Florida criminal law · Pinellas County
Understand Florida criminal charges, arrest procedures, court processes, penalties, records, and your legal options with plain-language educational guides.
Often read: DUI penalties Bail and bond Felony degrees Sealing a record Your rights
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Booking, first appearance, release, formal charges, and arraignment: what generally happens in the hours and weeks after an arrest in Florida, with Pinellas County details.
Pick the statement closest to your situation. Each one leads to a guide or topic page written for it.
Each topic page gathers the guides, Florida statutes, and key terms for that area of law.
Evergreen guides to the questions people ask most after an arrest or a criminal charge.
A stage-by-stage explanation of a Florida criminal case: first appearance, formal charges, arraignment, discovery, pretrial motions, plea or…
How pretrial release works in Pinellas County: the bond schedule, first appearance, the types of bond, release conditions,…
What Florida law says about DUI: the legal limit, the penalties for a first and a repeat conviction,…
How Florida classifies felonies, the maximum prison term and fine for each degree, how the sentencing scoresheet works,…
How Florida defines a misdemeanor, the maximum jail term and fine for each degree, how a case moves through county…
What a first appearance hearing is, who has one, and what the judge decides about a lawyer, probable cause, and…
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How Florida law defines domestic violence, what the label adds to a charge, how no-contact orders and minimum jail terms…
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Florida DUI law, license suspensions, breath-test rules, and serious traffic offenses.
A simplified path from arrest to resolution. Not every case includes every stage, and timing varies widely.
A law-enforcement officer takes a person into custody. Miranda warnings are required only before custodial interrogation.
Identification, fingerprints, mugshot, and intake at the jail. Personal property is inventoried.
A judge reviews probable cause, sets bond conditions, and addresses representation. The accused does not enter a plea here.
Conditions of release: cash bond, surety, ROR, supervised release, or pretrial detention for serious charges.
The formal charging document is read. A plea is entered — typically not guilty so the defense can investigate.
Exchange of evidence, witness depositions, motions to suppress, and investigation of the case.
Plea negotiations, diversion options, motions hearings. Many cases resolve here.
Jury or bench trial. Burden of proof rests on the State beyond a reasonable doubt.
A judge imposes sentence — could include incarceration, probation, fines, community service, programs, or a withhold of adjudication.
Appellate review of legal errors. Post-conviction motions, modifications, and record sealing/expungement may follow.
Short definitions of the words you are likely to hear in a Florida criminal case.
Criminal cases in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, and the rest of Pinellas County are heard in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. These official sites publish court locations, case records, and jail information.
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These tools provide general educational information. They do not predict outcomes or determine eligibility for anything.
Short, general answers. Follow the links in each guide for the detail and the sources.
No. Everything here is general educational information about Florida criminal law. Laws change, every case turns on its own facts, and reading this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Only a licensed attorney can advise you about your situation.
In general, a person who is arrested is booked into jail and, unless released first, is brought before a judge for a first appearance within 24 hours. At that hearing the judge reviews probable cause, addresses legal representation, and decides the conditions of pretrial release. Formal charges and an arraignment come later.
Florida law defines a misdemeanor as an offense punishable by up to one year in a county jail, and a felony as an offense punishable by death or imprisonment in a state prison. Misdemeanors are generally handled in county court and felonies in circuit court.
Some people can post a bond from the bond schedule shortly after booking. Otherwise, a judge sets the conditions of release at first appearance. Those conditions can include a monetary bond, release on recognizance, or supervised release, depending on the charge and the person's circumstances.
Sometimes. Florida law allows certain records to be sealed or expunged, but the rules are strict: a person who has been adjudicated guilty of a crime in Florida generally does not qualify, and some offenses are excluded entirely. The process starts with a Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
A person charged with a crime that carries possible jail or prison time, and who cannot afford a lawyer, can ask the court to appoint the public defender. The request is usually made at first appearance and involves a financial affidavit.
No. The Fifth Amendment and the Florida Constitution protect a defendant from being compelled to testify. The State carries the burden of proving the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
It is a disposition in which the judge does not formally adjudicate a person guilty, usually while placing them on probation. A withhold does not erase the record of the case, and Florida law limits when a judge may withhold adjudication in felony cases.
Legal information is only useful if you can verify it. Here is how these guides are put together.
Guides cite the Florida Statutes, court rules, and official agency pages, and link to them so you can read the original.
Legal terms are defined where they appear, and every definition links to the glossary.
Each guide shows when it was last updated. If you spot an error, tell us and we will check it against the source.
We are not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice, and only a licensed attorney can advise you about your case.
Learn what information to gather before speaking with a Florida attorney, and build a checklist of questions to bring with you.
If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can ask the court to appoint the public defender. The Florida Bar also runs a statewide lawyer referral service.
