What to do after being arrested in Tampa: first appearance within 24 hours, bond, the 30-day charging window, and diversion programs for first offenders.
Continue reading ›From First DUI to Death Penalty
What to do after being arrested in Tampa: first appearance within 24 hours, bond, the 30-day charging window, and diversion programs for first offenders.
Continue reading ›Rewrite/update date: November 2, 2026. Originally published in January 2025. Florida’s 21-day rule gives a person arrested on a felony the right to an adversarial preliminary hearing if the State has not filed an information or indictment within 21 days of the arrest. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.133(b), the State must then prove…
Continue reading ›Updated November 8, 2026 Yes. Since October 1, 2026, willfully violating a no-contact order that a judge set as a bond condition after an arrest for a violent crime such as battery, assault, robbery, stalking, kidnapping, or sexual battery is a separate crime in Florida under section 903.0472. A first violation is a first-degree misdemeanor…
Continue reading ›Updated November 8, 2026 Yes, it can now count. Since October 1, 2026, Florida’s definition of a “criminal gang member” in section 874.03(3) includes admitting gang membership online, using gang-related language on social media in furtherance of gang activity, and authoring any communication that indicates gang affiliation. A person meets the definition by satisfying any…
Continue reading ›Fully rewritten and updated October 23, 2026. You can usually bring a child into a Florida courthouse, because courthouses are public buildings, but many judges do not allow children in the courtroom, and any judge can ask you to take a child out. We recommend arranging childcare for every court date. If you are the…
Continue reading ›Your right to pretrial release in Florida, Hillsborough’s 2026 bond schedule, the factors judges weigh, the new Rule 3.131 reconsideration, detention hearings, Arthur hearings, and Missy’s Law.
Continue reading ›A domestic violence lethality assessment is a 12-question checklist that Florida law requires officers to read to the alleged victim at every intimate-partner domestic violence call, whether or not anyone is arrested. One “yes” to any of the first four questions marks the alleged victim as being in a “potentially lethal situation.” The tool was…
Continue reading ›How to find someone in Hillsborough County Jail with the HCSO Arrest Inquiry, what the record means, and what happens next at first appearance, bond, and pretrial release in 2026.
Continue reading ›Rewrite/update date: October 13, 2026. Originally published in February 2025. If you missed a court date in Tampa, the judge will usually issue a capias, a court order that lets any officer arrest you. The fastest fix is for a defense attorney to file a motion to withdraw the capias and get you before the…
Continue reading ›A bond walkthrough lets you turn yourself in at Orient Road and leave the same day. See hours, who qualifies, how to pay, what to bring, and how we help.
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