Alachua County Criminal Lawyers

20 years of court room experience handling criminal, divorce, bankruptcy, family, foreclosure, and injury law cases in Clearwater, New Port Richey, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, and all of Tampa Bay, Florida My name is Steve Bartlett and I am an experienced Board Certified Criminal Trial Attorney who is not afraid to fight for my clients. Although many lawyers describe themselves as aggressive or fearless, I have a proven documented history of fighting against the powerful. You can read about some of my cases in the news section of this webpage. I have over 20 years of court room...

Ronald W. Chapman is the owner of Chapman Law Group and has been practicing law for over 25 years in Michigan and Florida. He is AV® Rated. Ron is a recognized leader in the legal community and a frequent speaker in the area of medical malpractice and risk management. In 1997 Ron was ranked as one of the top ten speakers for Skillpath, Inc. Ron graduated from California State University, Sacramento (BA, Cum Laude 1979), University of Southern California School of Administration (MPA 1980) and Wayne State Law School (JD 1984). After receiving an Honorable Discharge from the United States Air...

Brian Palacios Law is a Criminal Defense Firm located in Tampa, Florida. A Criminal Defense Attorney and former State Prosecutor, Mr. Palacios is an experienced Trial Attorney with a deep knowledge base in all areas of Criminal Defense. He personally handles each case, securing favorable outcomes for his clients and tirelessly advocating for the just and fair treatment they deserve. Mr. Palacios has handled thousands of criminal cases across a broad range of practice areas from DUI's to Murder. Mr. Palacios is an experienced and skilled Criminal Defense Attorney, who will advocate on your behalf to secure the best possible...

I am a Florida criminal defense lawyer passionate about helping those charged with serious misdemeanor and felony offenses. My legal background includes several years as an assistant state attorney. Working throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties, I bring forth a client-focused legal representation.

John Athanaselos is the founder and principal attorney at Athanaselos & Associates, P.A., a Pasco County law firm concentrating in the areas of criminal defense, business law, and real estate. After being admitted to the Florida Bar, John spent several years as an Assistant State Attorney in the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial District in Pasco, Florida. During this time he served as the lead attorney on a large number of criminal law cases ranging from real estate fraud to attempted first-degree murder. He successfully litigated cases in the office’s Dependency, Misdemeanor and Felony Divisions. Here he often found...

Zahra S. Umansky is an Orlando Criminal Defense Lawyer and Managing Partner of The Umansky Law Firm, along with her husband William Umansky. She has over 20 years of experience handling all types of criminal cases, including assault, DUI, domestic violence, theft & burglary, sexual assault, probation violations and more. Prior to The Umansky Law Firm, Zahra was an Assistant Public Defender in the 18th judicial circuit in Brevard and Seminole Counties. As a former Public Defender, Zahra handled over 100 felony and misdemeanor trials. She was able to secure a countless number of acquittals, protecting her...

The Law Office of Jessenia Rosales serves clients throughout Florida in the practice of family law and criminal defense. Attorney Rosales is committed to improving the lives of her clients by understanding their needs and working within the legal system to achieve their goals. Her specific areas of experience include divorce, child custody and support, injunctions, domestic violence, DUI, theft crimes, drug crimes, assault, and other violent crimes. Attorney Rosales has been practicing law in Florida since 2017 and started her own firm, the Law Office of Jessenia Rosales in 2018. She later received the Rising Professional Award from the Federal...

Attorneys Don Hendry and Kris Parker are experienced trial attorneys with nearly 100 jury trials between them. They possess the trial experience you should look for in selecting an criminal law attorney or divorce lawyer who WILL fight for your rights.

Don Hendry and Kris Parker will personally handle your case from evaluation until it is resolved. Your case will not be delegated to an associate attorney or a legal assistant, and you can always pick up the phone and call.

If you’re searching for an experienced and affordable criminal defense attorney, family attorney, or need a personal injury lawyer...

Summer Goldman is an experienced criminal attorney representing individuals facing criminal charges. Ms. Goldman started her legal career as a prosecutor in the State Attorney’s Office in Pinellas County. During her time there, she handled thousands of cases from the initial investigation with law enforcement through sentencing.

Attorney Goldman left her position as a prosecutor in 2004 and started working as a criminal defense attorney. In 2009, she co-founded Goldman Wetzel, a criminal defense law firm based in St. Petersburg, Florida.

As a criminal defense laywer, Ms. Goldman is skilled in Federal and State serious felony charges including sex offenses,...

