If you were arrested for a misdemeanor crime in Okaloosa or Santa Rosa County, I want to offer you some guidance about the “nuts and bolts” of what comes next.
First, let’s define what a misdemeanor is.
In Florida, a misdemeanor is any crime that is punishable by up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1000.00 fine.
You can also receive up to 1 year of supervised, reporting probation.
Other common sanctions for a misdemeanor include community service, remedial classes like DUI School, Chemical Awareness Course, Anti-Theft Course, etc., depending on the offense in question.
Once you’ve been arrested, you will either have to see a Judge at a hearing called First Appearance, or you will be issued a Notice To Appear. Either way, you will be given notice of a first court appearance called arraignment. It is also known as Plea Day.
If you don’t have your own attorney, or you have the public defender, you must personally attend this first court appearance. If you hire a Criminal Defense Attorney before your court date, you will NOT have to personally appear.
At the first court appearance, a not guilty plea will be entered on your behalf. This does NOT mean you will be forced to go to trial. All it means is that you will be given a chance to talk to an attorney, and see what kind of evidence the State has against you before making any final decisions about your case.
After the plea day, your case will be scheduled for a pretrial conference. Normally, unless you are excused by the Court or you live out of town, you will have to attend this court hearing with your attorney.
After the pretrial conference, if the case isn’t resolved or dismissed, your case will be scheduled for one more hearing before trial called Jury Review. This hearing is the last opportunity to resolve your case before it is put on the docket for trial.
Before making any decisions about whether to accept any plea offer, I strongly advise you to consult with an experienced Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County Criminal Defense Attorney.
If you or a family member has been arrested for a misdemeanor in Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Niceville, Navarre, or anywhere in Okaloosa County or Santa Rosa County, contact Flaherty Defense Firm today at (850) 243-6097. We can help you get your life back on track.
