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From First DUI to Death Penalty
Criminal Defense for Law Enforcement Officers in Tampa Bay (2026)
Tampa Bay’s Trusted Defense Attorney for Officers Under Investigation
Updated November 6, 2026
| Trusted by Those Who Protect Tampa Bay Attorney Rocky Brancato serves as on-call attorney for officer-involved shootings with the Tampa Police Benevolent Association and the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association. He is a former police academy instructor. |
For law enforcement officers, few moments are more devastating than being on the other side of the law. Whether you serve with the Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, or any agency in the Tampa Bay area, an arrest or criminal investigation brings risks that reach far beyond the courtroom.
Moreover, for officers who have spent their careers putting people behind bars, the stakes are uniquely personal. An officer facing charges is fighting for a career, a reputation, personal safety, and a future, along with freedom. I am Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Rocky Brancato. My firm, The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., a Tampa criminal defense firm, can help put you back in duty, where you belong.
Law Enforcement Agencies We Serve
| Hillsborough County | Pinellas County | Pasco County |
| Tampa Police Department | Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office | Pasco County Sheriff’s Office |
| Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office | St. Petersburg Police Department | Florida Highway Patrol |
| Plant City Police Department | Clearwater Police Department | Correctional Officers |
| Temple Terrace Police Department | Largo Police Department | School Resource Officers |
| USF Police Department | Tarpon Springs Police Department | Federal Officers |
| TIA Police Department | Pinellas Park Police Department | All Tampa Bay Agencies |
The Stakes Are Higher for Officers
For most defendants, the concern is avoiding fines, probation, or jail. For officers, however, the impact can be far harsher. Because of your “position of trust,” prosecutors may argue for tougher treatment than they would for a civilian.
Officer arrests are more common than most people think. A National Institute of Justice-funded study by Bowling Green State University researchers, Police Integrity Lost: A Study of Law Enforcement Officers Arrested (2016), identified 6,724 cases from 2005 through 2011 in which sworn officers were arrested. Those cases involved 5,545 individual officers employed by 2,529 state and local law enforcement agencies.
Loss of Second Amendment Rights
Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), even a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction bars you from possessing a firearm or ammunition, and 18 U.S.C. § 925(a)(1) expressly withholds the usual exemption for government-issued service weapons from that ban. As a result, you would be unable to carry the very weapon that has defined your career. For an officer, losing firearm rights effectively ends your law enforcement career.
Personal Safety Concerns
If you have put people behind bars over the course of your career, the loss of your badge and firearm creates personal safety risks. Consequently, you lose not only your ability to work but also your ability to protect yourself and your family from those who may harbor grudges.
FDLE Certification at Risk
The Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, staffed by FDLE, can revoke, suspend, or place on probation an officer’s certification on a finding that the officer failed to maintain good moral character under § 943.1395(7), Florida Statutes. That finding does not require a criminal conviction, so disciplinary findings from an internal investigation can threaten your certification even if the criminal case is dropped. Therefore, protecting your certification requires defending against both criminal charges and administrative consequences.
| Prosecutors Seek Harsher Penalties for Officers Because of your position of trust, the State may seek to make an example of you. You need a defense attorney who will push back aggressively against that narrative. |
Charges We Defend Against
The Brancato Law Firm defends officers against a wide range of criminal charges. Each type carries its own risks, but for law enforcement officers, the professional consequences often outweigh even the criminal penalties.
| Charge Type | Officer-Specific Consequences |
| DUI | Immediate administrative leave, media exposure, career damage |
| Domestic Violence | Permanent loss of firearm rights (even misdemeanor), career-ending |
| Sex Crimes | Sex offender registration, loss of certification, prison danger |
| Drug Crimes | Immediate termination, FDLE decertification, federal charges possible |
| Violent Crimes | Civil rights violations, excessive force claims, federal investigation |
| Officer-Involved Shootings | Criminal charges, civil liability, administrative investigation |
If You Have Faced Rocky Brancato’s Cross-Examination Before
Many officers in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties have already faced Rocky Brancato in court. His cross-examinations are known for dismantling investigations and exposing weaknesses in testimony.
If you have ever been on that side of the stand, you know how difficult that pressure can be. However, when Rocky Brancato is in your corner, the equation flips entirely. His loyalty becomes 100% to you. Those accusing you will face the same relentless defense you once experienced in the witness box.
Trusted in the Most Serious Situations
The Tampa Police Benevolent Association and the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association trust Attorney Brancato to serve as on-call attorney for officer-involved shootings. That trust comes from more than 25 years of high-level criminal defense in Tampa Bay’s courts.
