The Defendant was arrested on charges of Attempted Felony Murder and Robbery with Discharge of a Firearm Causing Serious Bodily Injury or Death. It was alleged the Defendant had shot an individual in the face at point blank range in a drug deal gone bad. The alleged victim personally knew the Defendant and was able to identify the Defendant as the shooter. The Defendant maintained he was not at the scene of the shooting, as he was picking up his fiancée from work at the Grand Marlin restaurant in Panama City Beach. This Defendant also was an employee of Captain Anderson’s restaurant, an establishment with very highly respected business practices including regular background checks. The State wanted a plea of 25 years in prison. The Defendant chose to proceed to Trial. After a long Trial we were successful in securing a Not Guilty on all charges. Instead of facing prison of exposure of Life plus 30 years, the Defendant was a free man from these allegations.

The Defendant was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office following a joint effort to investigate drug smuggling into the United States from Belgium. While at the Cottondale post office, the Defendant was observed picking up a package known by drug agents to contain illegal substances. Shortly after leaving, law enforcement swarmed the Defendant while the drugs and his young daughter were in his vehicle. Making matters worse, the Defendant was already on Felony Probation for Felony Cultivation of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The Defendant was charged in State Court with Trafficking in MDMA, more than 10 Grams but less than 200 Grams, which has a mandatory prison sentence (up to 30 years in prison) and a mandatory $50,000 fine. Through intense depositions Homeland Security, the United States Postmaster General for the Tallahassee Region (which includes Jackson County), and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office officials, we were able to have the charges reduced to mere 3^rd Degree Felony Possession of MDMA, avoiding any prison whatsoever, as well as the mandatory $50,000 fine. The Defendant was sentenced to a mere four years of Felony probation, and his outstanding Violation of Probation from the prior Cultivation of Marijuana matters was dismissed with unsuccessfully terminated of said probation.

The Defendant was cited by the Florida Highway Patrol with Careless Driving after crashing his vehicle in Bay County, causing more than $3,000.00 in property damage. There were eyewitnesses to this crash, although the FHP Trooper did not witness such. Upon being hired, Counsel scheduled this matter for a contested Traffic Hearing. On the day of the hearing, the FHP Trooper appeared for Court, but did not bother to subpoena the actual eyewitnesses to the crash itself. After extensive argument before the Court, Attorney Sauline was able to secure an outright dismissal of the entire case. Zero points on the Defendant’s driver’s license record, zero Court costs & fines, zero community service hours, and zero driving improvement school hours, as the matter was completely dismissed by the Court after argument from Attorney Sauline.

The Defendant was charged with Selling Synthetic Marijuana within 1,000 Feet of a Public Park in Calhoun County. Specifically, the Defendant was at Cooper’s Park in Blountstown, where he sold drugs to a Confidential Informant. This offense was captured on video, and the synthetic marijuana was provided to law enforcement as soon as the purchase was completed. Selling Synthetic Marijuana within 1,000 Feet of a Public Park is a First Degree Felony, punishable up to 30 years in prison. Through extensive plea negotiations with the State, and unexplainable delays in sending the drugs to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the State agreed to reduce the charges from a First Degree Felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison all the way down to a mere Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a time-served sentence imposed. As such, the Defendant escaped any prison, any Felony conviction whatsoever from being on his Criminal history, saved a tremendous amount of money in Court costs and fines, and was even able to save his driver’s license by avoiding the DHSMV administrative suspension associated with his original charges.

On June 15^th, 2020, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on North Harris Ave. Law enforcement found the Defendant inside of a vehicle near the residence, with a digital scale in plain view and a shoe box full of numerous sandwich baggies full of fresh marijuana ready for distribution. The Defendant confessed post-Miranda, admitting to owning the Marijuana and selling much of it to various customers for large profits. With that, the Defendant was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana With Intent to Sell or Distribute, as well as Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The Defendant was a regular drug dealer, holding eight prior Felony convictions as well as three prior convictions for Marijuana related offenses. Nonetheless, after extensive discovery and negotiations with the State, we were able to secure the Defendant a plea to Misdemeanor Marijuana < 20 Grams and Possession of Paraphernalia, avoiding any prison and any jail, as well as avoiding any Felony conviction.

On January 20^th, 2022 the client was charged by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office with Driving While License is Suspended or Revoked with Knowledge. Such is a 1^st Degree Misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. While the case was pending, the client was charged with yet another Driving While License is Suspended or Revoked with Knowledge, this time on March 1^st by the Panama City Police Department. Despite the client receiving such, we were not only able to keep the client from being placed in jail for receiving additional Criminal charges while the first case was pending, but we also kept the client from any conviction whatsoever. Through extensive discussions with the State, we were able to convince the State to dismiss not just one, but all of the Criminal charges pending against our client. Zero jail, zero probation, zero Court costs & fines, and total dismissal. Such is the ultimate win for a client.

The Defendant was visiting Panama City Beach in August of 2020, at which time he was arrested for Shooting Into an Occupied Vehicle and Aggravated Assault With a Firearm. The State alleged a late night road rage incident had occurred, with the Defendant shooting into the vehicle of a hometown Arnold High School graduate along Panama City Beach Parkway (aka “Back Beach Road”) near Nautilus Street. The alleged Victim followed the shooter’s vehicle while speaking with 911, watching the vehicle return to the rented condo of the Defendant. This alleged Victim’s eyewitness identification had the Defendant facing up to 20 years in prison for these serious Firearm offenses. The prosecutor demanded a lengthy prison sentence, and the Defendant demanded a Jury Trial. After a long Trial, we were able to secure an outright Not Guilty verdict for our client, saving his future from an overzealous prosecutor.