A confrontation can produce several accounts, each focused on a different moment. Miller & Jacobs helps examine what happened, what the State alleges, and whether the evidence supports the charge or a lawful defense. We make the first conversation about the incident and the decisions you now face.
Save the full record and follow any contact restrictions. Do not approach the other person to settle the story or obtain a new statement.
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Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs
Combined Jury Trials to Verdict Across Their Careers
Your Case Handled by Mr. Miller or Mr. Jacobs
Recordings, photographs, and documents may support, challenge, or leave parts of an account unresolved. Keep the original material and identify its source. A difference between statements needs careful evaluation rather than an automatic conclusion that someone is lying.
A Complete Account Can Be Hard to Tell
You may be concerned that one action will be judged without the events around it. Tell your lawyer the parts that trouble you as well as the parts you believe support your position. That honesty makes the advice more useful and the factual review more complete.
The defense begins with the offense actually charged. A common phrase such as “assault and battery” should not obscure the elements, any added allegation, or the evidence needed for a particular defense.
Section 784.011 addresses an intentional unlawful threat, apparent ability to carry it out, and conduct creating a well-founded fear of imminent violence. The words, acts, distance, and circumstances matter.
Section 784.03 includes intentional touching or striking against another person’s will, or intentionally causing bodily harm. A visible injury is not required for every battery allegation.
Section 776.012 addresses defensive force. Deadly and nondeadly force have different requirements. The surrounding conduct and applicable limits must be reviewed; an argument or insult alone does not establish a defense.
A claimed weapon, particular injury, protected status, or relevant prior conviction may change the charge. Counsel should identify the specific legal provision and evidence rather than infer the penalty from the label alone.
Call the Orlando office to review the accusation and any current restrictions. We can explain how the firm would evaluate the evidence and prepare for the next stage.
A private chronology for counsel should distinguish direct memory, secondhand information, and records that can be checked. Our Orlando criminal defense practice handles the legal questions that may follow a confrontation.
Explain the setting, relationships, and reason for the encounter. Preserve relevant earlier messages. Background can matter without excusing every later action.
Be precise about who said or did what and in what order. If you do not recall the exact words, say so. Avoid replacing an uncertain memory with a phrase from the police report.
If you believed force was necessary, describe the danger, distance, movement, and surrounding circumstances. Counsel needs concrete facts to assess justification, not simply the statement that you felt afraid.
Describe any separation, calls for help, injuries, or later contact. Evidence from after the event may help test the account, but it should be considered alongside what occurred beforehand.
Tell counsel where recordings or witnesses may be found. Preserve material already in your lawful possession. Do not enter another person’s account, contact a protected person, or pressure a witness.
Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs handles an accepted criminal matter. Ask how the attorney will evaluate disputed accounts, discuss motions when appropriate, and explain any proposed resolution. A defense should be supported by the record, and its uncertainties should be clear.
Mark J. Miller is a former assistant state attorney admitted to The Florida Bar in 1995. His experience includes more than 70 jury trials to verdict across his legal career. Read his biography and ask about his approach to your matter.
Read Mark’s Bio →
Rick S. Jacobs is a former assistant state attorney admitted to The Florida Bar in 1995. His experience includes more than 160 jury trials to verdict across his legal career. His biography provides background for the conversation about your defense.
Read Rick’s Bio →Ask which proceedings are included. A criminal case may accompany a civil injunction or another dispute. Confirm the scope, fees, and handling of additional costs before representation begins.
Bring the current charging document and court orders so the discussion can address your situation.
No. The nature of the contact, intent, consent where legally relevant, and any lawful justification may still matter. Give counsel a complete and accurate account rather than assume a single fact decides the case.
Possibly. They may have relevant observations about condition, statements, or events afterward. Tell counsel exactly when the person arrived and what they actually observed, without asking them to speculate about what came before.
Explain the difference privately to counsel and identify any recording or witness to the interview. Do not alter a copy of the report or send an improvised correction without advice about the appropriate response.
It may. Certain prior dispositions can affect classification, and the statutory definition of a qualifying conviction matters. Bring the actual prior order, including any withhold of adjudication, for review.
The relationship may create additional issues, including domestic-violence procedures and contact restrictions. Read our Orlando domestic violence defense page and give counsel every related order.
Call Miller & Jacobs at 407-465-8733 to arrange a conversation. The Orlando office is at 5401 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 660, Orlando, FL 32819. Tell the office about a pending hearing or urgent restriction.