These organizations chose Rocky to serve the law enforcement community because they know he provides the most strategic, loyal, and high-level criminal defense available in the Tampa Bay area. Rocky knows that sometimes the chief law enforcement officer will take adverse positions against you in the media, for their own political expediency. He is not afraid and he is ready to change the narrative.
Unique Perspective from the Public Defender’s Office
Before founding The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., Rocky Brancato served as Chief Operations Officer of the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, the largest criminal defense operation in the county, where he oversaw a staff of over 100 attorneys. In that role, he collaborated extensively with law enforcement agencies across Hillsborough County.
As a result, he gained a perspective that few defense attorneys possess. That experience now informs his defense of officers who find themselves under investigation.
I Know What You Were Trained to Do—Because I Taught It
As a former police academy instructor, I trained officers on criminal procedure and courtroom testimony. I know what you were taught about Fourth Amendment searches, Miranda requirements, use of force documentation, and how to present yourself on the stand. When prosecutors or internal affairs try to second-guess your split-second decisions, I can put your actions in the context of your actual training—not some unrealistic standard invented after the fact.
Protecting Law Enforcement Officers’ Rights
Officers and correctional officers face unique risks that civilians do not. Therefore, a defense strategy must protect your rights at every stage:
- Garrity protections during internal affairs questioning, plus the rights in Florida’s Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, § 112.532, Florida Statutes, including notice of the complaint and the right to have counsel present when an interrogation concerns your continued fitness for duty
- Independent review of evidence, from body-worn cameras to reports and witness statements
- Defense strategies tailored to certification risks and administrative hearings
- Strategic reputation management to limit media and public exposure
- Aggressive courtroom representation against prosecutors who seek to make an example of you
Garrity protections come from Garrity v. New Jersey, 385 U.S. 493 (1967). New Jersey officers were told they would be removed from office if they refused to answer investigators’ questions, and some of their answers were later used to prosecute them. The U.S. Supreme Court held that statements obtained under threat of removal from office cannot be used in a later criminal prosecution.
For more, see our posts on nurses and other licensed healthcare workers and teachers facing criminal charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Officers questioned by internal affairs may be required to give a statement under Garrity protections. This means the statement cannot be used against them in a criminal case. However, what you say can still affect your employment and certification. As a result, it is vital to have legal counsel before speaking.
Yes, they can—and they often do. Prosecutors frequently argue that officers should be held to a higher standard because of their position of trust. Consequently, this can result in harsher plea offers or sentencing recommendations. A skilled defense attorney can push back against that narrative and highlight the weaknesses in the State’s case.
Even a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction can cause the permanent loss of your Second Amendment rights under federal law. For an officer, that means losing the ability to carry a firearm—and effectively ending your career in law enforcement.
The Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, staffed by FDLE, reviews both criminal cases and administrative findings. Even if your case does not result in a conviction, disciplinary findings from an internal investigation can threaten your law enforcement certification. Therefore, defending both the criminal case and the administrative case is essential.
Media coverage of an officer’s arrest can cause lasting damage—often before the case is even resolved. As a result, a comprehensive defense strategy does more than fight in the courtroom. It also considers strategic reputation management, working to limit unnecessary exposure that could harm your career and your future.
Garrity protections come from the Supreme Court case Garrity v. New Jersey. They prevent statements made during compelled internal affairs interviews from being used in criminal prosecutions. However, these protections have limits, and what you say can still affect your employment. Therefore, consulting an attorney before any internal affairs interview is critical.
Take Action Before It’s Too Late
Investigations move quickly, and hesitation can cost opportunities to protect your record, your rights, and your reputation. If you are a law enforcement officer in Hillsborough, Pinellas, or Pasco County and are under investigation or facing charges, you need an attorney who understands what is at stake. Early representation before charges are filed can shape whether charges are filed at all.
Your career, your reputation, and your freedom deserve a defense attorney trusted in the most serious cases—an attorney who will fight with the same precision in your defense that once challenged you in the courtroom.
Before you sit for an internal affairs interview or talk to investigators, call The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., founded by Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Rocky Brancato, at (813) 727-7159 for a confidential consultation. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French.
The Brancato Law Firm, P.A.
620 E. Twiggs Street, Suite 205, Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 727-7159
Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties
The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. is a Tampa-based criminal defense practice. We are not affiliated with any other Brancato-named law firms.
On-Call Attorney for Tampa Police Benevolent Association & Suncoast PBA
Related: Tampa DUI Lawyer | Tampa Domestic Violence Lawyer | Tampa Sex Crimes Lawyer | Tampa Homicide Lawyer
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