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The Principle Areas of Criminal Law

At Khonsari Law Group, we tackle all types of cases pertaining to criminal law. Our team of lawyers has extensive experience with a wide range of crimes, including:
Assault and Battery – In assault and battery cases, the defendant is accused of threatening someone and/or causing physical harm to them. You may face assault and battery charges because of a fight gone wrong, a drunken threat, or a wide range of other factors. Assault and battery includes many subcategories:

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• Assault: Making a threat with the intent and ability to carry it out
• Aggravated assault: A threat that involves a deadly weapon without the intent to kill
• Battery: Intentionally touching or striking another person to do harm against their will, including hitting, kicking, and shoving
• Aggravated battery: Intentionally striking another person and causing significant harm; harming someone whom the accused knows is pregnant; using a deadly weapon for battery.

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Drug Crime – Drug crimes include both possession and distribution. When you allegedly possess large quantities of drugs with intent to distribute them, you may face drug trafficking charges. Drug crime is a serious issue throughout Florida, which means both that penalties are growing harsher and that the state is more likely to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

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DUI – Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, including driving under the influence of legal drugs that allegedly impaired your ability to function behind the wheel, is a serious issue—and one with substantial penalties. Losing your license, paying harsh fines, and jail time can all accompany DUI convictions.

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DUI Manslaughter – Driving under the influence carries a harsh set of penalties. Killing someone while driving under the influence, on the other hand, is far more serious. A car accident can happen in the blink of an eye, leaving both you and the family of the deceased dealing with the repercussions for the rest of your lives. Having a qualified lawyer for your DUI defense is critical to increasing the odds that you will move forward with your life without substantially limiting your freedoms.

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Manslaughter and Murder – When an accident leads to death, who is responsible? Often, in cases involving manslaughter, you didn’t intend to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that you’ll walk away without consequences. Murder, on the other hand, involves the deliberate intent to kill another individual, while manslaughter is either viewed as a crime of passion or a deliberate lack of attention to actions that had serious potential dangers for another person. In both cases, a qualified attorney is the most effective way to move forward with your defense.

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Probation Violation – When you’re on probation for a crime, violating the terms of probation can lead to serious consequences. Often, people are placed on probation in lieu of other, more serious consequences. Violation of probation can lead to jail time and heavy fines, both of which can substantially limit your freedom and quality of life. The burden of proof in a probation violation trial is typically much less than in other criminal cases, which can leave you facing legal consequences swiftly and without time to prepare.

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Theft and Robbery – Stealing from another person, a store, or a business, without force or the use of force, is known as theft—and it carries with it the risk of jail time, among other substantial consequences. Petty theft, or a theft of something worth less than $300, is usually considered a misdemeanor. Grand theft, on the other hand, carries much more severe criminal consequences. Robbery generally involves using force or the threat of force to take money or property from someone else, and consequently the law treats it more seriously than theft. Once accused of theft or robbery, get an attorney on your side to support you through the legal process.

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Vehicular Manslaughter – Vehicular manslaughter involves the unintentional death of another person while behind the wheel of a car or other motorized vehicle. Authorities may accuse you of vehicular manslaughter if you engaged in unsafe behavior behind the wheel that you knew could lead to death or serious injury for another person. Drag racing, dangerous disregard for traffic laws, or tailgating that led to death can all constitute vehicular manslaughter.

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White Collar Crimes – White collar crimes include embezzlement, credit card fraud, blackmail, internet fraud, insurance fraud, insider trading, and money laundering. These crimes are difficult to investigate, prosecute, and defend against, and can lead to a web of potential penalties. Those accused of white collar crimes may not fully understand their charges, much less how to mount an effective criminal defense on their own. In the case of white collar crime charges, having a lawyer on your side can substantially increase your odds of successfully navigating the legal system.

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What Are the Penalties for Criminal Actions?

When you’re charged with a crime, you face several direct and indirect penalties. These may include: Fines – Depending on the extent of your alleged crime, the alleged victim, and the circumstances, you may face significant financial penalties. These financial penalties intend to help pay back the community or the person harmed by the alleged crime. In many cases, fines can leave you struggling to pay other bills or take care of critical financial responsibilities in your own life.

