Ona Criminal Lawyers

I am a trial attorney. I'm a member of the Florida Bar, Federal Bar Association, Hillsborough County Bar Association and George E. Edgecomb Bar Association. I'm also admitted to practice in the United States District Court of the Middle District of Florida. I practice solely in the areas of personal injury, family law, criminal law, and immigration.

Florida Bar Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer. Former Sarasota prosecutor. Owner/occupant of The Laurel Building in historic Laurel Park district of Sarasota.

Andrew Tetreault (pronounced Tay-tro) grew up all over the United States, though spending most of his life in the Midwest and the South. Andrew attended college at Ohio Wesleyan University, just outside of Columbus, Ohio, and received a Bachelor's degree as a double major. After college, Andrew enrolled at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. During the fall of 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused a disaster in New Orleans and Tulane was shut down for the entire fall semester. In order to graduate law school on time, Andrew enrolled as a visiting student at the University of Florida College of...

An Experienced and Aggressive Legal Advocate Providing Attentive and Caring Client Service Along Florida's Gulf Coast Lawyer Craig A. Epifanio began his practice of law solely defending those accused of a crime. He gained considerable experience aggressively pursuing justice for those accused of all levels of crime, to the point that in 2005 he was elected as President of the Pinellas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL) for that year. He now uses his natural ability to listen and empathize in order to gain a clear picture of the events leading up to a client's arrest, assess each individual legal issue...

Attorney Jeff Paulk is a criminal defense lawyer at the Tampa law firm of Thomas & Paulk, P.A. Throughout his career, Jeff has handled more than 3,500 criminal cases, and many jury trials. Jeff is a Florida native and graduate of Stetson College of Law. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1998 and the Federal Bar in 2001.

An experienced trial attorney, Robert Whittel provides his clients with strong, disciplined, results-oriented representation. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy. Robert graduated from both law school and the United States Merchant Marine Academy with honors, and served on the esteemed Florida Law Review. Before co-founding Whittel & Melton, a full-service law firm, Robert gained valuable experience in the court room both serving as a former prosecutor and representing large corporations in complex litigation and transactional matters. Robert is devoted to fighting for his clients’ rights. He handles all types of criminal...

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,...

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, Fl law firm Tew, Zinober,Barnes, Zimmet & Unice....

Tracee L. Ivins graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. After graduation she worked for the State of Florida as a certified investigator, before deciding to pursue a law degree. As an attorney Ms. Ivins has handled files from inception all the way to a jury verdict. Her experience has included claims involving serious bodily injury, product liability injury and wrongful death arising from auto accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, negligent security, motorcycle and tractor trailer accidents.

Lawsuits including Negligence, Breach of Contract, Negligent Entrustment, Uninsured Motorist Insurance Claims, Under-Insured Motorists Insurance disputes, Wrongful Death, Bad...

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...

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.

Lee Pearlman was born and raised in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, a small town just outside of Harrisburg.

He attended college at the University of Maryland, College Park where he received two bachelor of arts degrees and two minors. While in college he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve and served two years in the Military Police.

After college Lee moved to St. Petersburg where he attended Stetson University College of Law. While there Lee was a member of Stetson's top nationally-ranked Trial Team and Alternative Dispute Resolution Board. He was the recipient of the Ralph Harris Ferrel...

Attorney Jackson Hilliard has lived in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area for the past ten years. Mr. Hilliard received his Bachelor’s degree in 1988 from the University of Central Florida. He earned his law degree in 2006 from Stetson College of Law. He is a member of multiple associations, including the Florida Bar, Clearwater Bar, St. Petersburg Bar, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer. Mr. Hilliard is the leading attorney at his Clearwater law firm, Hilliard Law, P.L. At the firm, he provides Florida residents with criminal and DUI...

Daniel J. Fernandez defends individuals charged with misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses throughout the Tampa Bay area and the State of Florida. With more than 30 years experience as a criminal defense attorney and hundreds of jury trials, Daniel earned tremendous accolades from judges, other lawyers, defendants and even jurors. Daniel started his legal career as a state prosecutor and became the chief of the Narcotics division before opening his own law practice in 1985. Daniel and members of his staff are fluent in Spanish and are available to answer questions you may have regarding a recent injury or...

