Z Law Firm

Criminal Defense Attorney Very often when I consult with a potential client, I will routinely hear, “I will give you a call once I get a court date.”   Although this may seem like sound judgment; the truth is, waiting that long can be devastating to your case.   As a former prosecutor, I understand that the typical criminal investigation involves a law enforcement officer making an arrest, oftentimes on what is barely probable cause, and then turning the case over to the State Attorney’s Office.   From there, a Prosecutor will review the charging affidavit, many times without consulting with any witnesses, and then make a formal charging decision.   The problem is that the decision is made solely on what is contained within the four corners of the charging affidavit. Rather than waiting for a court date, much can be gained from attacking a case at the intake phase before the Prosecutor ever makes a formal charging decision.   When I sit down with a poten...

Florida Senate Bill 228 was drafted as an act relating to mandatory minimum sentences.  On October 1, 2016, it was enacted into law by amending Florida Statute 775.087.  The amendment deleted aggravated assault from the list of convictions which carry a minimum term of imprisonment if during the commission of the offense the convicted person possessed a firearm or destructive device.  It also deleted the term aggravated assault from the list of convicts which carry a minimum term of imprisonment if during the commission of the offense the convicted person possessed a semiautomatic firearm.

          On April 28, 2016, the Florida Supreme Court granted review of the Fourth District Court of Appeals decision in Norvil v. State , 162 So.3d 3 (Fla. 4DCA 2014) on the issue of whether a trial court can consider a subsequent arrest without conviction during sentencing for the primary offense.                 In Norvil , the defendant was charged with one count of armed burglary of a dwelling .   The defendant entered an open plea to the bench, and during sentencing, the State filed a Sentencing Memorandum requesting that the court consider a subsequent charge of burglary of a vehicle that was still pending.   Over the defense’s objection, the trial court announced that it was going to consider the pending charge and declined to sentence defendant to a Youthful Offender sentence and instead sentenced him to twelve-years in prison.     ...