A violation of probation or community control (house arrest) is a serious issue that should be immediately addressed. If the court has issued a warrant or you know you are out of compliance, we can take steps to bring you in line and avoid more legal trouble. Ignoring a probation violation could result in an arrest or jail time if the judge decides to revoke your probation. If your probation officer determines you have violated conditions set by a judge at a prior sentencing, he or she files an affidavit with the court, which issues a warrant for your arrest. Call Carver Law Group, we are equipped to handle these issues for you and set you back on the right track to completing your probation.

The following are criminal "traffic tickets." They are misdemeanor crimes or possibly felony charges. Under Florida law, each of these carries the real possibility of jail (or prison), substantial sanctions against your driver's license and other costly and harsh penalties:

• Driving under the influence (DUI)
• Reckless driving • Driving on a suspended or revoked license with knowledge
• Leaving the scene of an accident (hit and run)
• DUI manslaughter (causing a death)

Protect Your Most Important Asset- Your Good Name

Carver Law Group will be able to help you petition to seal or expunge your Florida criminal record without delay. For most seal and expunge cases in Florida we charge a total of $700.00 which includes all of the costs in the case. Although you can attempt to seal or expunge your record without an attorney, hiring an experienced lawyer to help you through the process will save you time and frustration and ensure that the process is completed as quickly as possible and in the correct way.

If you think there is an active arrest warrant with your name on it, do not wait for the authorities to come for you. The police always arrest people at the most inopportune time, such as in the middle of the night, at family dinner time, at your workplace. You can avoid embarrassment and an extended stay in jail by taking a proactive approach to your warrant and the underlying criminal offense. Please give our office a call and we will lead you in the best direction possible with the facts you give us. If you think you may have an outstanding warrant, call our office and we will do our best to assist you. The most common scenarios are warrants for commission of a crime, violating terms of probation, skipping a court date or failing to pay court-ordered fines or traffic tickets.

Carver Law Group provides aggessive, experienced criminal defense for gun crimes and felony sentencing enhancements.

Have experience and will defend on any of the following Charges

• 10 - 20 - Life 
• Possession of firearms by a convicted felon
• Possession after conviction for domestic violence
• Possession of illegal weapons
• Assault with a deadly weapon
• Illegal arms trading/trafficking
• Unregistered or stolen guns
• Carrying concealed without a permit
• Illegal discharge of a firearm
• Aggravated battery

The state of Florida takes a dim view if you are caught with a firearm or deadly weapon after arrest for another felony, or used a weapon to commit the crime. You will face (a) more serious charges or (b) the court can impose a lengthy minimum mandatory sentence. An altercation that would otherwise be a misdemeanor, for example, becomes felony aggravated battery if you attacked the person with a baseball bat or threatened them with a gun.

Crimes that are upgraded or subject to enhancements include:

• Assault/battery or domestic violence
• Burglary and robbery
• Kidnapping
• Sexual offenses
• Drug crimes

• The criminal charge of battery: A judge's order that you have no contact with the victim Violations of that injunction
• Domestic violence refers to acts against a spouse, former spouse, or other member of the family or household.
• An Assault is a threat or gesture putting a person in fear.
• Battery is actual physical contact.
• Aggravated battery is serious injury or use of a weapon.
• Sexual battery is forcible sex or touching.
• Domestic battery is a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. If there was bodily harm, the court must impose a minimum of 5 days in jail. It is a lifetime conviction (cannot be sealed or expunged).

Other criminal penalties for misdemeanor domestic battery include one year of probation, fines up to $1,000 and a mandatory 26-week domestic violence Batterers' Intervention program. A second offense is a felony, with mandatory jail or prison time. Under Florida law, prosecutors must treat domestic violence as a crime and not a "private family matter." When police are called to a domestic disturbance, someone will be taken to jail. If there is evidence a battery occurred, the State Attorney will usually pursue the case even if the victim does not wish to press charges. ·

No Contact Orders and Violations: ·

• A person arrested for domestic violence is held in jail on "no bond" until he or she can appear before a judge and the court has searched the arrestee's criminal history. As a condition of release, the court usually issues a no contact order on the defendant barring the arrestee from directly or indirectly contacting the victim —by telephone, in person, mail, e-mail or third party. Violating the "No Contact" order can result in a new criminal charge and a trip back to jail. You can be charged for simply contacting the person, or indirect acts that threaten or intimidate, such as stalking or destruction of property.

Anyone accused of harming a child faces an uphill battle — public wrath, alienated family members, determined prosecutors and hard-line judges. To avoid prison, you will need an attorney with the ability to aggressively counter the charges without seeming to attack the child. We will represent on any of the following: Physical abuse (battery) and aggravated child abuse Emotional abuse, torture or confinement Neglect or child endangerment Lewd acts (sexual penetration, touching, exposure) Child rape/child abduction Sexual battery on a child Sex with a minor under 16 (who cannot legally give consent) Child pornography Child abuse carries some of the harshest prison term. A conviction also means a sexual predator or sexual offender label that will effect employment, professional licenses, housing and every aspect of personal life. If the state thinks you are a danger to the community, it will fight your release and seek to have you committed to a sex offender treatment facility for an indefinite period of time.

