Orlando Criminal Defense Attorney
A criminal charge is a stressful experience. Whether or not you committed the crime, the criminal justice system can be overwhelming, and the consequences of conviction can severely affect several aspects of your future. It’s important that you fully exercise your rights and work with an Orlando criminal defense lawyer. A knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer by your side protects your interests and can bring the most beneficial outcome to your case.
Defense lawyer Robert B. Fisher has worked most of his 45 year career (he spent 8 years as a Government Prosecutor) to protect the interests and rights of individuals charged with criminal offenses. He understands the intricacies of effective criminal defense within the justice system.
His decades of work, primarily in criminal defense, have given him the knowledge, experience, and practical understanding needed to help you through a criminal prosecution.
Former Prosecutor
Call 407-389-4529 or contact the office online to schedule your free initial consultation.
Robert B. Fisher can help you understand the charges you face and your options for a defense. He reviews your options to mitigate the penalties of a conviction or avoid a conviction entirely. His reputation stands on the results he has achieved for his clients. When you need strong and diligent legal support, Robert B. Fisher, P.A. can help.
Criminal Cases in which Robert B. Fisher, P.A. Has Experience
When your defense lawyer has experience in the type of charge you are facing, it benefits your case. Your lawyer is more likely to have the resources and knowledge to investigate your charges and the defenses that are available to you. Robert B. Fisher has worked on criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies. These include criminal cases such as:
- Traffic Citations and Violations
Traffic violations can range from citations, which are not criminal offenses, to serious violations, like committing a hit-and-run by leaving the scene of an accident or severely injuring someone while driving under the influence (DUI).
Felony or misdemeanor traffic violations can result in suspension of your driver’s license and significant criminal penalties. Even citations can result in points on your license and significant civil fines. The right lawyer can help you defend your rights against these charges.
- Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)/Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
Operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol may be called a DWI, a DUI or operating while intoxicated (OWI) charge. A BUI can also be charged for boating under the influence.
A law enforcement officer may pull you over for erratic or unsafe driving or at a DUI checkpoint. You may also be arrested after getting into a collision after driving intoxicated or impaired. A DWI/DUI conviction can result in fines, jail time, license suspension, and vehicle impoundment.
A DWI/DUI charge can be made worse by aggravating factors, such as if you caused an accident that caused the death or serious injury of another person. The minimum and maximum penalties for a DUI also increase if you have prior convictions, and the judge on your case will be less likely to allow lenient penalties if it is a subsequent offense; the Judge will even be forced to impose minimum mandatory penalties.
A DUI lawyer is important after a drunk driving arrest. Their investigation can determine if the stop was lawful or if any of the evidence at the scene was improperly collected or administered. Evidence may be inadmissible if it was mishandled or the stop was illegal. If evidence is inadmissible, the prosecution may not have sufficient grounds to convict. Your lawyer can also attempt to negotiate a plea deal to minimize the severity of the penalties you face.
The severity of charges for possession of drugs depends on its classification as a controlled substance and the amount of the substance you allegedly possessed when you were arrested. There are certain possession charges which are misdemeanors, such as possessing small amounts of cannabis. Most drug possession charges are felonies.
Other drug offenses include cultivation, trafficking, and distribution of controlled substances. Some of these more serious charges can be reduced to a drug possession charge. Drug charges require a strong and effective criminal defense lawyer.
The main larceny charges are grand theft and petit theft. Theft is the crime of knowingly obtaining or using another person’s property or attempting to do so, intending to deprive the owner of their property or use it for their own purposes. The primary factor in whether a crime of theft is grand or petit is the value of the item or items allegedly stolen and the type of property stolen. This will also affect the class of misdemeanor or felony with which the individual is charged.
Burglary is defined as entering without permission or remaining surreptitiously or after permission was withdrawn in a home or structure with the intent to commit a crime therein. The penalty for burglary ranges from a third-degree felony to a first-degree felony. This can result in significant penalties, from prison time to severe fines.
The crime of burglary can be charged even if you did not actually commit a crime inside, but intended to do so. Burglary also does not require the intent to commit theft. A lawyer can review your unique charges and circumstances to determine the ideal defense.
A robbery offense is the theft of property through the use of force, violence, assault or putting someone in fear. Robbery is considered a violent crime and is a second degree felony if no weapon is involved, but more serious if a weapon is used (1st degree felony), a deadly weapon is used (punishable by a maximum of life in prison) or a firearm is used (punishable by a maximum of life in prison, but with a 10 year minimum mandatory penalty).
Robbery charges are often filed by a victim who witnessed the offense, and these accounts can sometimes be incorrect. This is a potential defense if you were not present when the crime occurred. Whether or not you committed the crime, the right defense lawyer is crucial to protect your interests and mitigate the penalties you may face.
Assault and battery are two separate violent crimes but are often charged at the same time. Assault is a purposeful and unlawful threat or violent intention, as well as the ability to follow through on the threat or intention. This is charged as a misdemeanor. An aggravated assault occurs when a deadly weapon is used, or the assault is done with the intent to commit a felony. This is a felony.
Battery is the crime of actually and intentionally touching or striking a person against their will or intentionally causing bodily harm. If there are no prior convictions or other aggravating factors, battery is a misdemeanor. Aggravated battery is a felony and may be charged when the offender intended to commit serious harm, used a deadly weapon, or committed the crime against a pregnant person who they knew or should have known was pregnant.
There are other aggravating factors for assault and battery charges, such as if it is committed against a law enforcement officer, committed against a vulnerable person, or committed against a family member.
These violent crime charges can result from escalating conflict and even mutual physical violence. A lawyer is important for understanding the specifics of your charges and determining what options you have for defense.
