Panella Law Firm accepts cases throughout Florida
If you are facing misdemeanor charges, it is essential to take the allegations against you seriously. Although misdemeanors may not be as severe as felony-level or federal charges, the consequences could substantially impact your life for the foreseeable future.
A dedicated Orlando misdemeanor charge lawyer at Panella Law Firm can help you protect your reputation and future. Contact our team for a confidential consultation today and learn more about which defenses are most likely to produce a favorable outcome for your case.
When you need an aggressive legal advocate, you can rely on to help you beat the misdemeanor charges against you, look no further than Panella Law Firm. Attorney Michael Panella is the founder of this prestigious Orlando criminal defense firm and is undefeated at trial. His commitment to his clients and extensive understanding of the legal system makes him one of the top misdemeanor charge lawyers to take on your case.
Panella Law Firm has years of experience representing hundreds of clients who have struggled to deal with the injustices of the criminal justice system. Our highly trained and experienced misdemeanor charge attorneys have the knowledge and valor to go up against conviction-hungry prosecutors.
Your entire future could be in jeopardy when you have been charged with a misdemeanor offense. Although misdemeanor crimes are often considered less severe than felony or federal-level charges, that does not mean they will not considerably impact your life.
When you have been arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, your criminal defense attorney at Panella Law Firm will be responsible for analyzing the details of your case to determine how you should move forward with your defense. We want you to have every advantage and will work diligently to get higher-level charges reduced to misdemeanors so you can avoid some of the more severe penalties associated with a conviction.
Your Orlando misdemeanor lawyer will be prepared to negotiate plea agreements, challenge illegally obtained evidence, and fight back against cases of law enforcement or prosecutorial misconduct. In the best-case scenario, we get your misdemeanor charges dismissed altogether. When you need a legal defender whom you can rely on to help you regain control of your life, look no further than our misdemeanor charge attorneys at Panella Law Firm.
A misdemeanor offense is one of the lowest-level crimes you can be charged with in Florida. However, that does not mean they do not carry harsh consequences if convicted. Some examples of charges at the misdemeanor level could include the following:
The criminal penalties associated with a misdemeanor conviction in Orlando could turn your life upside down. Under the law, misdemeanors are categorized as being either second or first-degree. Second-degree misdemeanors are considered a lesser offense than first-degree misdemeanors, which may be one step away from a felony charge. The possible consequences will vary depending on whether you were charged at the first-degree or second-degree level.
Some examples of first-degree misdemeanor crimes in Orlando include:
If you are found guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor, under Florida law, you could spend up to $1,000 in fines and face up to one year in an Orange County jail. Unfortunately, if there are aggravating factors present, it is possible the misdemeanor charges against you could be elevated to a felony, which will carry far more severe consequences.
Some examples of crimes that are classified as second-degree misdemeanors in Orlando include:
Under Florida law, you could spend up to $500 in fines and face up to 60 days in an Orange County jail if you are found guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor.
In addition to the criminal penalties of a misdemeanor charge conviction in Orlando, you also need to be worried about the collateral consequences. This describes the way your life will be affected by a guilty verdict.
You do not only have to worry about your probation or parole terms when you are released. Your professional license could be suspended, you could face immigration or deportation issues, and you might be on the losing end of a child custody battle.
Additionally, you will no longer qualify for specific government programs, including SNAP and federal student loans. For this reason, you must take every step possible to secure an acquittal or get the charges against you dismissed. An experienced Orlando misdemeanor attorney at Panella Law Firm can help you determine how to best approach your defense after reviewing the specific circumstances of your case.
The judge will consider multiple factors when determining how you should be sentenced if you are found guilty of a misdemeanor in Orlando. Some of these factors include:
The judge will carefully consider all the evidence and the details presented at trial to determine how you should be sentenced. There are several potential outcomes, including:
Your misdemeanor lawyer will work tirelessly to show mitigating factors are present, so the judge is more likely to go easy on you at sentencing. This way, you can receive a lighter sentence and return to your life sooner.
We understand you may have many unanswered questions surrounding the misdemeanor charges against you. With that in mind, our Orlando misdemeanor attorneys have answered some of the most asked questions surrounding misdemeanor charges in Florida. If you have additional questions we did not cover here, do not hesitate to contact Panella Law Firm to discuss your specific concerns further.
Can I Avoid Going to Trial for a Misdemeanor?
You may be able to avoid going to trial for a misdemeanor if your attorney can work with the prosecutor to obtain a plea agreement or get the charges against you dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence, constitutional rights violations, or prosecutorial misconduct.
Can I Get a Plea Bargain for a Misdemeanor Charge?
It is possible that you could enter a plea agreement with the district attorney handling your misdemeanor charge. If you are a first-time offender, no one was seriously injured or killed, and the charges against you are seemingly minor, the state may be more willing to work with you to negotiate an acceptable outcome instead of jail time and other criminal penalties.
What Is Pretrial Intervention?
Pretrial intervention programs are often available for individuals charged with non-violent, first-time offenses. Instead of being convicted and forced to deal with the implications of a criminal record, the prosecutor may allow you to enter a pretrial intervention program.
You must agree to follow the terms and complete the program to get the misdemeanor charges against you reduced or tossed out. Some of the potential requirements could include the following:
Failure to fulfill the terms of your pretrial intervention program means the district attorney will move forward with the initial charges against you. This means you could still be at risk of the penalties associated with your offense if you do not complete your pretrial intervention program.
The prosecutors may need to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but you need an experienced Orlando misdemeanor charge lawyer to introduce that doubt to secure an acquittal.
Contact Panella Law Firm for a confidential consultation today and learn more about how to approach your defense strategy best. You can reach us through our online contact form or by phone at 407-233-1822 to schedule your free consultation as soon as today.
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