Attorney Shpresa Idrizi is a highly skilled personal injury and criminal defense lawyer based in Florida. With nearly two decades of experience, she has built a strong reputation in accident law and criminal defense, handling cases involving manslaughter, murder, domestic violence, drug offenses, assault and battery, violent crimes, probation violations, weapons charges, record sealing and expungement, juvenile arrests, and DUI defense. Shpresa began her legal career in May 2005 as a state prosecutor for the Sixth Judicial Circuit in the Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted thousands of criminal cases. In June 2008, she transitioned to criminal defense, refining...

I'm Attorney Jim Tanner. I've been a trial attorney for 37 years. I was born and raised right here in Tampa Bay area. My dream was to become a Professional Baseball Player. It came true the very night I graduated from High School I was selected as the third draft choice nationwide by the Detroit Tigers Baseball organization. My Education: I earned my BA from USF in Political Science, and my Juris Doctorate from Boston Suffolk Law School where I served as a Special Prosecutor for the MA Governor's Consumer Boards...

Brigitta Hawkins is an Of Counsel attorney with the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. Her primary areas of practice are Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation. She received her B.A. from University of Central Florida (2002) and her J.D. from the Florida A&M College of Law (2006).

Ms. Hawkins is the recipient of Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award 2017 for the 18th Judicial Circuit and the Florida Association for Women Lawyers Leader in Law Award, along with several awards for her pro bono work.

Maj: pronounced like the first syllable of "Magic" Vasigh: pronounced "Va-sigh" Most people go through life thinking they'll never need a criminal defense attorney. And many of them never will. But sometimes, a regular, decent, professional person - a teacher, college student, nurse, or fellow lawyer - will find themselves in a situation they never thought they'd be in. That's when they call Maj Vasigh, a criminal defense attorney in Tampa who is an expert in criminal defense litigation. Though he represents people from all walks of life the majority of his clientele aren't the type of "hard criminals"...

Frank Fernandez has been practicing law for over 26 years in the Tampa Bay area and Hillsborough County. In 1992 he received his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University, which he attended under a full academic scholarship. He received his law degree from the Florida State University College of Law in 1995 and became a member of he Florida Bar later that year. Frank has appeared on behalf of his clients at the trial and appellate level in Federal and State courts all throughout Florida. He has dedicated his legal career to specialize in Personal Injury and Criminal Defense. As a personal injury lawyer, Frank...

Heather Bryan stands as a seasoned trial attorney, wielding extensive knowledge across family law, criminal law, and personal injury law. In 2016, she took a significant step in her legal journey by founding her own law practice, focusing predominantly on family law. In this capacity, Heather has been a guiding force for numerous families, navigating them through the intricacies of the divorce process with compassion and legal acumen. Heather's commitment to the legal profession extends beyond her practice. She has been an integral part of the Polk Association for Women Lawyers since its inception, serving on the Board of Directors and...

For 25 years, David Parry has been exclusively practicing criminal law in Florida. The breadth of his experience is reflected in his successful private practice, where he specializes in all types of criminal defense as a Board Certified Criminal Trial Attorney, a distinction held by less than 1% of all Florida attorneys. Dave's reputation in the legal community began while serving at the Pinellas County Public Defender's Office for thirteen years. Serving as the Chief Assistant Public Defender and overseeing 60 attorneys, he successfully defended the rights of those wrongfully accused of crimes such as murder, juvenile crimes, DUI, and...

Born in Providence, RI, grew up in Barrington ,RI and thereafter attended Eckerd College in St Petersburg,Fl, where he majored in Political Science and Economics. He also played varsity baseball and pitched on the 1977 team that reached the finals of the Division II College World Series. He attended Stetson College of Law and graduated in 1982. Upon graduation he accepted a position as an Assistant State Attorney in Pinellas County Florida, and continued in that position until 1997 when he entered private practice with the Clearwater, Florida firm Tew, Zinober,Barnes, Zimmet & Unice....

Larry Sandefer has handled well over 5,000 criminal cases. Over 250 of these have resulted in jury trials of from one day to several weeks in length. These trials have included numerous first degree murder cases, multi-jurisdictional drug and homicide conspiracies, drug trafficking, sales and possessions, sexual battery, lewdness and exposure charges, arson, white collar crimes including trade secrets and fraud, robbery, theft, assault and battery, domestic violence, traffic deaths, DUI, resisting arrest, shoplifting, abuse allegations of children and the elderly, embezzlement, insurance fraud, burglary, kidnaping, and many other criminal charges. Mr. Sandefer has been honored with the...

