Sarasota County Criminal Defense Lawyers
Our Approach
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Sarasota County criminal defense lawyers at Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. understand that it is an extremely difficult time, and we’re here to help see you through it. Our experienced team of lawyers has handled countless criminal cases including drug crimes, DUI, domestic battery, weapon offenses, internet crimes and more.
From the time of the arrest, the police and prosecutors, armed with all the state’s resources, start preparing a criminal case against you. One of the first steps we take is to speak to the prosecutor on your behalf. We’ll provide the prosecutor with your side, details and witnesses that may lead to the dismissal or lessening of charges.
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Sarasota County criminal defense lawyers at Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. can help you in many ways. You have options that our attorneys will fully investigate for you. These options include:
- Pre-filing action to affect the prosecutor’s decision to file formal charges, lessen offenses or decline to prosecute:
- Diversion programs that result in the dismissal of the criminal charges once you are able to complete all the specified conditions;
- Plea deals negotiated by your attorney with the prosecutor on your behalf to avoid a formal trial, avoid losing your job, and avoid convictions;
- Withholding Adjudication avoids a formal criminal conviction on your record;
- Pleas in Absentia allow the case to be settled without a trial or even your appearance in court;
- Treatment programs may be prescribed in lieu of jail time;
- Sealing or expungement of Criminal Records seals all information about your case, keeping it inaccessible to members of the public or potential employers.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help. Ask for Sarasota County’s most experienced criminal lawyers with any criminal issue.
Sarasota County Criminal Defense Lawyers Handle All Facets of Criminal Law:
Why We Are Different From Other Sarasota County Criminal Defense Lawyers:
Our law firm has been serving the community since 1958. We have handled the biggest and most high profile criminal cases and the most discreet ones. We have a reputation for excellence and for solely working in our client’s best interest. We are not the type of lawyers who will say or charge anything simply to get a case. As experienced and reputable criminal defense lawyers, when we make a representation to the judge or the prosecutor, those words have meaning and legitimacy behind them. We have handled cases in front of every judge in the area and have met or handled cases with virtually every prosecutor. We do not cut corners on cases and we do the work that is needed to get the best result for our clients. You pay us for our reputation, connections, knowledge and experience. We do not have to learn on the job.
Our General Goals for Your Case:
If you have not been arrested, but have learned that you are under investigation for a crime, contacting a Sarasota County criminal defense lawyer can prevent the arrest. Often, we are able to intervene with the investigating officer and remedy any situation. For example, we frequently find that when a complaint has been made about a theft or other misunderstanding, simply paying restitution or returning the disputed item can stop a criminal investigation.
If you have already been arrested, but not formally charged, our goal is to intervene with the prosecutor to influence the filing decision. By providing evidence, witness information, or simply the other side of the story, we are often able to convince the prosecutor to drop the charge or to file a lesser charge.
If you have already been formally charged by a prosecutor with a crime and/or have a court date set, our goal is to explore any possible defenses. Often, there are issues related to the stop of a vehicle or the search that leads to a defense. Also, witnesses are often unreliable and it is our goal to point out these weaknesses to the prosecutor.
If your case needs to be litigated through the taking of depositions, a motion to suppress, a motion to dismiss or a jury trial, our
criminal defense lawyers are well qualified to take on the State. But, as most criminal cases ultimately result in some type of plea negotiation, we also are qualified to put your case in the best position to receive the best deal possible. Often, our clients distinguish themselves from the thousands of other people coming before the court every year based on our instructions. We often advise our clients how to earn leniency from the judge or the prosecutor. For example, if your case involved alcohol or drug use, a prosecutor or judge may want to make sure that you don’t have a problem and continue to get in trouble. In this type of case, we may suggest voluntary counseling to prove that the alcohol or substance use is not an ongoing problem.
Finally, our objective is always to avoid jail and a felony conviction. Many of our clients come to us with no significant record. In these circumstances, we take all steps to avoid a felony conviction. We are well aware that felony charges and/or a conviction carry significant consequences. Employment background checks and even apartment rental background checks will be affected depending on the criminal charges. We also understand that your freedom is of utmost importance. The Pinellas County jail or Florida state prison is a penalty that we always strive to prevent or reduce time. Through proactive advice and hard work by our clients, we are usually able to preserve records and avoid jail.
Your Future is Our Mission
Our mission as Sarasota County criminal defense lawyers is to help clients and their families through very difficult times. We are proud of the help that we provided over the years and the lives that we have changed for the better along the way.
