Tallahassee Criminal Defense Attorney

Arrested? Get Aggressive Protection for Your Future!

Backed by 150+ years of combined experience, Musca Law is proud to represent clients all over Florida who have been accused of serious criminal offenses. Our Tallahassee criminal defense lawyers handle a broad range of cases, including DUI, sex crimes, federal offenses, and more. We are your trusted source for dedicated, aggressive, and seasoned counsel in criminal cases. When the unimaginable happens, Musca Law is here for you.

Standing Out from Other Defense Firms

At our firm, we don’t just provide passionate advocacy—we provide passionate advocacy rooted in proven success, ruthless investigation, and strategic preparation. Our record in and out of the courtroom speaks for itself. As Florida’s trusted criminal defense firm, we stand out in many ways. You can be confident knowing we’ve been given the following recognitions:

• The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers
• 2012 Florida Super Lawyers® list
• 10.0 Superb Avvo ratings
• Named Top Criminal & DUI Defense Lawyers by Newsweek

We are also certified in Breathalyzer operation, have regularly been featured on many news outlets, and boast a large, winning team of legal professionals. Empower yourself during this trying time by retaining our counsel. Call (850) 900-2142 to speak with one of our experienced attorneys!

Criminal Attorneys in Leon County

Criminal charges can threaten a person’s job, family stability, liberty, reputation, and financial well-being, but our Tallahasse criminal defense attorneys with over 150 years of combined experience provide aggressive opposition to the full range of criminal offenses, such as:

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
• Avoiding a DUI Checkpoint
• Boating Under the Influence (BUI)
• Injunctions (Restraining Orders)
• DUI Manslaughter 
• Marijuana DUI Charges
• Sexual Crimes
• Domestic Violence
• Domestic Violence Injunction 
• Sexual Violence Injunction
• Stalking Injunction
• Repeat Violence Injunction
• Dating Violence Injunction
• Child Pornography | Transmission of Child Porn
• Theft Offenses
• Shoplifting Charges
• Serious Traffic Offenses
• Drug Offenses
• Violent Crimes
• White Collar Crimes
• Concealed Weapons
• Voyeurism - Video Voyeurism
• Federal Crimes
• Possession of Stolen Property
• Juvenile Crimes
• Probation Violation
• Disorderly Conduct
• Obstruction of Justice
• Expungement
• Sexual Assault Allegations
• Carjacking Charges

Leon County DUI Defense Attorneys That Care

You aren’t simply a case; you are an individual who has been wrongly accused of a criminal offense. Our Tallahassee criminal defense attorney team began our law careers with the intent to assist the unfairly accused, and we continually practice ethical representation to provide the best possible results to those people so that you can have a brighter future. You are an individual with rights, not just another statistic in the criminal system.

Understanding the Florida State System

You aren’t expected to know the fundamentals of Florida state law. At Musca Law, we aid you in understanding your rights, knowing where your case stands, and recognizing your chances for dismissal or potentially accepting a plea bargain. With over 150 years of combined experience, our law firm has seen just about everything that has gone through the Florida law system. We’re prepared to help you understand your case from the perspective of the law, as well as to help you know how to diligently protect your rights.

Clear and Concise Communication With Authorities

High-pressure situations involving the authorities can often cause misinterpretations or misspeaking. When unnecessary or unwarranted questioning occurs, you’re not being treated fairly and your rights could be jeopardized. Prior to and/or after your arrest, our expert team of Tallahassee defense attorneys spearhead communicating with the authorities to resolve these matters in order to direct a clear and accurate narrative. You should never be harassed before or during a trial. We won’t allow that to happen to you.

Aiding With Arraignment

During an arraignment, the defense receives information about specific charges. Your arraignment is crucial, and having an experienced defense attorney by your side is essential to receiving the best possible outcome. In many instances, plea bargaining may be arranged before arraignment, providing you with the best-case scenario. During an arraignment, the defendant is expected to formally plead guilty or no contest, and if the former is chosen, you will move on to sentencing. During this process, further court appearances will be scheduled, potentially leading to a trial.

Assistance in Hearings and Pre-Trial Motions 

Our experienced legal team understands tactics that are often used against you in a court of law, and contentiously investigates every aspect of your case to deflect these tactics. Pre-trial motions are used to determine if certain pieces of evidence are unrelated to the case, should not be included in your trial, and/or if the case should be dismissed entirely based on a lack of evidence from the prosecution. Depending on your particular case, we can and will work to handle it without ever requiring the need for a formal trial. 

Tallahassee Criminal Defense Attorney 

In the event that you are not acquitted of all charges, you still have a fighting chance to receive mitigated penalties from the deliberations of the court. A knowledgeable and experienced Tallahassee defense attorney from our firm will continue to aggressively combat charges in order to come to an agreement. The goal is to reach a middle ground when available, with the intention of reducing or eliminating potential sentencing in exchange for a no contest or guilty plea. In many scenarios, your defense attorney will be capable of achieving a plea bargain that benefits you as much as possible, while strategically coming to an agreement with the prosecution. Plea bargains often come with positive and negative attributes. Your defense attorney will provide legal counsel in determining the best option, though ultimately, the choice is completely up to you, the defendant.

Musca Law Takes Action

Inaction leads to passive results. As your Tallahassee criminal defense attorneys, Musca Law leads the charge with rapid, calculated action that commands results. Appropriate legal representation is often the difference between reaching a plea bargain or acquitting charges and ending up on the wrong side of an agreement. Our past actions and records showcase how decisively we act without trepidation, helping us obtain the best outcomes for you. Allow us the privilege of serving you and putting the full power of Florida state law to work on your behalf. You have a constitutional right to a fair trial, and deserve legal representation that fights to preserve your credibility and character throughout the entire legal process.