James A. Fowler Jr. is the co-founder and managing partner of Fowler Law Group. James draws upon his diverse criminal law experiences to defend adults and juveniles involved in all types of criminal law matters, including federal and state crimes, DUI offenses, driver’s license suspensions and traffic cases. He is a native of Sarasota County and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jason Reid began his career in Florida in 2006 with the Office of the Public Defender for the Ninth Circuit. Jason Reid moved to the Tampa Bay area joining a local lawyer firm in 2012. Jason Reid decided to take his dedication to his client's cases with a hands on approach at The Reid Firm in 2019.

Jason Reid is Board Certified Criminal Trial, Appellate, Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation lawyer with experience in all areas going back to at least 2012.

The Reid Firm is located in Bradenton, and handles cases frequently in Sarasota and Tampa. We are a...

Timothy W. Weber is Board Certified in Appellate Practice and practices in the areas of appellate law, civil and commercial litigation, business litigation, employment and labor, civil rights and education, land use and real estate, criminal, and family. He represents clients in state and federal courts at both the trial and appeal levels. Before co-founding the firm, Tim was a shareholder at Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & Wein, P.A. in St. Petersburg for 16 years. He has been board certified in Appellate Practice since 2004 and has been selected as a SuperLawyer every year since 2014. He has also...

EXPERIENCE MATTERS! Since 1985, attorney Richard G. Canina has been practicing exclusively criminal defense in Brevard County, FL. Mr. Canina graduated with Honors from The University Of Florida at age 20, obtaining a B.A. in criminal justice. He later attended Stetson University College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate. While at Stetson, Mr. Canina served as Vice President of Sigma Nu Phi Legal Fraternity and successfully completed an internship with the Office of The Public Defender, Sixth Judicial Circuit. After graduating from law school Mr. Canina took a position with the Brevard County Public Defender’s Office, where...

Laurel Marois Ackerman was born and raised in St. Pete and is happy to still call it home today! Laurel graduated from the University of Florida with her Bachelor’s degree cum laude in 2015, and from UF’s Levin College of Law with her Juris Doctor cum laude in 2018, making her a PROUD Double Gator. In law school, she clerked at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Tampa, served as a CLI at the 8th Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office in Gainesville, and worked at the United States Department of Justice Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section in Washington, D.C....

Anita McNulty Parker is a St. Petersburg criminal defense and personal injury attorney helping clients throughout Pinellas County. A Tampa Bay native, Anita received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a law degree at the University of Florida before working as an Assistant Public Defender. In this role, she tried over 55 cases in front of a jury, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
Her educational and professional achievements include winning a national championship at the NACDL Trial Advocacy Competition, being named UF Trial Team’s Outstanding Graduate, receiving the “America’s Most Honored Professionals Top 1% in 2019” award by American Registry...

As a Partner of the Law Offices of Russo Pelletier & Sullivan, I limit my practice of law to represent only those clients charged with criminal offenses and DUIs. Both I and my partner Tim Sullivan are former state prosecutors. My experience as an Assistant State Attorney with the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida has given me invaluable legal knowledge and insight into the strategies and tactics often used by prosecutors in trying criminal cases. This experience allows myself and Mr. Sullivan to develop unique, creative strategies in an effort to obtain the best possible outcome in each and every...

Diane Buerger has over 30 years experience as a Florida Criminal Defense lawyer – with cases ranging from felonies to misdemeanor and traffic cases. Her practice includes representation on both the trial and appellate levels. She handles cases from high-profile to first-time offenders. Her primary practice is criminal law -- in both trial and appellate courts. She's successfully argued before the Florida Supreme Court -- and District Courts of Appeal. She's a Past President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers -- and also the Polk County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

I am a Trial Attorney licensed to practice in all Florida State Courts and the Unites States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Concentrating on Criminal Defense including all Traffic Court Cases, DUIs, Misdemeanors, and Felonies.

As a former prosecutor, I have the experience and insight to give an honest assessment of your criminal case. I strive to provide the highest standard of legal representation to achieve the best results for my clients.

Specialties: All Felonies, Misdemeanors, Traffic Cases, including Drug Offenses, DUIs, Weapons Offenses, Batteries, Thefts, Violations of Probations, Sealing and Expungments.

Jessica Mishali is a resident of Boca Raton, where she lives with her husband and two children. Her main office is in West Palm Beach; she has an additional office in Fort Lauderdale. Jessica graduated, cum laude, from Touro Law School in 2006, where she was a research editor on the Law Review, A Research Assistant and a Teaching Assistant. She has worked in the Florida legal system ever since graduation. Jessica is currently with the Law Office of Stephen J. Press, a trusted and respected West Palm Beach law firm that has been skillfully advocating for its clients for...

