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Our Tampa Criminal Defense Attorneys handle a wide variety of felony and misdemeanor charges throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Our Attorneys have handles charges ranging from open containers of alcohol to all degrees of murder, including cases involving the death penalty. As we discuss elsewhere in our Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney blog, the distinction between a felony and misdemeanor is the potential penalty or sanction. Florida Statute Section 775.081 provides the legal distinction between felonies and misdemeanors. The Florida Department of Corrections provides a concise overview of Florida’s Sentencing Structure.
Felony charges carry the potential of time in a Florida State Prison and sentences above a year. This includes potential probation sentences, which on a felony charge are greater than one year. Becoming a convicted felon involves the loss of a number of rights, including, but not limited to the inability to legally own a firearm, vote, etc. Needless to say, it is incredibly difficult to obtain employment with a felony conviction. There are several degrees of felony charges – first, second, third and life. First degree felonies have a maximum sentence of thirty years in a Florida State Prison. Second degree felonies have a maximum sentence of fifteen years in a Florida State Prison. Third degree felonies have a maximum sentence of five years in prison. While life felonies obviously have a maximum sentence of life in a prison, these sanctions are reserved for the most severe charges.
The maximum sentence on a misdemeanor charge is 365 days in a county jail. The maximum probationary sentence available for a misdemeanor is a year. It is worth noting though that a court can “stack” or run sentences consecutively. This will result in multiple sentences being run one after another. There are two degrees of misdemeanors – first and second degree. First degree misdemeanors have a maximum fine of $1,000.00 and a year in county jail. While second degree misdemeanors have a maximum fine of $500.00 and sixty days in county jail.
Our Tampa Criminal Defense Attorneys have represented folks accused of all levels of felonies and misdemeanors. We provide aggressive, affordable representation in criminal cases throughout the Tampa Bay Area. If you would like to contact one of our Tampa Criminal Defense Attorneys immediately, please either use the “contact us now” tab in the upper right hand corner or the free, secure chatbox in the lower right hand corner of our website. We appreciate you taking the time to check out our website and we look forward to hearing from you.