Constant Counsel

We know that criminal charges don’t wait for a convenient time to crop up. Our firm is available 24/7 to answer your calls. The future is unpredictable, but your access to complete and supportive legal counsel shouldn’t be. Don’t wait until after the fact to get trusted representation. Weekends, the middle of the night, even holidays: our firm is always just one call away to provide you with needed legal services. 

Assault Attorney in Tallahassee, Florida

In the state of Florida, an assault is recognized as a violent crime, and violent crimes are forcefully prosecuted. Anybody who is found guilty of assault may face severe legal punishments. It is imperative to contact a lawyer right away after you realize you are under investigation, have been arrested, or have been charged. Criminal legal proceedings can be complicated and stressful. The outcome of a guilty verdict might have long-lasting repercussions on your future, your good reputation, and even your employment opportunities. A qualified Tallahassee assault attorney will be able to guide you through the legal process and answer any questions that you may have as your case unfolds. Reaching out to a criminal defense attorney in Florida is your best option for not being saddled with a criminal record that could haunt you for the rest of your life. Our accomplished assault defense attorneys will work diligently to defend you in court and do their best to help you walk away from these charges if at all possible. We will defend your rights every step of the way, even in court, so that you can concentrate on putting all of this behind you and moving forward in your life.

Assault vs. Battery

The phrase “assault and battery” is one most people are very familiar with but usually causes uncertainty about how these charges actually work. According to Florida state law, assault is an entirely different crime than battery. The legal definitions of each of these charges are as follows:

• Assault: “An intentional, unlawful threat (by word or act to do violence) to the person of another, coupled with an apparent ability to do so, and doing some act which creates a well-founded fear in such other person that such violence is imminent.” 
• Battery: “An actual and intentional touching or striking of another person against their will; or intentionally causing bodily harm to another person.”

Basically, this means that an assault takes place when a person deliberately threatens another person, and the victim thinks that the attacker can and will see that threat through. Battery takes place when a person physically makes contact with another person against that person’s will, or with the intention of hurting them. Different from a charge of battery, a charge of assault can be given even if absolutely no physical contact was made. Though assault and battery are two distinct crimes, somebody can be charged with both crimes arising from the same disturbance. Even if a person genuinely thinks they are behaving in a way that is clearly self-defensive, they could still be charged with either of these crimes. Our Tallahassee assault attorneys are available to protect those who have been charged with assault, battery, or other similar charges.

Penalties for an Assault Conviction

Usually, basic assault charges as outlined in the above section are classified as a second-degree misdemeanor. Anybody who is convicted of their first assault crime could suffer punishments including but not limited to:

• Imprisonment in a county jail for as long as 60 days
• A fine of as much as $500

Florida state law also establishes some felony-level assault charges. Whether or not an assault is tried as a misdemeanor or as a felony depends on the specific circumstances of each incident.

Federal Crimes

There are some criminal acts that are illegal according to both state and federal laws. If you are charged with one of these offenses you can be tried in either state or federal court. That decision will be made by the U.S. attorney. Other criminal acts, however, are only listed as federal crimes. Some examples of these crimes that are able to be indicted at the federal level include but are not limited to:

• Controlled Substance Trafficking: Trafficking controlled substances can be charged as either a state or federal crime. You may be charged with trafficking for possessing even small amounts of illegal drugs. You can also be charged with trafficking even if you are not really involved in drug trafficking because these laws classify the offense of trafficking by how much of a certain illegal drug is discovered on your property or on your person.
• Wire Fraud: Mail fraud and wire fraud are comparable crimes that include your use of wire transmission or of the federal mail system to engage in perpetrating fraud or some other related crime.
• Tax Fraud: Intentionally deceiving the Internal Revenue Service, or deliberately forgetting to file and pay your annual income taxes, will be deemed a federal crime. Cheating the IRS is always treated as a federal crime that is only tried in federal court and never on the state level.
• Federal Gun Crimes: The possession of a gun by any felon is forbidden under both state and federal law. You could potentially be charged with this crime or any number of other federal gun offenses and tried in federal court, based on the orders of the U.S. attorney.

These are just a few samples of the sorts of criminal acts that can pave the way for federal charges. Also, any time that you engage in criminal behavior that crosses state lines, or when you engage in organized crime, you run the risk of being indicted in federal court.

Trespass in a Structure or Conveyance

The offense of trespass in a structure or conveyance takes place when someone knowingly and deliberately enters or stays in any structure, like a building, house, or vehicle, without being given permission by the person who owns the property. It also pertains to circumstances when someone has been given permission or was otherwise authorized to be on the property, but has since been asked to vacate the property and not done so. Trespass is usually deemed a second-degree misdemeanor which could result in being sentenced to as long as 60 days in a county jail. It can, however, be upgraded to a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by as long as one year in a county jail, if another person is with you throughout the trespass or to a third-degree felony, punishable by as long as five years in state prison, if you or another trespasser are armed with a gun or any other form of dangerous weapon. Do not hesitate to contact our law office today to schedule a free, no-obligation, and confidential case assessment conversation with one of our experienced Leon County Criminal Defense Attorneys.

Musca Law
Address: 2892 E Park Ave Suite 4, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Telephone: (850) 900-2142

Appointment Required

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