Serving Fort Lauderdale | Criminal Defense
A Broward court date can interrupt work, family plans, or a visit to Fort Lauderdale. Miller & Jacobs helps people facing criminal charges or police contact understand what needs attention first. Your defense is handled by Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs, with a clear plan for the records, hearings, and decisions ahead.
Talk with the partner who will handle your defense. Tell us about the next hearing, release condition, or request from investigators. The firm’s office is in Pompano Beach.
Broward Courts
Guidance for Fort Lauderdale Criminal Cases
Former Prosecutors
Experience From Both Sides of a Criminal Case
230+
Jury Trials to Verdict Across Their Legal Careers
Named Partner
Mr. Miller or Mr. Jacobs Handles the Matter
The First Decision
You may have a few pages from the jail, a voicemail from a detective, or a date you cannot miss. Those details are enough to begin. A defense lawyer can review the immediate issue and help you understand what to do while the case is still taking shape. Our Florida criminal defense overview explains the wider range of matters the firm handles.
Interview
Ask for the investigator’s name, agency, and callback number. Before discussing events, get advice about the purpose of the interview and your rights. An invitation to talk does not explain your legal position.
Release
A bond receipt is only part of the picture. Read the separate conditions covering contact, travel, monitoring, and other restrictions. Have counsel review an unclear condition before changing your routine.
Custody
Gather the person’s full name, booking or case number, and any hearing information. The first task is to confirm the custody status and release terms, rather than rely on a message passed through someone else.
Old case
A warrant or probation allegation needs a case-specific response. Share the original case number and recent notice so the lawyer can check what is pending and discuss a lawful way to address it.
Visitor
Going home does not close a Broward criminal case. Keep the citation and court instructions, tell counsel where you live, and review any required appearance before booking travel or changing plans.
Two orders
A criminal release condition and a civil injunction may both affect whom you can contact. Bring both documents. Permission in one proceeding should not be treated as permission to disregard the other.
Your Fort Lauderdale Case
Fort Lauderdale Police Department records and Broward court records come from different offices. We use the case documents to identify the right source and the next required step. That matters when a report, a release condition, and an online docket appear to show different things.
Police records
Fort Lauderdale has its own police department. Its Records Unit maintains city police reports. A case may instead involve BSO or another agency, so the report should identify whose records need review.
Court location
Broward’s Central Courthouse complex is at 201 S.E. 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale. The Clerk lists felony services in the North Building and traffic and misdemeanor services in the West Building. Check the actual hearing notice for the building, division, and courtroom.
Case docket
The Broward Clerk’s case search can help locate a case, but some records are restricted and an online entry is not a substitute for the official notice. Tell counsel about missing or conflicting information before the hearing.
Appearance
Do not assume a hearing can be handled remotely, waived, or moved because you live elsewhere. Counsel can review the division’s procedure and explain what requires your presence. Continue following current orders unless the court changes them.
We can begin with the document or phone call that concerns you most. Call the Pompano Beach office to discuss a Fort Lauderdale investigation or criminal case.
Life Outside the Courthouse
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You may be trying to get through a workday without telling everyone what happened. Or you may be far from home, wondering how you will return for court. You deserve a private conversation that takes those concerns seriously and gives you a useful next step.
Choose the Relevant Matter
Some people know the charge. Others have only a request to speak with police. Miller & Jacobs evaluates the matters below and explains the scope of representation before you hire the firm. A category is a starting point for the conversation, not a conclusion about what happened.
Review the stop, impairment allegation, testing, and any separate license issue. Driving cases can require attention outside the criminal courtroom.
Review the reported incident, household relationship, contact limits, and any related injunction. A person’s request to resume contact does not change a court order.
Examine what was found, who allegedly controlled it, the search, laboratory results, and the quantity used to support the charge.
Compare witness accounts with injuries, recordings, and the events before the alleged threat or contact. Self-defense issues require a careful factual review.
Look at ownership, consent, value, identification, and intent. A store report or disputed transaction should be reviewed with the underlying records.
Trace the documents, transactions, account access, and communications behind the allegation. Keep original business records and discuss investigator requests before responding.
Review the claimed possession or use, the person’s legal status, the location, and the search. The weapon allegation and the surrounding incident may raise separate issues.
Handle sensitive accusations privately. The defense may require a close review of communications, identification, witnesses, forensic reports, and the timing of the allegation.
