Violent Crimes in South Florida: Why Speed Matters
The most important decision in any violent crime case is made before charges are filed. In Florida, the State Attorney's Office makes the charging decision based on the arrest report, the victim's statement, and the available evidence. If a defense attorney can engage the prosecution before the Information is filed — presenting context, evidence, and legal arguments that the arrest report omitted — the case can be resolved at no-charge or a reduced charge before it ever formally begins.
We have achieved this outcome. In a January 2026 Broward County case involving aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, we were retained the same day as the arrest. Through immediate, strategic engagement with the State Attorney's Office, we secured a No Information — all charges declined — before the case was ever formally filed in court.
That window does not stay open long. The faster you retain experienced counsel, the more options are available.
Florida's Violent Crime Charge Structure
Aggravated assault (§ 784.021): Third-degree felony — up to 5 years, but mandatory 10 years if a firearm was used under 10-20-Life.
Aggravated battery (§ 784.045): Second-degree felony — up to 15 years. Intentionally or knowingly causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement, or using a deadly weapon.
Robbery (§ 812.13): Second-degree felony — up to 15 years. Armed robbery with a weapon is a first-degree felony — up to life.
Home invasion robbery (§ 812.135): First-degree felony — mandatory life imprisonment if carried out with a firearm.
Attempted murder: First-degree felony — up to 30 years (life if premeditated).
Florida's 10-20-Life Enhancement
Florida's 10-20-Life law turns any conviction for a qualifying violent felony where a firearm was present into a mandatory minimum sentence:
- 10 years: Defendant possessed a firearm during the offense
- 20 years: Defendant discharged the firearm
- 25 years to life: Discharge caused great bodily harm or death
These minimums are non-negotiable once a conviction is entered. They cannot be reduced by plea negotiation after charges are filed in the form that triggers 10-20-Life. The only paths to avoid them are: defeating the charge outright, winning Stand Your Ground immunity, or negotiating a plea to a charge that does not trigger the enhancement.
Our Defense Strategy
Immediate pre-charge engagement. We contact the State Attorney's Office within hours of retention on violent crime cases. The pre-charge window is where outcomes are shaped. Witness statements, video surveillance, forensic evidence, and context about the defendant's circumstances can all be presented before the prosecutor locks in the charging decision.
Stand Your Ground immunity hearings. We conduct full factual and legal investigation to evaluate Stand Your Ground immunity in every case involving force. When the immunity argument is viable, we pursue it aggressively — a successful immunity motion dismisses the entire case.
Challenging witness credibility and identification. Violent crime cases are often built on victim and witness statements that conflict with physical evidence, video footage, or forensic evidence. We investigate every witness, obtain all surveillance footage, and challenge identifications and characterizations of the defendant's conduct.
Firearm nexus challenges. In 10-20-Life cases, we challenge whether the defendant actually "possessed" or "used" the firearm within the meaning of the statute — because the difference between possessing a firearm during an offense and using it can be the difference between a mandatory minimum and judicial discretion.