A felony conviction in Florida can mean prison, permanent loss of civil rights, and a record that follows you for life. From third-degree felonies to capital offenses, AMC Defense Law defends clients at every level of Florida's criminal justice system, from county court to the Florida Supreme Court.
Florida's felony statutes cover an enormous range of conduct, from a third-degree felony grand theft involving a few hundred dollars above the threshold, to capital murder. What connects them is the gravity of the consequences: state prison, a permanent record, and the loss of civil rights that follows a convicted felon in Florida for life.
The cases we defend most frequently in South Florida felony courts span violent crimes, property crimes, drug offenses, weapons charges, and white-collar felonies. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties each have their own State Attorney's Offices, their own charging cultures, and their own courtroom dynamics. Local knowledge is not a luxury in Florida felony defense, it is a necessity.
Capital and life felonies represent the most serious crimes in Florida's criminal code: first-degree murder, sexual battery with a weapon, kidnapping with aggravated battery. Capital offenses carry the possibility of the death penalty. Life felonies carry mandatory life imprisonment. These cases require the most experienced, most prepared defense team available.
First-degree felonies include aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm, burglary of an occupied dwelling with an assault, and drug trafficking above threshold quantities. Maximum sentence: 30 years. Under the Criminal Punishment Code, first-degree felony convictions almost always result in state prison for defendants with any prior record.
Second-degree felonies include aggravated assault with a firearm, DUI manslaughter, grand theft of $20,000 to $100,000, and felony battery (prior domestic battery conviction). Maximum: 15 years.
Third-degree felonies are the most common felony charge in South Florida courts and include grand theft ($750 to $20,000), possession of a controlled substance, felony assault, resisting arrest with violence, and DWLS (third or subsequent offense). Maximum: 5 years.
In Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, felony prosecution begins at first appearance, typically within 24 hours of arrest, where the judge sets bond. The State Attorney's Office then has 21 days to formally file charges (via Information) or bring the case before a grand jury. This early window, between arrest and formal charges, is where strategic defense intervention has the greatest impact.
Our firm has successfully argued for No Information decisions (declinations to prosecute) in serious felony cases by presenting defense evidence, witness statements, and legal arguments to prosecutors before charges are filed. The result is complete dismissal, before a case ever appears on your record as a felony prosecution.
We move immediately. Bond hearings, evidence preservation, witness location, and prosecution contact all happen in the first days after an arrest. Waiting is the most expensive thing you can do in a Florida felony case.
We investigate independently. The State's investigation is designed to prove guilt. Our investigation is designed to establish doubt, and to find evidence the police didn't look for, witnesses who weren't interviewed, and forensic questions that weren't asked.
We fight the scoresheet. Florida's sentencing scoresheet drives outcomes. We challenge prior record calculations, offense severity levels, and victim injury scores that inflate the recommended range. Scoresheet victories translate directly into years, sometimes decades, of reduced exposure.
We negotiate from strength. The strongest plea outcomes come from defendants who have strong counsel early and have built a compelling defense narrative. Prosecutors respond to leverage. We build it.
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