Fort Myers Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense is a term used by the legal community to describe the following types of cases which are handled by a criminal judge in either: County Court, for a Misdemeanor, Circuit Court, for Felony, and Juvenile Delinquency. Domestic Violence cases are often dealt with by a civil judge for a restraining (or stay away) order and a Criminal Judge for the actual case. Our Fort Myers criminal defense lawyers are familiar with each of these proceedings and their nuances.

A judge sitting on a Criminal County Court bench is limited to punishing Defendants to a maximum sentence of 364 days in the county jail; whereas a Circuit (or Felony) Court judge can sentence defendants to a maximum of Life in Prison or even Death, if the judge is “Death Qualified” by the Florida Supreme Court. While Juvenile, (aka. Delinquency), Court is in the Circuit court system there are much different rules that apply. A Juvenile Judge can impose a sentence of anywhere from a Stern Judicial Warning to a maximum of a level 10 which is around 10 months in a juvenile program. A juvenile can also be direct filed into the adult criminal system where they will stand trial as an adult.

If you or someone you know has either been arrested or is currently facing criminal charges in the Fort Myers area, our criminal defense lawyers want you to know that you have a constitutional right to remain silent. If you are read your Miranda warnings the police officer should tell you that any information may be used against you in a court of law. It is important to remember that the State or Federal Government has the burden to prove each and every element of the crime beyond and to the exclusion of a reasonable doubt; given that information, you can see why it is important to remain silent. When a police officer tells you that anything you say may be used against you in a court of law, you can be assured that it most certainly will. In addition to a constitutional right to remain silent, you have a constitutional right to an attorney. In order to invoke your right to Counsel, you must very clearly state “I want a lawyer” when in doubt say this many times and be sure to tell each and every law enforcement officer who comes to speak with you.

After you are arrested you should consult a criminal defense attorney in Fort Myers as soon as possible, much can be done in your defense during these initial few hours.

Contact our law firm as soon as possible and we can work to develop a strategy to minimize any damage that may have occurred.

Here are a few of the types of criminal charges that Garvin Law Firm handles:

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