Call Carver Law Group to make a stand for you and strive towards the best outcome possible in these types of situations.

A sex crime allegation becomes a battle for your freedom and your reputation. A conviction carries a steep prison term, and the state has powers to keep you locked up indefinitely. The mere accusation can permanently alter your personal relationships and professional life. We uphold your presumption of innocence and your right to challenge the accusations.

Contact us immediately if you are charged or under investigation for:

1. Sexual battery (rape) and date rape
2. Aggravated sexual battery (bodily harm or special victims)
3. Lewd or lascivious acts (sex crimes against children under 16)
4. Unlawful sexual activity (statutory rape)
5. Internet solicitation of minors
6. Child pornography
7. Soliciting/prostitution/pandering
8. Indecent exposure

Aggressive Defense of Sex Crime Allegations! We fight to keep you from having to register as a sex offender. We have experience dealing with the media in sex cases. Preparing your defense requires an understanding of how law enforcement investigates sex crimes. Because of the high stakes, we have to scrutinize the evidence and the victim's credibility: DNA rape kits and chain of custody, identification procedures, inconsistent stories or motivations to fabricate accusations, and constitutional issues relating to searches and arrest. We are proactive with psychological testing and counseling to convince the authorities that our client is not at risk to re-offend.

Depending on the particular circumstances of the case, an effective defense may involve the raising of what is called an "affirmative defense", such as justifiable use of deadly force, insanity, or even alibi. For example, a person is legally justified in using deadly force if he or she believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another person. Moreover, under Florida's Stand Your Ground Law, a person has no duty to retreat if he or she is attacked in any place where he or she has a lawful right to be..
Sometimes, people can suffer from extreme mental infirmities to the extent that they lack the capacity to realize that their actions are "wrong." Under such circumstances, that person can plead, through his or her attorney, "Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity." Where this affirmative defense is raised, the State has the burden of proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the accused not only committed the offense, but was fully aware that his or her actions were "wrong" at the time it was committed. The insanity defense can also be an effective tool in defending an accused person in homicide cases.
In other situations, the State may have unwittingly charged the wrong person. It is possible for an "eyewitness" to make a misidentification, which results in the wrong person being prosecuted. Although this scenario is rare, under such circumstances, raising "Alibi" as an affirmative defense, and listing credible witnesses who will testify that the accused was in another location at the same time a murder was committed, can potentially create some significant proof issues for the State. our first line of defense is to present potential weaknesses in the State's case, as applicable, to the prosecutor before a formal charging document is ever filed. This may result in the State filing a less serious degree of homicide, waiving the death penalty, or in some instances, not filing charges at all. We are also prepared to take your case to a jury trial if necessary. We have experience lining up the expert testimony that can be critical to effectively defending homicide charges.

Call Carver Law Group to assist you in such a delicate matter. We are dedicated to defending our clients with aggressive work and your case will get our full attention.

Juvenile Defense

The juvenile justice system is geared toward rehabilitation rather than punishment. But, your child may still face severe consequences. Our attorneys work to minimize the consequences and limit the impact on your child's future.

If your child is charged with a criminal offense in Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, Sumter County, Lake County, Hernando County, then please contact our offices.

There really aren't  "juvenile crimes," other than underage consumption of alcohol. Teenagers are charged under the same Florida statutes that adults are. We have defended juveniles on charges from petty offenses to serious felonies, but the most common juvenile court offenses are:

• Drug possession
• Theft, shoplifting and burglary
• Underage drinking and DUI
• Sexual offenses, including date rape
• Vandalizing

The crimes are the same but the rules, the rights, and the punishments are different in the juvenile justice system. There are many diversion programs for juvenile crimes to help youths get their lives on track while still being held accountable for their actions, rather than facing serious jail time, even though the crime is still a serious offense.

We strive to  negotiate for fair and reasonable sentences that avoid a criminal record.

If your child is faced with a major felony:

For almost all types of offenses, the prosecutor has the discretion to charge any child over age 16 as an adult. We fight to keep your son or daughter in juvenile court if at all possible.

We will explore all avenues of defense, including a Youthful Offender departure sentence and moving sentencing back to juvenile court.  We will strive to do any and everything possible to make this process, which is a hard time, as bearable as possible.

We handle all state drug charges in Sumter County, Lake County, Cirtus County and Marion County, including charges involving:

• Possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia
• Controlled substances (cocaine, heroin, meth, LSD, etc.) • "Date rape" and "club" drugs (MDMA, GHB, Ecstasy
• Illegal prescription narcotics (OxyContin, Percocet, etc.)
• Drug sales or possession with intent to distribute
• Drug trafficking, importation and conspiracy
• Marijuana cultivation (grow houses) or methamphetamine manufacture

Penalties

Hard time in prison is just the beginning. Drug charges can result in seizure and forfeiture of your assets (money, boats, cars, homes). Your driver's license and professional or business licenses can be revoked. There will be fines, random drug tests, tight parole/probation restrictions, and perhaps mandatory counseling or treatment. Employers are notified, and the felony record will shadow you forever.