chosen independently by the person involved. The listed phone number does not change that: this website does not review facts, identify a lawyer, or route an inquiry.
Call (813) 588-6602No obligation · Written for Tampa · Hillsborough County