Chiefland Criminal Lawyers

Luke Newman is an experienced Tallahassee criminal defense attorney who began his practice in 2004 as part of a small law firm handling only criminal matters, from civil traffic infractions to murder appeals. In 2009, Luke opened his own law practice dedicated to criminal trial advocacy and criminal appeals. He is one of fewer than 70 Florida attorneys board certified by the Florida Bar in criminal appeals. He has been appointed by the Florida Bar to chair the committee which tests and evaluates other attorneys (including prosecutors and judges) seeking criminal law board certification. He has been elected by his...

Jack A. Kaleita graduated from Stetson University College of Law, was admitted to the Bar in 1986 and began his legal career as a state prosecutor on Florida's west coast. He then returned to Central Florida after 5 years, serving as an Assistant State Attorney in Seminole County for an additional 12 years. As a prosecutor, Mr. Kaleita tried numerous cases involving virtually every type of criminal charge. In addition to taking dozens of criminal cases to trial himself, he taught and supervised other attorneys, first as a Lead Trial Attorney, and later as the Misdemeanor/Traffic Division Chief and as the...

Founded in 2001 by Amir A. Ladan, The Ladan Law Firm, P.A. is dedicated to providing exceptional legal representation to our clients. We handle criminal matters, injunctions and infractions in courthouses throughout Central Florida and have earned an exceptional reputation as experienced, effective advocates for our clients.

Our legal team is available seven days a week to assist our clients and potential clients with their legal needs. With three offices and phone and virtual appointments available, we make meeting with one of our lawyers simple and convenient. For a free, confidential consultation, simply call our office...

Amy Ruiz received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing and International Economics from the University of Florida in 2000. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Florida State College of Law in 2004. While at Florida State, Ms. Ruiz was a member of the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy. She also participated in the Institute on World Legal Problems where she studied Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Innsbruck, in Austria, with Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Antonin Scalia.

Upon graduating law school, Ms. Ruiz, a Tampa native, returned to Tampa and commenced...

Michael C. Minardi is the Senior Partner at Minardi Law. For over 16 years, Michael has dedicated his practice to fighting for clients charged with cannabis crimes and advocating for cannabis law reform. His passion has driven him to learning and understanding medical cannabis laws in the State of Florida and throughout the country.

Michael’s practice represents clients in corporate cannabis consulting, application preparation, lobbying, forfeiture matters, and criminal matters. He has won many medical cannabis cases, including several landmark high-profile cases in Florida. He won the first and second jury trials in Florida presenting the medical necessity...

DeLand Attorney Richard "Jake" Jackson has been in private practice in Volusia County, Florida since 1985. Practice areas include Criminal Law, Adoptions, Juvenile & Family Law, Civil Cases, Estate Planning and Probate. CRIMINAL LAW: As a criminal defense lawyer with over 25 years experience in State and Federal Court, Jake Jackson has extensive experience handling drug cases, DUI's, violent crimes, property crimes, and sex offenses. Mr. Jackson is a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. ADOPTIONS: As an adoption attorney and intermediary, Jake Jackson provides professional and compassionate service to birth mothers and adoptive families for both...

Ashley is a Panama City, Florida native practicing criminal defense with a particular interest in helping first time offenders and vacationers who find themselves in trouble with the law. She makes herself available in a variety of ways in order to be convenient to the client. You can have an in office consultation, phone consultation or even an email consultation. Once hired she can correspond through the mail, the phone, email or by text messaging, whichever the client prefers. She will throughly evaluate your case and strive to obtain the best result for your particular situation. Call (850) 913-0364 or...

Michael Haworth's legal journey began at the State Attorney's Office in Pinellas County. Since 2017, he has managed a wide array of cases, from misdemeanors to capital offenses. His outstanding performance in court was recognized in 2018 when he received the Sixth Circuit State Attorney's Office Golden Tie Award for the highest number of trial victories. Michael is known in Pinellas County for his effective courtroom advocacy. His extensive experience in jury trials has honed his ability to defend cases effectively. Michael has dedicated years to identifying evidence issues, inconsistencies in police reports, and inaccuracies in witness accounts. With years of...

Omar Abdelghany is a criminal defense attorney practicing in Tampa Bay, Florida and the surrounding area. He graduated cum laude from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. He is licensed with the Florida Bar and is also licensed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Omar's experience includes having completed a judicial externship with Justice Terry O'Rourke at the California Fourth District Court of Appeals and his having worked as a trial attorney at the Palm Beach Public Defender's Office....

