Pumphrey Law Florida Leon County Criminal Defense Lawyers Violent Crimes

Violent Crimes

Violent crimes in Leon County often are considered a threat to society, suspects are promptly arrested and they are fiercely prosecuted under Florida law. Violent crimes include anything from misdemeanor offenses, such as battery or assault, to more serious felony charges involving a firearm or serious bodily injury; they occur frequently in Tallahassee and the surrounding area.

Last year over 1300 people were arrested for a felony violent crime in Leon County,^[1] fortunately that was less than the approximately 1400 in 2015.^[2] This means that approximately one out of every 6 arrests in Leon County are for violent crime felony.[3] This doesn’t even account for misdemeanor arrests.

If arrested for a violent crime in Leon County, the best defense requires retaining an experienced violent crime defense lawyer as early as possible during the process in Leon County criminal court. Skilled legal representation can help you invoke your right to remain silent, negotiate the terms of your surrender and bond and fight for you during the period after your arrest.

A conviction for a violent crime can have serious repercussions: you are facing charges for a violent crime, contact a criminal defense lawyer at Pumphrey Law in Tallahassee.

Florida law provides for numerous charges that are frequently considered “crimes of violence.” Generally, a crime is considered a violent crime when a threat, use of force or some form of physicality occurs between the victim and the offender when the crime is committed. In other cases, the threat or use of force is a crime in and of itself, such as assault or battery.

Back to top

Examples of violent crimes in Florida include:

• Misdemeanor assault is an intentional act or threat, of violence on someone else, according to Florida Statute § 784.011. This offense is generally punishable as a misdemeanor of the second degree.
• Aggravated Assault is similar to misdemeanor assault, according to Florida Statute § 784.021. However, aggravated assaultusually involves a deadly weapon or an intent to commit a felony. A conviction is at least a felony of the third-degree.
• Battery is intentionally touching another person against his or her will, or intentionally causing harm to another person, according to Florida Statute § 784.03. A conviction is at least a misdemeanor of the first-degree.
• Aggravated Batteryor “felony battery”, is battery that causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement, according to Florida Statutes § 784.041. This offense is punishable as a felony of the third-degree unless a weapon is used; that is a felony of the second-degree according to Florida Statutes § 784.045.
• Robbery is the taking of money or other property, intending to keep it permanently or temporarily, according to Florida Statute § 812.13. Robbery also involves force, violence, assault or somehow putting the other person in fear. This act can be a felony of the first or second-degree, depending on whether the robbery is armed.
• Manslaughter is the killing of another human being either through the act or culpable negligence of another without and type of justification, according to Florida Statute § 782.07. This is a felony of the second-degree.
• Murder / Homicide is the unlawful killing of another either through premeditation, in the course of another felony, during the distribution of banned controlled substances or by acting indifferently to human life, according to Florida Statute § 782.04. A conviction of murder or homicide can be a capital felony or a felony of the first or second-degree.

In addition, the attorneys at Pumphrey Law also work with many types of domestic violence charges here in Leon County that can be considered violent crimes such as: stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment or any other criminal offense alleged to target a family or household member.

In certain situations, there may be defenses to violent crime charges in Leon County criminal court. Defenses are not available in every instance, but a skilled violent crime defense attorney at Pumphrey Law can help you examine the unique facts of your case and see if a defense could help you avoid a conviction or have the charges reduced.

Back to top

Possible defenses to violent crimes include:

• Self-defense
• Defense of others
• Defense of property

Pumphrey Law represents men and women charged with crimes of violence throughout Tallahassee in Leon County and all over Florida. To schedule a free and confidential consultation to go over the details of your case with the legal team at Pumphrey Law, call (850) 681-7777 or send an online message today.

See Past Leon County Violent Case Results

Take a look at some outcomes and case results in Leon County violent crime cases we have handled recently.

• Aggravated Assault with a Firearm: NOT GUILTY
• Attempted First Degree Murder: CASE DROPPED

Back to top

Resources

• Florida’s Crimes of Violence
• Defenses to Violent Crimes
• Penalties for Violent Crimes in Florida
• Violent Crimes Resources
• Florida Statutes Online
  This website contains all of the Florida Statutes governing Florida violent crimes, possible defenses to such crimes, and the penalties for convictions of violent crimes.
• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  This Florida governmental agency promotes public safety by preventing, investigating and solving violent crimes. The Department is located at:
  Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  2331 Phillips Road
  Tallahassee, Florida 32308
  Phone: (850) 410-7640

[1] Arrest Totals and Index Arrests by County, 2015, Florida Department of Law Enforcement 2, 4, 6  https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FSAC/Documents/PDF/arr_cnty15.aspx (detailing that 1399 arrests were made in Leon County for Murder, Forcible Sex Offenses, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Manslaughter and Simple Assault; 2987 arrests were made for “Miscelaneous”). 

[2] Arrest Totals and Index Arrests by County, 2016, Florida Department of Law Enforcement 2, 4, 6, http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FSAC/Documents/PDF/arr_cnty16.aspx (detailing that 1307 arrests were made in Leon County for Murder, Forcible Sex Offenses, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Manslaughter and Simple Assault; 2780 arrests were made for “Miscelaneous”).  .

[3] Crime in Florida Abstract: Leon County, Florida Department of Law Enforcement 1, http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FSAC/UCR/2016/Counties/Leon16.aspx (showing that arrest totals for 2015 were 9,087 and 2016 were 9,065 – this means that 15.39% of arrests in 2015 and 14.4% of arrests in 2017 were for some kind of violent crime).