The charge filed after a Hollywood arrest may differ from the booking sheet. Start with the counts pending now and the evidence behind them. Miller & Jacobs helps you understand those charges before you decide how to respond to an offer or the next court step.
We serve Hollywood from our Pompano Beach office. Call with the newest notice, the charge as you understand it, and any immediate custody or release concern. You can begin a free initial consultation before the entire evidence file is available.
The firm reports 230+ combined career jury trials to verdict. Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs are partners at Miller & Jacobs. Clarify the accepted work and responsible partner in the engagement discussion.
Mention the earliest appearance, reporting requirement, or response deadline. Keep following current orders while a requested change is being considered.
Broward Felony Defense
Connect the filed accusation, the evidence, and the next hearing.
Both Partners
Meet Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs.
Combined Jury Trials
Firm-reported trials to verdict across both partners’ legal careers.
Discuss Responsibility
Confirm who will handle the matter the firm accepts.
A prosecutor may add, change or resolve a count while others stay open. Compare the latest charging paper with the earlier version. We explain what changed and which facts or legal issues need attention now.
For the relationship between Hollywood agency records, custody, and court notices, see the Hollywood criminal defense guide. Each source answers a different part of the case. The Florida criminal defense overview also identifies related charge categories if the felony is only part of the accusation.
Bring the information or indictment—the formal charging document—and any newer version. Check the case number and filing date. Tell counsel if you only have a booking sheet or online summary.
A plea hearing, probation check-in and deadline to answer an offer each need different preparation. Confirm what the next date is for. Not every court date is a trial.
Point out any added charge, higher offense level or new restriction. Keep the old papers too. They help counsel trace when and how the case changed.
You may need to understand what a new charge means for a job, a license, a household, or an existing supervision term.
Tell counsel which decision cannot wait and what information you have been asked to give. This helps us focus the advice while we review the evidence and current court orders.
For each count, ask what the state says happened, who it identifies and what it must prove. A single phrase in a police report does not explain the whole case.
Check the date, alleged act and facts the state must prove. A report may describe several events while a count covers only one. We connect the evidence to that specific charge.
A witness, video or account record may be used to identify a person. Explain who else had access to the place or account. Do not ask others to agree on a version of events.
An injury, value, weapon or prior conviction may change the offense level. We check the law that applies and the evidence supporting that fact. Felony charges do not all carry the same penalties.
Bring orders and dates from any other case, probation term or injunction. Tell counsel about professional-license duties too. These may affect a decision in the new case.
Florida sets different penalties for each felony degree. Other sentencing rules may also apply. We review the actual charge and evidence rather than treating a maximum prison term as a prediction.
The initial consultation is free. Explain what changed, when you must act, and what you need counsel to clarify before making a decision.
Start by phone and arrange any in-person meeting at the Pompano Beach office. Keep court directions separate from office directions. If a person is in custody or the next hearing is close, identify that when calling.
1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs are partners at Miller & Jacobs. The firm reports more than 230 combined career jury trials to verdict. Past work does not predict a result; ask how your own evidence and upcoming choices would be addressed.
Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs
Combined Jury Trials
Both Admitted to The Florida Bar
Mark J. Miller’s biography outlines his background and trial experience. Ask how he would approach the current charge, disputed evidence and next court decision.
Read Mark’s Biography
Rick S. Jacobs’s biography outlines his background and trial experience. Bring the latest papers and your questions so the discussion focuses on your case.
Read Rick’s BiographyAsk which hearings, motions, investigation, and trial work the agreement includes and who will be responsible. Trial figures are firm-reported. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
We identify what the state must prove and which evidence supports or challenges it. We discuss unfavorable evidence too. You should understand why a defense may help, not just hear that the case is weak.
For a controlled-substance count, the Hollywood drug defense page explains why exhibit identification, weight, and possession issues deserve their own review.
Separate what a witness saw, what a document shows and what someone inferred. One piece of evidence may answer only part of the question.
If a prior conviction, injury, value or weapon affects the charge, get the records behind that claim. We compare those records with the summary in the report.
Save full conversations, attachments and original recordings. A short clip can leave out timing, sound or events that change its meaning.
Work schedules, access logs, receipts and nearby cameras may help check timing or identity. Note where the records are and the time they cover. Ask counsel how to obtain them lawfully.