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Probation – Probation significantly limits your freedom. It’s not just a matter of having to check in regularly with your probation officer. Probation may also force you to remain in a specific geographic area. Authorities will limit where you can go and heavily monitor your activities. If you fail to take care of your dependents or pay the fines you owe, you may face a return to jail. The terms of your probation may mean that you must refrain from carrying or possessing a firearm, that you must avoid places where drugs and alcohol are sold, and that you must limit the people you associate with. An attorney can often help you negotiate probation, and may help you achieve more favorable terms.

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Jail and Prison Time – Not only will you lose weeks, months, or even years of your life to incarceration, you’ll also reduce your earning potential and miss out on milestones in the lives of your loved ones.

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A Criminal Record – A criminal record will disqualify you from many jobs. Schools, for example, do not hire people convicted of sex crimes or crimes against children. Professions requiring driving or transportation may not hire applicants with a history of DUI, reckless driving, or similar crimes. You may also find yourself struggling to find any employment or limited in your associations with other people.

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Working with your attorney is the most effective way to limit the consequences you’ll face as a result of criminal accusations. You want to protect your legal rights and ensure that you can move forward with your life as effectively as possible. Working with an attorney can help make that happen. Without an attorney, you may find yourself living with serious consequences that can limit your life long-term.

How Can I Defend Against Criminal Charges?

Working with a lawyer is the most effective way to develop a defense that will help protect your freedoms. Your attorney has likely represented defendants in similar circumstances before, and should know the best way to present your case accordingly. Innocence – If you are innocent of a crime, you have three key defenses. First and foremost, you may attempt to prove, simply stated, that you didn’t commit the crime. In a criminal case, the burden of proof rests with the accuser—that is, the state must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that you committed the crime. You may provide an alibi that places you somewhere else at the time of the crime, or present evidence that conflicts with the prosecutor’s version of events.

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Self-Defense – In some cases, like manslaughter, assault, or battery, you may defend yourself by asserting that you acted in self-defense. If you defended yourself or someone else against violent actions that could lead to harm, you may have been within your rights to protect yourself and should not suffer criminal consequences.

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Insanity – You suffer from a mental illness, or circumstances caused you to lose control, and couldn’t possibly have known what you were doing or understood the consequences of a particular course of action. The insanity defense is common in many television shows and movies, but it’s less common in real life. Note that when you plead insanity, you may face time in an institution in lieu of prison.

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Entrapment – In the case of entrapment, you may argue that police or another official enticed you into committing a crime that you would not otherwise have committed. Most of the time, this would apply only to a crime that you were not already planning to commit. Your defense will depend on the circumstances of the crime, the evidence surrounding it, and your involvement (or lack thereof). By working with a lawyer, you can more effectively determine how to protect your freedoms following a criminal accusation.

What Will a Lawyer Cost Me?

The cost of your lawyer will vary based on the criminal charges you’re facing and the way your case proceeds through the legal system. When it comes to the cost of a lawyer, however, consider what it will cost you not to hire a lawyer. A lawyer can help reduce the legal and financial penalties you’ll face as a result of criminal charges. By hiring a high-quality criminal defense lawyer, you can protect your freedoms, reduce the amount of time you will spend in jail, and decrease the fines you’ll owe as a result of criminal convictions. Without a lawyer, these consequences could grow far greater. At Khonsari Law Group, we’ll start with a free consultation to discuss your case. During that consultation, we are often able to offer critical advice about how to proceed moving forward, which can help you make a more effective decision about presenting your defense. The Constitution guarantees your right to an attorney—if you face potential criminal prosecution, take full advantage of your legal protections and consult an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

Get Legal Support in Your Criminal Case

If you are accused of a crime, do not wait. The sooner you start working with a lawyer, the sooner you can craft an effective defense that will help protect your freedoms and allow you to move forward with your life. Contact Khonsari Law Group online today or call our office at (727) 269-5300 to learn more about how we can help.