Arson is the crime of damaging a dwelling, structure, or building that could be reasonably assumed was occupied through a fire or explosion. This may be done willfully and unlawfully or during the commission of another felony. Arson is charged as a felony and may be a first-degree or second-degree felony. If arson resulted in harm to another person, then that crime can be charged separately from the crime of arson.
Domestic violence charges are crimes of battery and other offenses committed against a family member or partner. These offenses carry serious reputational and collateral consequences. A full investigation is important after domestic violence charges. Charges can be filed after mutual violence between individuals or may even be charged by an abuser against their victim. These offenses often times result in a civil Injunction For Protection being issued against you, prohibiting contact with the Complainant and possibly your children. A sharp criminal defense lawyer can utilize that civil process to help defend you in your criminal prosecution.
Whether you committed the offense or not, a skilled defense lawyer is essential to look over medical documentation, eyewitness statements, and reports from the incident. This information is crucial to determine the circumstances of the offense and potentially reduce or eliminate the charges against you. Conviction of a domestic violence charge can result in serious criminal charges and personal consequences that alter the rest of your life.
White collar offenses include several types of financial crimes, often committed by business leaders and professionals. Fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, insider trading, extortion, racketeering, and many other similar crimes are white collar crimes. These offenses can result in severe criminal penalties as well as affect your entire career trajectory. The right lawyer is crucial to protect your personal and financial future.
Sex offenses, including sexual battery and rape, can result in imprisonment, fines, and registration as a sex offender. Conviction can affect the rest of your life, limiting where you can live, jobs you can take and cause a severe social stigma.
Stalking involves repeated unwanted contact causing reasonable fear. Consequences include restraining orders, jail time, fines, and mandatory counseling. Convictions can severely limit future employment and housing opportunities.
Aggravated stalking elevates to a felony when it violates a court order, involves a deadly weapon, or includes credible threats.
Murder and manslaughter charges are some of the most serious criminal offenses in existence and require a seriously dedicated and skilled lawyer.
This involves non-consensual sexual contact or assault. Penalties include imprisonment, mandatory sex offender registration, probation, counseling, and severe restrictions on housing and employment opportunities.
Kidnapping involves unlawfully restraining, abducting, or moving someone against their will. Penalties include lengthy prison sentences, substantial fines, and potential life imprisonment if aggravating factors are present.
False imprisonment involves unlawfully restraining someone’s freedom of movement without their consent. Penalties include jail time, fines, civil liability for damages, and potential felony charges if aggravating circumstances are involved.
Rape involves non-consensual sexual intercourse accomplished through force, threat, or when the victim is unable to consent. Penalties include lengthy prison sentences, mandatory sex offender registration, lifetime parole supervision, and severe restrictions on housing, employment, and internet use.
Cyberstalking involves using electronic communication to repeatedly harass, threaten, or intimidate someone, causing substantial emotional distress or reasonable fear. Penalties include imprisonment, fines, restraining orders, and restrictions on internet and social media use.
Indecent exposure involves intentionally exposing one’s private parts in public or in the presence of others who would be offended or alarmed. Penalties include fines, jail time, possible sex offender registration depending on circumstances, and restrictions on being near schools or parks.
Understanding Misdemeanor and Felony Charges in Orlando
Felony charges have more serious penalties than misdemeanor charges. A misdemeanor conviction cannot have an imprisonment term longer than one year, while a felony has a term longer than a year, as much as 30 to 40 years, life in prison, or the death penalty. Different types of criminal offenses are charged differently, with some being a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the unique factors of your case. The charge also relies on your current criminal record.
One benefit of a lawyer is to argue against aggravating factors or list mitigating factors that can lessen the severity of a charge. Felonies and misdemeanors are categorized into classes, and mitigating factors may lessen the class of a charge, leading to decreased maximum exposure.
While misdemeanors do not have as severe immediate criminal consequences, it is important not to take them lightly. Both misdemeanors and felonies result in a criminal record following conviction, which can have significant collateral consequences following your imprisonment term and potentially for the rest of your life.
FAQs:
When you begin working with a criminal defense lawyer, they will ask you questions relevant to your unique charges, arrest, and case to determine important information. These exact questions will vary significantly depending on your circumstances and the details that are most important. Some questions may include:
- Have you previously been involved with the criminal justice system? Do you have a prior criminal record?
- What happened during the event with which you were charged? Where were you?
- When and how were you arrested?
- Do you know the person who was the alleged victim of the crime?
You should ask your potential criminal defense lawyer questions to determine their skill and abilities to defend you. Some of these questions may include:
- Do you focus primarily on criminal defense cases?
- Have you worked on defense cases like mine before?
- What is your experience in criminal defense law?
- What are your fees? Do you charge a flat rate or an hourly rate?
- What do you think is a likely outcome of my case?
- Will you be handling my case personally?
- Who else will be handling my case? What is their experience?
Yes, you should tell your defense lawyer the truth. Your lawyer acts with your interests as their priority, and you should tell them all the information they request from you. A lawyer will guide you through the necessary information and determine the right defense for your situation.
How much a criminal defense lawyer costs in Florida ranges based on the lawyer’s experience and other factors, including:
- Fee structure. A lawyer may charge a flat fee or an hourly fee, generally depending on the amount of work they expect to expend on the case. When charging an hourly fee, some lawyers may require an upfront retainer.
- Charge severity. A more serious charge will typically require more work from a lawyer to properly defend, and so the costs will be higher.
- Aggravating factors. If there are aggravating factors in your case, this can increase the cost.
Contact Robert B. Fisher, P.A. Today
When you need a strong and diligent criminal defense lawyer, do not hesitate to reach out. Contact Robert B. Fisher today.