TAMPA CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND DUI ATTORNEY Jason Sammis is a shareholder with the Sammis Law Firm, P.A., who represents individuals charged with felony and misdemeanor criminal offenses in Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL. Jason Sammis is actively involved as an attorney on the NORML Legal Committee, which fights for the reform of marijuana laws. He is also a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON CRIMINAL AND DUI DEFENSE By focusing exclusively on criminal and DUI defense in Tampa, FL, Jason Sammis is able to stay...

I represent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses throughout the Tampa Bay area. I am a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). I graduated with Honors from the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville, Florida, in 1999, and served as Vice Chair on the Executive Board for the UF Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Board. I completed internships at the State Attorney's Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit prosecuting cases in the felony division, and the United States Attorney's...

Nicole has resided in the Tampa Bay area for the last 20 years. She majored in criminology while attending Saint Leo University and interned with the United States Secret Service.

Upon graduation, Nicole attended Stetson University College of Law in Pinellas County, where she concentrated on trial advocacy. While attending school, she interned with the State Attorney’s Office for Pinellas County.

After law school, Nicole became the Assistant State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit for Pinellas County. During the three years, she was employed at the State Attorney’s Office, she prosecuted misdemeanors to serious crimes.

Nicole served as a...

A Queens, New York native graduating from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany in Political Science, History and a minor in Criminal Justice in 2010. Ms. Whitfield graduated Ave Maria School of Law, in Naples, FL in 2013 and became a member of the Florida Bar in 2015. She has established a practice in the Tampa Bay area where she lives and works. Having established several areas of practice including Estate Planning, Probate, Immigration, Criminal Defense, and Business Law matters. Her passion is to help those in her community through the court system with their legal issues and...

Jeff Thomas is a Tampa criminal defense lawyer at Thomas & Paulk, P.A. He is a Florida native and graduate of Stetson College of Law. Throughout his career, he has handled more than 3,500 criminal cases. He is experienced with non-jury cases, jury trials, and traffic cases.

I have lived in Tampa since 1968 and practiced law in the Tampa Bay area since 1996. I have conducted over 100 trials and handled thousands of cases. I have the experience to help you with your situation. Call me for your free initial consultation.

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...

Kaitlyn Statile attended the University of Georgia where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Sociology. She then went on to earn her juris doctorate from Florida State University, College of Law. While in Tallahassee, she interned at the State Attorney’s Office, beginning her passion for trial law. After graduation she began working at the State Attorney’s Office in Pinellas County where she conducted over 50 trials and obtained a murder indictment from a grand jury. She then went on to practice civil litigation prior to moving to Costa Rica where she...

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...

Attorney Hillary Johnson is a former prosecutor who brings experience and exceptional legal knowledge to each case she tries. She holds a degree in communication from Florida State University and Juris Doctor from the Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. While she was in law school, Ms. Johnson completed an internship with the State Attorney’s Office in Panama City. After graduation, she worked as an attorney with Florida’s Department of Children and Families before accepting a position at the State Attorney’s Office in Manatee County and Sarasota. It was while she was at the...

What happens to you after an arrest largely depends on the quality of your attorney. Your life can change the instant you are arrested for a criminal offense. An arrest can lead to conviction and, with that, a multitude of implications and consequences that affect every area of your life, from housing and employment to family, finances and relationships. You need an aggressive, experienced, creative attorney. Colleen M. Glenn has dedicated her legal career to defending those individuals accused of crimes. At The Law Offices of Colleen M. Glenn, P.A., we understand the impact an arrest can make in your life...

As a felony prosecutor for over a decade, Mr. Elsea saw how criminal cases are built from investigation through trial and sentencing on thousands of cases. Joel gained a greater understanding that people who are facing serious consequences against powerful forces in the courtroom need an experienced and effective voice.

I practice civil litigation and criminal defense. I began my legal career in the Washington, D.C. office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, a New York-based international law firm, where I was a member of the business fraud litigation group. In 2010, I returned to Sarasota, where I was born a raised, to practice law with my father, a board certified civil trial lawyer with over 40 years of experience, and his law partner, Elliott Metcalfe, an AV rated former public defender with over 30 years and thousands of trials worth of experience. I have experience representing commercial...

Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney, Ben Stechschulte, is a board-certified expert in criminal trial law. He has been practicing in the Tampa Bay area for nearly 15 years and has tried over 60 cases to verdict.  His experience is both varied and comprehensive, which makes him uniquely qualified to aggressively and effectively defend his clients who are facing criminal charges or have been injured in an accident. Ben attended Stetson University College of Law, which is recognized as one of the top law schools in the country for trial advocacy.  After graduating in 2005, Ben served as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County.  Ben...

Dominic J. Baccarella is a divorce and family law attorney and criminal defense lawyer. He has earned an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating available for attorneys for legal ability and ethical standards. Prior to opening Baccarella & Baccarella, P.A., Mr. Baccarella worked as an assistant professor for the Legal Assistance program at Hillsborough Community college and as the Assistant State Attorney for the State of Florida. In 1989–1990, he was a certified contract advisor to National Football League (NFL) players. In addition to providing clients with zealous and thorough representation in divorce, family law and...

Originally from Charleston, West Virginia, I attended West Virginia Wesleyan College studying both business administration and political science. After three semesters at West Virginia Wesleyan College, I transferred to West Virginia University, where I obtained my Bachelor of Arts degree in Multi-Disciplinary Studies. While attending West Virginia University, I worked with my father as a surface miner in the coal fields of West Virginia. Of all the lessons learned during those summers, I learned to appreciate the value of a hard work and the importance of taking pride in whatever you do. At Blumenauer Hackworth, we take pride in our...

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...

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.

Christopher Hersem is an attorney in the Clearwater, Florida, area. He was born and raised here, and has practiced law for fifteen years in the area. His advocacy for clients has helped clients overcome criminal charges, traffic tickets, and personal injuries for more than a decade. Attorney Christopher Hersem started his career with an undergraduate education at the University of Florida. After this, he studied law at Stetson University College of Law, with a concentration in advocacy. He was also a member of many organizations at this time. He was named in Who’s Who of American Law Schools. He also...

Marc A. Joseph, P.A. has defended thousands of clients and prosecuted none. Unlike former prosecutors, I have never worked one day to put someone in jail or prison. I will provide the level of uncompromising legal representation that makes a difference in my ability to help my clients avoid criminal convictions and maximum penalties for the offenses they have been accused of committing. Marc A. Joseph is passionate about protecting the rights of the accused in Florida criminal cases! Many defendants are wrongly accused, others know they have made mistakes, but look for an attorney who will...

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...

Jhenerr Hines is a top rated criminal defense lawyer and the George Edgecomb Bar’s 2016 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipient. She was a criminal defense and Federal Civil Rights Litigation attorney at Michael P. Maddux, P.A. before opening her own practice in 2015. Jhenerr got her start in criminal defense as a Florida Bar Certified Legal Intern in the Middle District of Florida’s Federal Defender’s Office. She was passionate about contributing significantly to the lives of others and has volunteered countless hours to the Community Law Program, Bay Area Legal Services, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as well...

American Dream Attorneys PLLC Immigration Lawyer Immigration Law Firm American Dream Attorneys is an immigration law firm that commenced operations in 2013 in Miami, Florida. Our lawyers are admitted to practice law in at least one state within the United States, and have experience handling cases and protecting both Federal and State rights. Whereas, U.S. immigration laws are applied in federal proceedings, the immigration lawyers at American Dream Attorneys are able to provide legal services to immigration clients located anywhere within the United States. American Dream Attorneys can also assist clients with immigration matters located outside of the U.S. Our...

Pete was raised in Hardee County and graduated from Hardee Senior High School in 2003. He then went on to get his bachelor's degree in International Affairs from Florida State University with a focus on Middle Eastern Studies. He received his law degree with honors from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans in 2010 and was a Notes and Comments Editor for the Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law. After law school, Pete worked as a prosecutor mostly in Hardee and Highlands Counties, and briefly in Polk County in the Economic Crimes Division. Pete then worked for William Fletcher...