Eric Barker earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 1989 and went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1992. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1992 and is currently admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Eric has been rated as a preeminent lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell and has earned an AV rating, the highest rating given by the organization, which is a nationally recognized attorney rating service. As a former Assistant Public Defender, Mr. Barker took several dozen...

Experienced Florida trial attorneys fighting for the injured and the accused.

Michael LaFay Trial Attorney graduated from the American University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1983. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1984 and the Florida Bar in 1985. Michael LaFay is board certified in Criminal Law by the Florida Bar and has achieved an "AV" rating overall, which is the highest ranking bestowed by Martindale-Hubbell, the national attorney ranking service. He has practiced in Central Florida as a trial attorney for the past 27 years and has litigated over 300 jury trials. During that time, he has served as a criminal defense attorney and also as...

Clay D. Morgan was born and raised in Florida, graduating from Cooper City High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1979, and obtaining his Undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton with concentration in the area of finance. Clay went on to earn his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Miami, School of Law in Miami, Florida, graduating in 1987. At University of Miami Law School, Clay concentrated his studies in the area of trial practice. After graduating from the University of Miami, Clay worked for a period of 4 years with the Law Firm of High,...

PRIOR CLIENT RATINGS: Visit http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/32935-fl-william-meyer-1258930.html William F. (Bill) Meyer is a former Assistant State Attorney in Brevard County. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1982 without any disciplinary action ever. He tries criminal/DUI jury trials. He is a member of the Brevard County Bar with over 33 years experience. He has been lead counsel in over 200 jury trials and knows precisely what defines a valid arrest. Not all arrests lead to conviction. All consultations are done in the privacy of our office. With the exception of public records, all documents...

Richard was born and raised in Brevard County, FL. After graduating from Holy Trinity Academy in Melbourne, FL, he attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. At Florida State, Richard obtained an undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in criminology and criminal justice, graduating with honors. Richard was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. Richard received his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. While at Stetson, Richard geared his course selections toward criminal defense work and criminal trial advocacy. He successfully completed internships at the Public...

Ernest L. Chang is an experienced Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer, having practiced exclusively in the field of Criminal Defense since his admission to the Florida Bar in 1990. Mr. Chang obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor degree in law from Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Chang has also appeared pro hac vice, in other jurisdictions, most recently in the State of Arizona. Past experiences include prosecuting Felony trials as a Certified Legal Intern with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office, Former Public Defender with the 18th Judicial Circuit and Criminal Defense with...

Jason Hicks is a trial attorney in Cocoa Beach who offers high quality and personal representation in the areas of Criminal Defense, Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Suspended Licenses, Traffic Tickets, and Auto Accident cases. Our firm, located in Cocoa Beach, takes pride in highly personalized and effective legal representation in the Central Florida area. Jason Hicks is a former prosecutor who represents clients in all of Central Florida including Brevard, Indian River, Orange, and Seminole Counties. Jason was raised in Brevard County, Florida. He attended Titusville High School and graduated in 1996. Jason graduated from the University of Central...

I have been practicing as a criminal defense attorney since 2006 and currently manage my own firm, Jordan H. Kramer, P.A. Prior to opening my firm, I worked as a partner with Howze, Monaghan, Theriac & Kramer, PLC and before that I worked as an Assistant Public Defender in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Brevard County) where I quickly earned the reputation as a zealous advocate of my clients constitutional rights. I have successfully defended hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases in both the Circuit and County Court. During law school, I worked as an extern with the Wayne County...

Jay is a native Floridian, graduated from the University of Florida in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He continued his studies at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, earning his Juris Doctor in 2010. During his tenure at the University of Florida, Jay was the co-founder of the Mock Trial Team affiliated with Florida Pre-Legal Honor Society. While in law school, Jay clerked for Florida Student Legal Services where he advised students on a variety of legal issues and became a teaching assistant for Trial Practice. He is an experienced trial lawyer, and represents lenders and...

Whitney C. Coyne received his Juris Doctorate from The Florida State University College of Law in 2001. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2002 and during that time has had the opportunity to litigate thousands of cases.Coyne Law, P.A. is dedicated to zealously advocating on behalf of our clients. Attorney Whitney Coyne has been practicing in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for over 15 years. During that time, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge to assist his clients with any situation or need that has arisen due to their legal issues. Mr. Coyne began his career as...