We review whether police followed the law during a search, interview or identification. A supported legal challenge may limit the evidence. Disagreeing with the police does not exclude evidence by itself.
Some issues need more records, a witness interview or expert review. We explain what the evidence supports now and what still needs work before you decide how to resolve the case.
The Broward Clerk keeps felony court records. A Hollywood Police report has a separate number and file. Keep both numbers so counsel can find the charge, hearing notices and evidence.
Compare the filed charges with the arrest papers and check for amendments. The State Attorney files criminal charges; the Clerk maintains the court record. An older search result may not show the current counts.
At arraignment, the charges are formally addressed and a plea is entered. Ask counsel whether a written plea or waiver can be used. Hiring a lawyer does not automatically excuse you from court.
A report may mention a recording, test or exhibit without including it. We identify missing material and decide how it could affect the defense.
Investigation, motions, negotiations and trial preparation serve different purposes. Ask what each proposed step would do for your case and which issues it would leave open.
Keep the signed order after each court decision. Check its restrictions, reporting duties and dates. If the hearing was hard to follow, ask counsel to explain the written terms.
Broward Central Courthouse is at 201 SE 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Check your current notice for the assigned courthouse, courtroom and attendance method. Do not assume a Hollywood case will be heard at South Regional Courthouse.
A maximum term, sentencing scoresheet and mandatory minimum answer different questions. We explain how the rules fit together before you assess a plea offer.
Florida generally allows up to 5 years for a third-degree felony, 15 for a second-degree felony, and 30 for a first-degree felony. Some first-degree offenses permit life; life and capital felonies have separate rules. These are not predictions of a sentence.
Florida's Criminal Punishment Code assigns points for the offense, prior record and other factors. Those points can set the lowest permissible sentence. We check each entry and whether a lawful reason supports a lower sentence.
A mandatory minimum or sentencing enhancement may add consequences. If you face several counts, ask whether sentences could run together or one after another. A general penalty table cannot answer that for your case.
Check which terms are agreed and which decisions remain with the judge. Ask what you must do after the case ends. A first offense does not guarantee probation or diversion.
Compare the penalty statute with the sentencing scoresheet rules. Each addresses a different part of the decision.
Bring the newest papers even if some earlier records are missing. Make a list of what you cannot find. It is better to identify a gap than guess what a document says.
Keep the whole document and its date. Mark any response deadline. Tell counsel whether an offer is final or still being discussed.
Provide every page of the release order and current court notice. Flag any changed address, restriction or scheduling conflict that needs prompt attention.
Preserve messages, recordings, and documents. Note who created them and where further material may exist. Do not alter originals or breach a contact restriction to collect evidence.
List prior case outcomes, current probation and other open cases. If you lack the papers, identify the court or agency that has them.
Explain any reporting duty, professional license, immigration concern or family obligation before deciding on an offer. Ask whether you need separate advice on that issue.
These explanations are general. The filed charge, evidence, history, and current orders determine the options in a particular matter.
The arrest description and formal charging document serve different roles. The State may file counts that differ from the booking allegation. Counsel should review the current information or indictment and any amendments, rather than assuming the first label remains the charge being defended.
The Broward Clerk says it cannot change a set felony court date. Raise the conflict with counsel promptly so the proper request can be assessed with the assigned court. A schedule conflict or request does not itself excuse attendance or move the date.
No. The docket tracks court filings and events. Reports, recordings, test materials, and other discovery may require separate review. A brief docket should not be treated as proof that the State has no evidence or that counsel has received everything.
The precise dispositions, dates, and supervision status may affect charging, sentencing, or available options. Bring the records you have and identify the other courts involved. An arrest, a conviction, and a prior dismissal are not interchangeable entries.
No. The offense degree is only part of the analysis. A scoresheet, a specific mandatory provision, enhancements, and the circumstances of multiple counts may matter. A lawyer should explain the actual exposure and lawful options without predicting a sentence from the label alone.
Ask for the program name and written conditions. Broward programs have screening and approval requirements. Review any admissions, supervision, treatment, costs, completion terms, and noncompliance consequences. A first case does not create an entitlement to entry or dismissal.
Explain the job, any reporting rule, and the wording of the employer’s question to counsel. Employment obligations can differ. Do not rely on a general promise that an arrest, a withhold, or a later dismissal can always be omitted from an application.
