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The Three Most Common Offenses

The police departments and sheriff’s offices in Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and Stuart are very vigilant and make numerous arrests every day.  While many get arrested for serious offenses, statistics have shown that the largest bulk of the arrests and criminal prosecutions in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties fall into three categories.  They are:

Drug Charges

Most of the arrests on the Treasure Coast are for drug-related charges.  More than thirty years after the “War on Drugs” was declared, local law enforcement is as zealous as ever in hunting down drug offenders.  In Florida, only the Possession of Marijuana Under Twenty Grams is a misdemeanor.  Possession of more than twenty grams of marijuana is a felony, as is possession of cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and prescription pills without having a prescription.  All charges involving the sale or trafficking of drugs are felonies, and some of them require mandatory jail or prison sentences.

If you are convicted of any drug offense in Florida, even Possession of Marijuana, your driver’s license will be suspended for two years.  This is true even if you were not driving or even near a vehicle at the time of your arrest.

The facts of many drug cases present fertile ground for your defense.  Often, a traffic stop or search leading to the discovery of drugs can be challenged on a Constitutional basis.  In many drug cases, Christopher J. Jacobs can help you avoid potential jail, probation, and loss of your driver’s license through programs such as Drug Court, or he may be able to help you avoid being formally convicted of the charge.  Contact Christopher J. Jacobs today!

Criminal Traffic Offenses (including DUI)

In a close second place, not a day goes by without someone being arrested for a criminal traffic offense on the Treasure Coast.  Please do not make the mistake of thinking that “it’s just driving” and that the prosecutor or judge will not think it is serious.   Unlike many areas of Florida, the prosecutors and judges in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties go extremely tough on charges like Driving While License Suspended (DWLS), Fleeing and Eluding, Reckless Driving, No Driver’s License, Leaving The Scene of An Accident and Racing.  Being convicted of Fleeing and Eluding, DUI or Racing will result in a license suspension. 

Today, even a conviction for many crimes completely unrelated to driving can result in a suspended license.  The Treasure Coast is not renowned for its Public Transit system, so many are forced to drive to maintain their livelihood.  If they get caught, they get trapped in a endless cycle that can lead to prison, just for driving.  Having an experienced criminal traffic attorney like Christopher Jacobs may help you avoid a conviction, incarceration, expensive fines and the loss of your license.

Domestic Violence Battery

In the last twenty years or so, Domestic Violence has become a serious crime in this State.  Usually involving a man and a woman, it has been expanded to involve siblings and those in a live-in relationship.  Now more than ever, the laws are abused by angry spouses seeking to get back at their mates or gain leverage in family court.  Police are afraid not to arrest somebody if there is an accusation of violence.  Law enforcement will usually attempt to determine the primary aggressor and arrest him or her.  With the increase in arrests came stiffer laws.  In Florida, a Domestic Violence Battery conviction involves a minimum jail sentence, expensive fines, and lengthy programs. 

Contrary to popular belief, the accuser in a domestic violence case cannot “drop the charges.”  Once the police have been called out, the process is out of the accuser’s hands.  These cases are NOT hopeless, however.  Hiring an experienced domestic violence attorney with sound strategies in these cases, like Christopher J. Jacobs, may make all the difference.  A conviction and mandatory jail sentence can be avoided in many cases, and many cases can be dismissed.

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Criminal Defense

1. • Felony Offenses
   

2. • Misdemeanor Offenses
   

3. • The Three Most Common Arrests
   

4. • Record Sealing & Expungement
   

DUI Defense

1. • DUI Law
   

2. • Potential DUI Penalties
   

3. • Your License
   

4. • Florida’s 10 Day Rule
   

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