I am a native of central Georgia until I moved to Florida in 2011. While in Georgia, I attended Georgia Institute of Technology for Aerospace Engineering and obtained my degree in Business Administration and Business Economics from Georgia State University. After graduating from Georgia State in 2010, I moved to central Florida to attend Barry University School of Law, starting August 2011. In summer of 2012, I began an internship for a criminal defense attorney in Orlando, focusing on white collar defense. By late 2012, I was gaining experience family law matters and made the decision to shift...

Timi Tucker founded the Melbourne family law firm in 2004. One of her greatest strengths is providing aggressive, knowledgeable representation, while paying close attention to the unique facts surrounding your case. Mrs. Tucker has an outstanding track record with 27 years’ experience. She is primarily focused on representing clients in divorce, dependency, injunctions, and family law matters.

Mrs. Tucker has tried more than 20 cases to jury verdict and has practiced in front of every Judge in Brevard County. She is a former Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Senior Prosecutor and served as the Director of Brevard County Legal...

Growing up in Central Florida, Mr. Bailey decided to stay local when pursuing a higher education. Attending the University of Central Florida, Mr. Bailey obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 2012. While completing this degree and afterwards, Mr. Bailey worked for a large firm handling Bankruptcy cases for those who had fallen on hard times, especially those caused by the mortgage crisis. Mr. Bailey was inspired to go to law school by the work and dedication of the attorneys he worked with for years. Mr. Bailey obtained his Juris Doctorate in December 2016.
Mr. Bailey focuses his...

As a practicing attorney in Polk County, Florida, for over ten years, I'm proud to offer my clients advice and representation in the areas of family law, criminal defense, and elder law. My vision is to bring a personal feel and approach to each of my client's legal concerns. It is my goal to give each client effective advice and craft personal solutions for difficult legal matters. I'm privileged to be part of the Polk County community, and proud to know that when the good people of this community need my guidance and experience, I'll be here for them.

WORK EXPERIENCE Board Certified as a Criminal Trial Specialist by the Florida bar (1999-Present) BOSWELL & DUNLAP, LLP Bartow FL. Partner, Litigation Specialist, 2004 - Present OFFICE OF THE STATE ATTORNEY, TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, Tallahassee, FL Assistant State Attorney, Special Prosecution Director. EDUCATION COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Board of Directors Bartow Women’s Care Center, (2009 to Present) Board of Directors, Chairman, Heartland for Children. (2010 to Present) Tenth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Committee (2005-Present) Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Board of...

Magdalena Cuprys received her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 2002. She was admitted to the practice of law in California in 2003 and in Florida in 2006. Before law school, she completed two bachelor’s degrees, one in Political Science and one in Latin American Studies, at the University of Chicago in 1999 (AB Degrees Political Science & Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999). Ms. Cuprys is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and was the Panhellenic President at the University of Chicago. – She is a Member of...

David has been in Orlando since 2012. He was born and raised in New York City, and developed a desire to attend law school after spending two years as a guardian ad litem to foster children in Austin, Texas. In 2009, David moved to Tallahassee, Florida, to attend law school at Florida State University, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 2012. While attending law school, he participated in a Criminal Law Externship in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, reinforcing his decision to enter the field of criminal defense work after graduation. David moved to Orlando in...

Alain Rivas’ desire to focus exclusively on criminal and traffic defense led him to join forces with Robert Skubiak in 1999 to form Skubiak & Rivas, P.A. Since then, the firm has evolved into Central Florida’s most recognizable one of its type, gaining the majority of its clients from referrals by former clients—the highest form of flattery.

Before forming Skubiak & Rivas, he served as legal counsel for Joelo Inc. in Orlando. Rivas also worked in various capacities for the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.

Rivas graduated from Rollins College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. He then earned...

David Hill obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, and all state courts of Florida. Mr. Hill has practiced exclusively in criminal defense in the state of Florida, primarily in the Central Florida community, since graduating from law school and represents clients in a far-ranging array of matters, including felony, misdemeanor and traffic allegations, in both State and Federal courts. He has twenty years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer having been admitted to practice in 1991,...