Confirm the pending issue, discuss release or surrender questions, and evaluate police contact before a formal charging decision. Avoid assuming that no filing means no investigation.
Compare the alleged violation with the written conditions, compliance records, and original sentence. A new accusation and the probation proceeding may need separate responses.
Review the forum, custody status, family concerns, and evidence needed for a child or a person facing a serious charge. The approach must fit the actual case. For questions about plea terms and sentencing, read our Fort Lauderdale felony defense page.
Check the disposition and eligibility before pursuing record relief. A case ending without a conviction does not automatically erase the arrest record.
Your Responsible Attorney
Mr. Miller or Mr. Jacobs handles an accepted criminal matter as the responsible partner. They can bring in staff, investigators, or experts when needed. You can ask who will attend a hearing, how updates will reach you, and what the next decision requires.
Partner | Former Assistant State Attorney
Mark reviews the allegation against the records and the choices facing the client. His trial experience helps him assess what needs investigation, what may be challenged, and how to prepare for a contested hearing or trial.
Admitted to The Florida Bar in 1995
Former Assistant State Attorney
More than 70 reported jury trials to verdict
Partner | Former Assistant State Attorney
Rick examines the evidence, procedural risks, and practical effect of the available options. He helps clients understand the difference between an offer, a possible defense, and a decision that requires further preparation.
Admitted to The Florida Bar in 1995
Former Assistant State Attorney
More than 160 reported jury trials to verdict
You should understand the representation before hiring a lawyer. Ask about responsibility for the case, the work included, the fee arrangement, and how you will receive updates.
Building the Account
An incident outside a Las Olas business, at a beach parking area, or in a residence may be recorded from more than one angle. Tell counsel where you were and who may have seen what happened. Fort Lauderdale’s own body-camera policy recognizes that a camera does not capture the entire event. Records need context, not just a quick replay.
Make the First Call Useful
You do not need to gather every record before calling. Set aside the items already in your possession, keep originals intact, and identify the earliest date or restriction that needs attention.
01
Keep the citation, arrest papers, letter, or hearing notice. Include the envelope or message showing when it arrived if timing is in dispute.
02
Bring bond terms, monitoring instructions, probation conditions, and any injunction. Tell counsel what is difficult to follow and why.
03
Have the case number, booking number, agency, and court division ready when available. A similar name alone can lead to the wrong record.
04
Keep complete conversations, original photographs, receipts, and recordings. Avoid editing a file to make it easier to explain.
05
Explain the work schedule, family obligation, travel plan, or license issue affected by the case. It helps counsel understand what a proposed next step means for you.
Serving Fort Lauderdale
Miller & Jacobs serves Fort Lauderdale criminal-defense clients from its Pompano Beach headquarters. The office and the courthouse are different destinations. Confirm which place you need to attend before setting out.
1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
Arrange a Conversation
Call to arrange a consultation, or send the office a message if that is easier. Bring the case number and current paperwork when you have them.
Questions Before You Decide
The next step depends on your documents and circumstances. These answers explain common decisions without predicting the outcome of a particular case.
A court date can remain binding when you live outside Florida. Have counsel review the hearing notice and current travel conditions. Do not assume your presence can be waived or that a video appearance is available; follow the existing order unless the court authorizes a change.
Use the agency named on the report. Fort Lauderdale Police Department maintains its own city police records, while BSO and other agencies keep their records separately. A lawyer can identify the relevant reports and recordings and the appropriate way to seek them.
No. Bond addresses release from custody and the conditions you must follow. The prosecution may continue after release. Keep the release papers and review the next hearing and any restrictions with counsel.
Bring both documents for review. A criminal no-contact condition and a civil injunction can remain enforceable independently. Do not rely on someone else’s permission to resume contact; ask counsel about the lawful procedure for seeking a change.
Some people qualify for appointed counsel based on financial eligibility and the type of case. The Broward Clerk provides an Application for Criminal Indigent Status. Private counsel can explain the proposed scope and fee so you can make an informed choice.
A lawyer can review the stage of the investigation, police contact, available records, and evidence that should be kept. There may be useful work before filing, but hiring counsel does not guarantee that charges will be prevented.
The responsible attorney for an accepted case is Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs. Before hiring the firm, discuss who will appear at hearings, the work covered by the fee, communication, and any investigation the case may need.
Miller & Jacobs’ office is at 1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. The firm serves Fort Lauderdale clients from that office. A court hearing will take place at the location listed in the case notice, not at the law office.
