In Florida, Felonies are those crimes for which you may be punished by a prison sentence in excess of one year. This means prison, in the Florida Department of Corrections, not a local jail.

Felonies in Florida are classified as Capital, Life, First, Second and Third degree felonies. The punishments are as follows

Capital felony: Life in prison or death.

First degree felony: up to 30 years in prison

Second degree felony: Up to 15 years in prison

Third degree felony: Up to 5 years in prison

There are many distinctions and rules that can affect felony sentencing. If you are charged with a felony, call an experienced lawyer who can help you better understand the possible range of penalties for the crime charged.

HOW DO I GET MY CHARGES DROPPED OR REDUCED?

In most cases, you need to hire an attorney to help you get your charges reduced or even dropped. The easiest time for an attorney to do that is before the charges are filed by the State Attorney. After you are arrested, it usually takes the State Attorney several weeks to file formal charges against you. Very often, felonies are reduced to lesser charges and even misdemeanors. Contact a lawyer as soon as you are arrested to discuss your options.

WHAT IS PROBATION?

The Court may put you on probation in lieu of jailtime, as a result of plea negotiation, or for almost any other reason if you plead guilty to a crime. ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT PROBATION – if you do not think you can handle reporting to a probation officer every month, paying court fees and costs of probation, subjecting yourself to random urine tests, or random searches of your home or person – DO NOT TAKE PROBATION BECAUSE YOU WILL VIOLATE. Violations of probation will land you in jail, usually with no bond.

Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI)

PTI is a program offered by the State Attorney which is like a modified probation and allows your charge to be DISMISSED if you complete the program. It is usually only offered to first time offenders of misdemeanors or third degree felonies. Florida Statute 948.08 sets out the ground rules for PTI.

CONTACT US TODAY TO SEE IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PTI.