Domestic Violence Offenses in the Tampa Bay Area

Domestic violence is any assault, battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment or any other criminal offense resulting in injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member.  Family or household members include spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, persons who are presently residing together as if a family, or who have resided together in the past as if a family, and parents of a child in common.  Florida takes an aggressive stance on domestic violence cases; by law, there is a pro-arrest and pro-prosecution policy for any domestic related criminal offense. 

There is usually much that can me done to avoid the impact of a domestic violence arrest and/or charge. This is particularly the case in first offense situations where the accused person is willing to acknowledge responsibility for his or her actions and undergo counseling.   Conversely, there some pitfalls in domestic violence cases that do not necessarily apply in other types of criminal cases, including limitations on the accused person's ability to seal/expunge the record, and a virtual assurance of deportation for non-U.S. citizens upon the entry of a plea.  An experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney can help.  Attorney Donald J. Kilfin has handled countless domestic violence offenses, both felony and misdemeanor, as a Pinellas county state prosecutor and Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorney.  

For more information on domestic violence offenses, visit our website and/or view out our most recent publication on HG. Org: St. Petersburg Domestic Violence Defense Attorney. 

The Kilfin Law Firm, P.C. is a Tampa Bay area DUI and criminal defense firm representing clients in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, New Port Richey, Dade City, and Bradenton. 

Burglary Offenses in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa

Burglary involves entering a home, business, structure, or vehicle without the owner's permission and with the intent to commit a criminal offense inside.  Many people use the terms "burglary" and "robbery" interchangeably, but they are distinct crimes.  Robbery is a crime against the person, whereas burglary is a property crime. Robbery offenses will be discussed in a future blog post.  

If a person is or becomes armed during the commission of a burglary, or commits an assault or battery on another person during the commission of the burglary, the maximum penalty is life in prison. Relatively speaking, few felony offenses in Florida are punishable by life.  Also, most burglary offenses will score mandatory prison time on Florida's sentencing guidelines and these invasive offenses are prosecuted very aggressively.  If you have been arrested for burglary, or think you might be, an experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyer can help. 

For more information, see our recent publication on HG.Org: St. Petersburg Burglary Crimes Defense Attorney. 

The Kilfin Law Firm, P.C. is a Tampa Bay area DUI and criminal defense firm representing clients in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, New Port Richey, Dade City, and Bradenton.