I'm a lifetime resident of the greater Daytona Beach area. I have also practiced my entire legal career, spanning more than 35 years, in Volusia County, Florida. Many clients have never been arrested or exposed to the criminal justice system. As a criminal defense lawyer, it is important for the clients to understand every step of the process and also trust that their attorney will work hard for them. My goal has always been to protect the rights and futures of my clients.

Graduate of Fla State University and College of Law
Past President Volusia Criminal Defense Lawyers (11 Yrs)
Member of...

Understanding my clients' experiences allows me to represent them on a personal level, which can significantly impact their cases. Seeking challenges in my career, I joined the Brevard County Public Defender's Office after law school, eventually moving to the Pinellas County Public Defender's Office. Working in the public defender's system has been an incredible learning experience, collaborating with brilliant trial attorneys who provide hope for our clients. Having handled thousands of criminal cases, I understand that behind every name and case number is a unique story, enabling me to empathize with my clients and earn their trust for an unwavering...

Kimberly LaSure has practiced law for several years, all in the central Florida area. Primarily a criminal defense attorney, Ms. LaSure has handled many high profile cases. Ms. LaSure started her career working under Thomas Egan where she gained valuable experience defending teachers charged with criminal offenses. Ms. LaSure then moved to the Office of the Public Defender, 9th Judicial Circuit. At the Public Defenders Office, Ms. LaSure handled hundreds of serious criminal cases. These cases included, Sexual Battery, Drug Trafficking, Aggravated Battery, Grand Theft and Murder. Ms. LaSure has been practicing criminal defense law the past...

Experience: • More than 30 years experience • Former Prosceutor for Orange and Osceola County • Handled Capitol Cases involving the Death Penalty • Handled Thousands of Criminal Cases • Handled Thousands of DUI and Traffic Cases Licensed To Practice: • United States Supreme Court • United States District Court Middle District Florida • All Florida State Courts

Lee Cohen is a partner in Kanner & Pintaluga’s Personal Injury Practice and the managing attorney of the litigation team. With nearly 30 years of legal experience, Lee is a distinguished litigator who has been fighting for the rights of victims his entire career. Lee received a B.A. from Tulane University and completed his J.D. at the University of Miami. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1989, the United States Supreme Court Bar since 2004, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida since 2012 and has been authorized to practice for numerous specific cases...

Benjamin Matthew Kurtz has been practicing in Maryland since 2016. During that time, he has successfully represented individuals and entities in a variety of cases, focusing most of his time on personal injury and criminal defense.

Personal Injury

Benjamin Kurtz successfully represents individuals who have been seriously injured. With compassion and confidence, he deftly navigates his clients through the legal maze to an outcome designed to mitigate their pain and suffering and maximize recoveries for clients in need. The fact that many of Benjamin's clients are referred to him by his former clients and other attorneys is a resounding testament...

Susan has been practicing criminal defense for over 13 years, having tried more than 100 jury trials and handled thousands of cases, ranging from driving and drug offenses to sexual battery and homicide cases. Also, she was a member of the International Moot Court and Intercultural Human Rights Law Review. Susan has always loved to litigate and help others, using her voice, knowledge, skills, and passion to zealously advocate and make a difference in the lives of others.

Meritxell has been practicing criminal defense in South Florida for more than 13 years. As a former Assistant Public Defender, she handled thousands of cases ranging from Death Penalty cases to misdemeanor DUIs and drug offenses. She has tried more than 50 jury trials, including Murder and Capital Sexual Battery trials. Meritxell received her juris doctorate degree from St. Thomas University, where she was the recipient of the ABOTA Trial Scholarship. She has always had a passion for helping those who could not help themselves and has devoted her entire career to the zealous advocacy of those accused of crimes,...

Manuel ‘Manny’ Serra-Jovenich has tried more than 25 jury trials in his career and handled over 1,000 cases. He fought against big banks during Florida's foreclosure crisis, protected people's constitutional rights as a Broward County Public Defender and can also represent homeowners when their insurance claims are underpaid or denied. Manny has been named to the National Trial Lawyers' Top 40 Under 40 list and was named 10 Best in Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. Manny loves to represent a “David” against a “Goliath” and became a lawyer to use his talents to help others...

Jose A. Diaz, Esq. New York University School of Law, Juris Doctor; Columbia University, Columbia College, Bachelor of Arts, Admitted: New York, Florida and Federal Courts. Former Assistant District Attorney New York County, Former Counsel to the Office of the Inspector General, NYC Department of Investigations, Former Administrative Law Judge NYSDMV.