Tampa, Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Attorney | Hillsborough County, FL Defense Lawyers

 

Being charged with a crime in Florida is a very serious matter. Over 60,000 criminal offenses were reported in Hillsborough County in 2009. Over 30,000 were reported in Tampa alone. Being arrested can be a very frightening or upsetting experience, but a criminal conviction can continue to affect you in many ways for the rest of your life. Do not speak with the government's investigators-they are not on your side! You need to call a Tampa lawyer who defends Hillsborough County criminal cases every day. You need someone who you can trust and who knows how to protect your rights.


If you or a loved one have been arrested, you are not alone or helpless, although you may feel like you are. Tampa, Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys on this site are ready to help


 

Contact Your Tampa, Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Sooner Rather than Later

It is important to hire a good Tampa criminal defense lawyer early in the process so that you don't lose valuable constitutional or statutory rights. It is NEVER a good idea to plead guilty without the advice of counsel, even if you believe you may be guilty of a crime! An experienced Tampa criminal attorney is the best person to determine if you have been appropriately charged and can often negotiate a lower charge than is in the original complaint.

A Qualified Tampa Defense Attorney Can Help an Eligible Person Get Out of Jail

If your loved one has been arrested, chances are you are looking for a way to bail him or her out of jail. If you cannot afford bail, you might need to obtain the services of a bail bondsman. Your Hillsborough County, Florida lawyer can help you find a reputable bondsman. Information on how to post bond in Tampa, Florida can be found HERE. If bail has already been set at an arraignment, your Tampa defense attorney can determine whether the amount is excessive by local standards and may be able to get the amount reduced.

Know your rights!

Police officers are not allowed intimidate you or engage in racial profiling, and there is no benefit in letting them search your body, your vehicle, or your home.

You are not required to give any statement about your whereabouts at a certain time, what you are doing in an area, or anything else. The police cannot continue to ask you questions once you specifically say you are invoking your right to remain silent and request an attorney. You make the decision when the questions stop by requesting to speak to your Tampa criminal attorney.

The police have an obligation to treat you with respect and dignity throughout the arrest process. Protect your rights immediately and let the police know that you would like to contact your Tampa criminal defense attorney. The United States Bill of Rights is there to protect you so use it and don't let the police take advantage of you.


A knowledgeable Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Attorney will know how to challenge your criminal charges

Call one of the qualified Tampa, FL lawyers on this site today for a No-Cost Initial Consultation


 

Don't Just Plead Guilty Out Of Embarrassment Or To Save Money!

It may be tempting to plead guilty to avoid the expense or embarrassment of a public trial, but such a conviction can have lasting effects, including lifetime sex offender registration, loss of your professional license, ineligibility for student loans or federal benefits or deportation or exclusion for non-American citizens, including undocumented aliens and permanent legal residents.

A qualified Hillsborough County criminal attorney can help determine whether law enforcement agencies followed proper procedure and obtained any necessary search warrants to avoid violating the Fourth Amendment and state and federal privacy laws such as eavesdropping and wiretapping laws. If it appears they violated the law, it might be better to challenge the legality of their evidence and go to trial to avoid the many adverse collateral consequences of a guilty plea.

Tampa Defense Lawyers Understand the Pressures of Difficult Times

Difficult times can lead to drug abuse or alcohol abuse. It goes without saying that when a person is intoxicated, it may be more difficult to exercise self-control, resulting in such behavior as driving under the influence (DUI)or boating under the influence (BUI). The consequences of such actions can be serious: neglect of a child, vehicular homicide, vessel homicide. Further loss of personal control may result in a wide range of crimes, such as violation of protective injunction, assault, felony battery, domestic battery, sexual battery, lewdness or indecent exposure, disorderly intoxication, or open house party violations.

Desperate financial conditions may also be a contributing factor in many types of crimes,including murder, theft, welfare fraud, insurance fraud, theft of services, carjacking, home invasion robbery, writing worthless checks, or participating in organized crime, such as illegal gambling, prostitution, pimping or pandering.

 

A Qualified Criminal Attorney in Tampa Can Defend Against Drug Charges

A very large percentage of felony cases filed in Hillsborough County in 2010 were drug-related offenses, such as trafficking or possession of drugs including cannabis, cocaine, heroin, methaqualone, amphetamines, methamphetamines, GHB, and LSD. Possession of chemicals used in drug manufacturing, and illegal possession of controlled substances, including Codeine, hydrocodone, Morphine, SOMA, OxyContin (oxycodone), Xanax, and Vicodin.

I am not a criminal!

