Violent Crimes

There are literally limitless possible combinations of charges and potential sentences under Florida State law. While some people are charged with a single crime, sometimes District Attorneys make charges in groups. For example, Aggravated Assault, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, and Resisting Arrest with Violence, can all be charged based on one “event”.

The question that everyone facing criminal charges initially has is; How much time am I possibly facing? Unfortunately, there is no black and white answer. For example, potential jail terms are dependent on your past criminal record.

Prison sentences are logically less if you have no criminal record. Sentences can also be served consecutively or concurrently, meaning one after another vs. all at the same time. Your lawyer can mean the difference between the two, and that difference can be years of prison time.

Besides the sentencing complexity, there is the matter of why Prosecutors use particular criminal charges in a given situation. For example, a common question is; What is the difference between Assault, Battery, and Aggravated Battery charges?

Assault generally means that there was a credible threat of violence, but no contact is made. Battery usually means that you that you made physical contact. Aggravated is most often added to either Assault or Battery charges, and typically means that the prosecutor believes that you intended to cause great serious bodily injury and/or you used a weapon in commission of the crime. Even these broad simplifications of Florida Criminal Law can’t be made without qualification.

The point we’re trying to make is that the vast majority of the crimes listed to the right can mean serious jail time, but that understanding particular charges and determining potential sentences requires a one-on-one sit-down with an experienced criminal defense lawyer.

Your case is unique and the law is complex. A good criminal defense attorney will start by bringing together all the factors in order to answer your questions accurately, and offer an assessment of the situation.

Given that very few cases actually end up in a jury trial, your defense attorney’s job will most often be to get charges dropped or to negotiate a plea bargain. Though it seems contradictory, the defense attorneys who are best able to plea bargain on your behalf are the ones with the most successful trial experience.

Defense attorneys who are capable in the courtroom force district attorneys to seriously consider how difficult your trial may be. If you don’t hire one of our experienced criminal lawyers, we urge you to find an attorney who has demonstrated success in criminal trials in Central Florida.

A criminal lawyer with at least 50 to 100 trials under their belt is in the best position to negotiate on your behalf, and is the only person you should even consider going to trial with.

Aggravated Battery 784.045
Aggravated Assault 784.021
Battery 784.03
Assault 784.011
Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer 784.07
Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer 784.07
Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer 784.07
Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer 784.07
Kidnapping 784.01
Robbery with a Weapon 812.13
Robbery 812.13
Carjacking 812.133
Battery and/or Assault on a Person over 65 784.08
False Imprisonment 787.02
Resisting Arrest with Violence 843.01
Resisting Arrest without Violence 843.02
Obstruction 843.03
Aggravated Child Abuse 827.03
Child Abuse 827.03
Arson 784.03
Aggravated Stalking 784.048
Stalking 784.048