Frequently Asked Questions

This is the ultimate question asked by many clients facing serious charges.  It is a natural, common question. 

Here is my answer: There are no odds to calculate. This is your life, not a bet. 

I want my clients to make a fully informed decision about their case. We will read the charges together,  review the standard Jury Instructions (the rules of the trial the jury will use), and talk through the stages of trial. We will look at the evidence, discuss the witnesses, and discuss the strategy for trial arguments. 

With this approach, my clients understand their options and gain the confidence that they are making the best choice available in their case.

There are some court dates where you do not have to appear and some where your appearance is required. 

I send my clients a text or email (or both), letting them know when the court date is and if they need to be there.  For extra peace of mind, I have provided the links to online court dockets on the "For Clients" page. 

For dates where you have to be in court: arrive early (at least thirty minutes) and dress as professionally as you are able--even for quick matters. I have seen countless judges express gratitude to clients for dressing respectfully for court. Avoid shorts, flip-flops, or tank tops. Hats and sunglasses are not allowed to be worn in court and your phone must be off or silent. (No phones or electronics allowed in Federal Court.)

Do NOT drive yourself to court if your license is suspended. Make arrangements ahead of time.

The Florida HSMV has a public website where you can check the status of your Florida driver license free of charge: 

https://services.flhsmv.gov/dlcheck/

Maybe, it depends on what they lied about.

If you hire me to be your lawyer, I will examine your case and the evidence thoroughly. You and I will discuss it together. If there is troublesome evidence (statements, guns, drugs, DNA, toxicology reports, etc.) we will look at whether the evidence was discovered legally, obtained legally, handled properly, and analyzed correctly. There are many possible challenges to evidence, some will apply to your case and others will not. A successful motion to suppress can result in dropped or reduced charges.

Some lies by witnesses, including law enforcement, are not grounds for a motion but need to be considered by a jury at trial. There are instructions for jurors on how to weigh the credibility of witnesses, including law enforcement.  Case strategy will be unique to each case, but depositions, internal affairs records, scene and evidence viewings and more can be useful tools to preparing a solid defense.

And for what it's worth, an undercover cop does not have to answer "are you a cop" questions honestly. 

The consultation is free. The legal fee for your case will be determined by several factors including the nature of the charges, the expected complexity of the legal issues to litigate, the amount of pre-trial discovery and investigation expected.

Payments can be made by cash (in person), check (mail or in person), or credit card or debit card (securely online). Our platform uses LawPay which offers a "pay later" option through Affirm (subject to approval by the lender, see https://www.lawpay.com/affirm/ for more information). 

You may also be asked to provide additional money for case expenses to be held in a Trust account. This money goes towards paying for things like deposition court reporters, transcripts, records, experts, and more. Having your money held in Trust can help avoid delays for services needed to handle your case. Trust money that is unspent is returned to you at the conclusion of the representation. It is separate from the legal fee for attorney services.

While I work primarily in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, I have also represented clients in Citrus, Marion, Putnam, Brevard, Volusia, Lake, Sumter, Polk, Hillsborough, and Highlands counties.

In-person meetings are available by appointment at 1238 E. Concord Street, Orlando, FL 32803. Schedule an appointment by completing the "Request Free Consultation" form HERE.