ARRESTED? INVESTIGATED?
ARRESTADO? INVESTIGADO?
Miami Criminal Defense Insights
Aggressive representation for DUI, Domestic Violence, Gun Crimes & more
You get a call from school. Your son was pulled out of class, a detective talked to him for an hour, and he “explained everything.” Nobody called you first. Your first thought is that none of it can count, because you were not there. It is a fair thought. Florida law does not give that […]
Your son is filling out a college application. Your daughter just got a call back for her first real job. Then comes the question on the form: “Have you ever been arrested?” And you remember something you heard years ago. Juvenile records disappear at 18. Don’t they? Not exactly. Florida has several record rules, and […]
Your child is 16. You assumed this would stay in juvenile court, with its focus on rehabilitation, confidential hearings and a judge who sees a kid in front of them. Then someone uses the words “adult court,” and everything changes. That phrase deserves to be taken seriously. It also deserves precision. Whether a Florida teenager […]
Somebody says the word “diversion,” and for the first time since the arrest, you feel like you can breathe. A way out. A second chance. Your child keeps their future. That can be exactly what diversion is. But before you sign anything, ask the question that matters most: what exactly must my child do, and […]
Your teenager comes home with a piece of paper instead of a booking photo. An officer stopped them at a store, at a park or outside school, and instead of taking them to the Juvenile Assessment Center, wrote a citation. Your first feeling is relief. Your second is confusion. Is this an arrest? Does my […]
It is late. Your phone rings, and a voice you do not recognize tells you your son or daughter has been arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Your stomach drops. You want to get in the car, you want answers, and you want your child home tonight. Take one breath before you do […]
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced this week that two 27-year-old Miami men were sentenced to 121 months and 131 months in federal prison for roles in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and cocaine in Miami-Dade County. According to the announcement, the case was built on sales to […]
Police say a heated disagreement over weights at an LA Fitness on West Flagler Street in Miami ended with an arrest this week. According to the arrest report, a 67-year-old man grabbed a dumbbell and struck another gym member on the side of the head and forearm. Officers found the alleged victim with a bump […]
A 17-year-old accused in a September 1 shooting at the Aquabella apartment complex in Hialeah appeared in adult bond court on Wednesday after prosecutors moved the case out of juvenile court. According to police, several young people had gathered to settle a dispute with a physical fight when shots were fired. No injuries were reported. […]
A Miami-Dade judge this week denied bond to a 33-year-old man arrested on charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, along with drug charges, after a delivery driver was allegedly shot and pistol-whipped at an apartment complex near Dadeland early Monday morning. According to the arrest report, the driver was grazed […]
Dashcam video released this week shows a van striking the back of a stopped Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office cruiser near Northwest 32nd Avenue and 79th Street. According to the arrest report, the 72-year-old driver then tried to hide an open alcohol container, and deputies ended the field sobriety exercises for his safety. He is charged with […]
Florida Driver Reportedly Had a .377 Alcohol Level: What a High BAC Means for Your DUI Case By Albert Quirantes, Esq. A recent Florida DUI arrest made headlines after a driver reportedly registered a blood alcohol concentration of .377, nearly five times Florida’s .08 threshold. That number gets attention. But as a criminal defense attorney, […]
What Is a Second-Degree Misdemeanor in Florida? A second-degree misdemeanor is Florida’s lowest misdemeanor classification. That does not make it a civil infraction or something that should be ignored. The charge can lead to jail, probation, a fine, and a criminal court record. It may also appear on background checks and create problems involving employment, […]
What Is a First-Degree Misdemeanor in Florida? A first-degree misdemeanor is the most serious misdemeanor classification under Florida law. It is not a felony, but it can still result in county jail, probation, a fine, and a criminal record that creates problems long after the court case ends. Common examples include simple battery, petit theft […]
What Is a Third-Degree Felony in Florida? A third-degree felony is Florida’s lowest felony classification, but the word “lowest” should not be confused with minor. A conviction can result in state prison, probation, a $5,000 fine, and a permanent felony record. It can also affect employment, professional licenses, housing, immigration status, and the right to […]
You get a call from school. Your son was pulled out of class, a detective talked to him for an hour, and he “explained everything.” Nobody called you first. Your first thought is that none of it can count, because you were not there. It is a fair thought. Florida law does not give that […]
Your son is filling out a college application. Your daughter just got a call back for her first real job. Then comes the question on the form: “Have you ever been arrested?” And you remember something you heard years ago. Juvenile records disappear at 18. Don’t they? Not exactly. Florida has several record rules, and […]
Your child is 16. You assumed this would stay in juvenile court, with its focus on rehabilitation, confidential hearings and a judge who sees a kid in front of them. Then someone uses the words “adult court,” and everything changes. That phrase deserves to be taken seriously. It also deserves precision. Whether a Florida teenager […]
Somebody says the word “diversion,” and for the first time since the arrest, you feel like you can breathe. A way out. A second chance. Your child keeps their future. That can be exactly what diversion is. But before you sign anything, ask the question that matters most: what exactly must my child do, and […]
Your teenager comes home with a piece of paper instead of a booking photo. An officer stopped them at a store, at a park or outside school, and instead of taking them to the Juvenile Assessment Center, wrote a citation. Your first feeling is relief. Your second is confusion. Is this an arrest? Does my […]
It is late. Your phone rings, and a voice you do not recognize tells you your son or daughter has been arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Your stomach drops. You want to get in the car, you want answers, and you want your child home tonight. Take one breath before you do […]
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced this week that two 27-year-old Miami men were sentenced to 121 months and 131 months in federal prison for roles in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and cocaine in Miami-Dade County. According to the announcement, the case was built on sales to […]
Police say a heated disagreement over weights at an LA Fitness on West Flagler Street in Miami ended with an arrest this week. According to the arrest report, a 67-year-old man grabbed a dumbbell and struck another gym member on the side of the head and forearm. Officers found the alleged victim with a bump […]