Florida's 10-20-Life sentencing enhancement makes violent crimes carrying a firearm among the most severely sentenced offenses in the state. A conviction for aggravated assault with a firearm means a mandatory 10 years, no probation, no parole. The window for effective defense closes fast: early retention and immediate case strategy make the difference between prison and walking free.
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.
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 law turns any conviction for a qualifying violent felony where a firearm was present into a mandatory minimum sentence:
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.
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.
Every roundup says Florida's five new criminal laws start October 1. Two already govern arrests made in June and July. Find out which one charged you.
HB 277 took effect July 1, 2026. A second Florida DV offense can now be filed as a felony. One prior injunction violation puts you one step from a felony. Here is what changed and what to do.
Three bills signed into Florida law this year changed who goes to jail and when. HB 35, HB 445, and HB 1159 are in effect now — and the cases they control are moving through the system today.
In June 2026, the Eleventh Circuit held that Florida aggravated assault categorically qualifies as a crime of violence under federal law. For noncitizens facing a plea, that ruling changes everything before they sign.
A Florida DV arrest triggers federal firearm bans, no-contact bond orders, civil injunctions, and license review. Here are five warning signs and what to do.
Under federal scrutiny over overseas planning or money movement? The Moise convictions show how one Miami overt act can trigger life-level § 956 exposure.
Federal firearms charges carry mandatory minimum sentences designed to be consecutive, stacking years on top of whatever other sentence you face. A single 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) count adds a mandatory 5 years that cannot be reduced, suspended, or run concurrently. In trafficking cases, each weapon compounds the exposure.
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.
A domestic violence arrest in Florida can escalate from a misdemeanor battery to a permanent federal firearms ban before a case reaches a courtroom. The window for effective pre-charge defense closes fast. Early intervention determines whether you face a conviction or a dismissal.
Federal drug trafficking carries mandatory minimum sentences that begin at five years and can reach life imprisonment, with no judicial discretion to go below. In the Southern District of Florida, the DEA, FBI, and HSI run the most active drug prosecution district in the country. The window for effective defense is narrow.