Criminal Defense Lawyers in Jacksonville — Fighting to Ensure Your Rights Are Protected

Criminal charges can have a lasting effect on a person’s life. Even if charges are dropped or a not-guilty verdict is reached, an arrest can stay on someone’s record for years. However, the potential penalties of a conviction carry the most costly impacts. If you’re facing allegations of committing a crime, you may be unsure of what to do next. A criminal defense lawyer in Jacksonville can help answer this question.

At Weldon Law Group, PLLC, our team of legal professionals continues to advocate for individuals accused of crimes. We’ve seen people railroaded by the criminal justice system too many times over the years. Oftentimes, it may feel like you’re automatically assumed guilty — even though you have a presumption of innocence. Let our Jacksonville criminal defense attorneys help. Contact us today for a free consultation.

What Should You Do When Charged With a Crime?

If you’ve been accused of committing a crime, you have a potentially long road ahead of you. In some cases, it could be years before you even face trial. Of course, your case may also be simple enough to be resolved before the week is over. The circumstances of the charges against you will dictate how everything plays out. However, there are a few things you should know regardless of the specifics of your case.

Most importantly, the first thing to do when charged with any crime in Florida is to remain silent. The right to remain silent isn’t just something that exists in episodes of Law and Order. It’s an actual constitutional right that you should exercise. Police will try their best to convince you that talking with them is in your best interest, but if they were really concerned about your well-being, they would tell you to speak with an attorney.

This brings us to another important step when charged with a criminal offense: contact a lawyer. Whether you’re facing state charges or a federal case, you need a legal professional who will advocate on your behalf. Police and prosecutors are focused solely on securing a conviction, and if you don’t understand your rights, this makes their jobs easier. Don’t fall into this trap. Contact our law office today to speak with a Jacksonville criminal attorney.

What Are the Potential Penalties for Criminal Charges?

As with most elements of criminal law, the potential penalties a person faces depend entirely upon the facts of their case. For instance, envision a scenario where the facts didn’t support the charges against you, and your case was dismissed. The only real issue you might encounter is having an arrest on your criminal record, and this could be expunged at some point. However, there are also scenarios where a person could face the death penalty.

Clearly, there’s a lot of gray area between expungement and capital punishment. Here are just a few of the potential outcomes of a criminal conviction:

• License suspension/revocation
• Community service
• Fines
• Probation
• Loss of child custody and visitation rights
• Court fees and costs
• Jail or prison sentences
• Deportation

There’s no guarantee that a Jacksonville criminal lawyer can help you avoid all these potential outcomes. However, not having an attorney on your side will leave you at the whims of prosecutors. Unfortunately, even utilizing a public defender won’t typically grant the benefits a person hopes for. That’s because statistics consistently show that these government-funded lawyers are overworked and overburdened with cases.

You need an experienced attorney who will dedicate the time your case deserves when they represent you. That’s exactly what you’ll get when you work with the legal team at Weldon Law Group. We can help investigate the charges against you, identify problems with the prosecutor’s case, and strive to achieve full dismissal, reduced charges, or exoneration at trial.

Find out how we can help with a free consultation today.

What Are the Best Defense for Criminal Charges in Florida?

When building a criminal defense case, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. There are times when the best defense strategy may depend on whether you’re facing felony or misdemeanor charges. For instance, there could be a case where guilt is simply not in question. Perhaps video evidence exists or the accused admitted to a crime prior to contacting a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville. In such a situation, merely having felony charges reduced to misdemeanor charges could be the best approach.

However, this will not always be the case. Perhaps there were constitutional issues that occurred during an arrest or interrogation. Maybe a person was not properly informed of their rights, or perhaps police searched a property without a legal warrant. The courts want these issues brought up during trial — if for no other reason than reducing the chance of an appeal down the road. Of course, you may also find yourself in a situation where the best approach is to show that there’s no evidence to support state or federal criminal charges against you.

The simple fact is that it’s the prosecutor’s job to prove a person’s guilt. If they’re unable to do this beyond a shadow of a doubt, then a not-guilty verdict is appropriate. There may be times when a case never makes it this far, but this is often because the accused has decided to exercise their constitutional rights. Our criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville can help in this endeavor. Contact us today for your free case evaluation.

Contact Our Criminal Defense Lawyers in Jacksonville Today

Even seemingly minor repercussions of criminal convictions can seriously interfere with your life. Prosecutors offering “good deals” often fail to mention that taking such a deal can result in difficulty obtaining housing, employment, and even citizenship. And even in cases where a not guilty verdict seems unlikely, failing to fight back could result in a lost opportunity of reduced charges or lower sentences. Don’t let this happen to you.

At Weldon Law Group, PLLC, our Florida criminal attorneys have been fighting for the rights of the accused for well over a decade. During this time, we’ve seen what can happen when a defendant opts to face charges without legal representation. Not only is this an unwise decision, but it’s one you don’t have to make without getting more information since our law firm offers free case evaluations.

Contact us today by calling 904-204-3420 to schedule your consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Jacksonville.