I have been practicing for over 10 years and over 5000 court cases, ranging from DUIs and Domestic Violence charges–to the most serious and complex felony cases. I have had many jury trials and have represented those charged with capital offenses. I attended law school at the University of North Dakota. While there I focused on trial advocacy and litigation and worked some excellent attorneys at Zimney, Foster, P.C. I worked in the areas of Insurance Defense, Commercial Law, and Federal Criminal Law. After moving to Florida with my family, I started working as a prosecutor for child...

Michelle Merson, Esq. graduated from Nova Southeastern University School of Law in 1992.
After working side by side with a prominent criminal defense attorney for 12 years on every type of criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, Michelle decided Misdemeanor crimes needed to be the focus of her practice. Misdemeanors and only misdemeanors. Why? “My experience has shown me that misdemeanor cases are routinely not given the priority they deserve,” Michelle explains. “I feel a need to provide these often forgotten clients with a high level of personal service and attention.”

Because she realizes that a person charged with a misdemeanor is...

Shawn holds a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Florida State University, College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in History Education from the University of West Florida. Shawn has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1996, a member of the United States District Court, Northern District of Florida since 1997, and Board Certified as an expert in Juvenile Law since 2017.

Gillis E. (Gill) Powell, Jr.main focus is litigation and trial practice. He handles complex personal injury cases, medical malpractice cases, wrongful death cases, catastrophic injury cases, criminal defense cases, railroad cases, real estate litigation, and commercial litigation. Mr. Powell has tried and won numerous civil trials and he has obtained substantial jury awards for his clients. He is a member of the million dollar advocates club as a result of his jury verdicts. He has also successfully defended many clients in criminal cases, including clients charged with homicide, aggravated battery, sexual battery, drug offenses, driving under the...

Jay Patel is a Former Prosecutor and a Former Law Enforcement Officer with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. After Jay was admitted to the Florida Bar, he served as a prosecutor in Okaloosa and Walton Counties from 2013 to 2017. As an Assistant State Attorney, he spent years prosecuting thousands of crimes ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, some punishable by life in prison. Jay achieved success in prosecuting criminal cases that were before a jury, a judge, and the appellate court. Despite his success as a Florida Prosecutor, Jay decided it was time for a change. Thus, in 2017, Jay went...

I'm a South Florida criminal defense Attorney, Russell Bernstein. I've been advising and counseling clients charged with criminal offenses for nearly 23 years. I handle statewide traffic ticket defense, DWI/DUI defense, and criminal defense, including battery, juvenile law, and drug cases.

Call my office now for a free consultation!

Steven Bell is a criminal defense attorney and partner at the law firm Meltzer & Bell, P.A. With extensive knowledge of the Florida court system, Bell represents clients with a range of criminal charges, including DUI, drug offenses, and violent crimes. After graduating magna cum laude from Nova Southeastern University Bell became licensed to practice law in the state of Florida in 2004. Immediately, he joined the Broward County Public Defender's Office in the Juvenile Division as an Assistant Public Defender. In just three short years Bell was placed in the Felony Division in 2007. ...

I am a criminal defense attorney. To some, that means I am noble and honorable because I do something no one else wants to do. To others, I represent the world’s worst people and therefore must be one of them myself. To me, it means I wouldn’t want to live in a world where I only got a lawyer if my accusers liked me. I hope none of you ever needs me. But if you ever do, I will be there to stand next to you and tell your accusers to prove it; to tell...

At the Law Offices of Greg Rosenfeld, P.A., we provide aggressive representation to clients facing criminal charges. Attorney Rosenfeld was named in the 10 Best list for client satisfaction by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys (2016-2020), has been selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers 2016-2020, is a Florida Bar Leadership Academy Committee Member, was admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States of America (2017), and was chosen to the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy (2018-2020), which only 30 attorneys throughout Florida are selected to. Additionally, Mr. Rosenfeld is the Past President of the...

As a previous Broward County Special Unit Felony Prosecutor in the Sexual Battery Unit in the State Attorney's Office, Lawrence Michael Meltzer, Esquire, is a talented protection legal counselor who got his beginning on the opposite side of criminal law in the Fort Lauderdale territory, arraigning those blamed for violations. He now utilizes that information to battle for the privileges of those same Broward County people. In 1994, Mr. Meltzer moved on from American University in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice. In the wake of working in the private division for a long time,...

Former Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County and a US Air Force Retired Military Officer with 20 years in law enforcement. Graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law and have a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the University of Maryland. As a former Prosecutor, I handled thousands of cases such as, Retail Thefts, Suspended License, Driving Under the Influence, Narcotics Possession, Grand Theft, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted First Degree Murder. I have done over 50 trials before 10 different judges. I served as Division...