You might not know you were driving impaired until you failed a field sobriety test or a breathalyzer test or blood alcohol test (BAC) and got charged with DUI. Duress, police sting operations and police entrapment can cause you to commit crimes you never would have considered otherwise. Computer pornography, promotion or possession of child pornography and federal charges of cyber enticement can arise from police stings, some in cooperation with television shows such as, "To Catch a Predator" or "COPS." Some law enforcement agencies set up stings using citizen volunteer vigilante groups to try to identify and arrest suspected child predators. These cases often are charged as attempted crime or luring or enticing a child. The Tampa criminal lawyers on this site can help defend against unfair charges.

That was illegal?

Sometimes, you might not even know your behavior was against the law, until you are charged with a crime, such as illegal dumping, animal cruelty, dog fighting, possession of a destructive device, or the unauthorized practice of medicine or operating as a real estate broker or child care facility without a license.

Gang membership can result in minor charges such as drawing graffiti or tagging and criminal mischief and vandalism or serious ones like conspiracy to commit murder of a law enforcement officer, aiding and abetting murder, or attempted felony murder, even if you didn't personally commit the actual crime. This is in addition to gang charges and gang enhancements.

 


Tampa area criminal defense attorneys will be familiar with federal and state laws and will have the expertise necessary to aggressively pursue your defense.



Hillsborough County Criminal Courts

County & Circuit Courts

The Hillsborough County criminal courts are divided into misdemeanor county criminal courts and felony circuit criminal courts.

Hillsborough County Circuit Courts
Hillsborough Courthouse
700 Twiggs Street, Room #752
Tampa FL 33602
(813) 276-8100

Hillsborough County Court Clerk
Misdemeanor County Criminal
7th Floor, Room #752
700 Twiggs Street
Tampa, FL 33602
Hillsborough County Court Clerk
Felony Circuit Criminal
401 N. Jefferson Street
Room 202
Tampa, FL 33602

Hillsborough County Attorney's Office

601 E. Kennedy Blvd.,
County Center, 27th Floor
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 272-5670
 

Clerk of the Circuit Court - Juvenile
Courthouse Annex
401 N. Jefferson Street
4th Floor, Rm 452
Tampa, FL 33602

Family Justice Center
9309 North Florida Avenue
Suite 109
Tampa, FL 33612
(813) 276-8100


Chances are if your loved one has been arrested you will need help bailing him or her out. Here are a few bail bondsmen in the Hillsborough County area:
 

Clearwater Bonding Agency
(727) 536-1585
5560 Roosevelt Blvd., Ste 4
Clearwater, FL 33760
Action Plus Bail Bonds
(727) 530-0146
14605 49th St., Ste. 3
Clearwater, FL 33762
Russell Bail Bonds
(813) 248-9229
414 E 7th Ave.
Tampa, FL 33605
Ferlita -Estes Bail Bonds
(813) 248-1269
1416 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606
Coast to Coast Bail Bonds
(727) 592-0001
13584 49th St., Ste. 1
Clearwater, FL 33762
Three L's Bail Bonds
(727) 539-1900
14605 49th St., Ste. 9
Clearwater, FL 33762
Frank Cueto, Jr. Bail Bonds
(813) 873-2245
3055 W Hillsborough Ave.
Tampa, FL 33614
708 E. Scott St.
Tampa, FL 33602-2939
(813) 229-1648
Always Available Bail Bonds
(727) 451-6660
13560 49th St., Ste. 1
Clearwater, FL 33762
Freddie Dixon Bail Bonds
(727) 536-2245
14835 49th St.
Clearwater, FL 33762
Lee Bail Bonds Inc.
(813) 228-8830
1803 N Tampa St.
Tampa, FL 33602
Armando Roche, MCBA
1906 Orient Road
Tampa, Florida 33619
(813) 623-3355
A Bail Bondsman, Inc.
610 East Zack Street
Tampa, FL 33602-3913 (813) 229-3278
ExpertBail Network
(813) 321-2986
301 W. Platt St.
Tampa, FL 33606
1904 Orient Road
Tampa, FL 33619
(813) 664-1111
1702 E 8th Ave
Tampa, FL 33616
(813) 248-1715

 


Contact one of the qualified Tampa, Hillsborough County criminal defense lawyers on this site today


Serving clients throughout Western Florida, including Bloomingdale, Brandon, Clearwater, Davis Island, Dunedin, Egypt Lake-Leto, Feather Sound, Gibsonton, Largo, Lealman, Oldsmar, Palm Harbor, Palm River, Pinellas Park, Riverdale, Safety Harbor, St. George, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Temple Terrace, Town & Country, Westchase, areas in the vicinity of MacDill AFB, Tampa International Airport, and other communities in Hillsborough County.