How Much Will an Attorney Cost to Represent me ?   Will I have to Pay for and Initial Consultation? What will Happen on my First Court Date and Do I have to Be there If I Have A Lawyer?   The Police  Did Not Read Me My Rights, Will My Case be Dismissed? The Police Spelled my Name Wrong On The Citation, Will my Charges Be Dismissed? I Did NOT Give Police Permission TO Search My Vehicle. Is This a Violation Of my Rights and an Illegal Search?   I am a Tourist; Do I Have to Remain in Florida to Resolve my Case? How Long Does a Misdemeanor Trial Take?   How Long Does a felony Trial Take? Do I have to Talk to the Judge or Jury?   Why Do I Keep Seeing Different Attorneys And Judges? Is the Police Officer Coming to Court?   When Do I Bring Witnesses To Court? What Rights Do I have At The time of the Arrest?   When Do I tell My Story? What If I Don't Want to Go to Court? Can My Attorney Represent me?   I Pleaded Guilty or NO Contest to a Case. Now Its is Affecting My Immigration or Employment. How can I withdraw my Plea? Should I Wait Until I am Formally Charged With a Crime (Arraigned) to Hire an Attorney?
How Much Will an Attorney Cost to Represent me ? Every case has a different set of facts and circumstances. We charge flat fees for all our criminal cases. The fees increase based upon the complexity of a case and the amount of preparation and trial time we estimate to be involved. We make every effort to make our services affordable for you. Major credit cards are accepted and payment plans are available. It is impossible for us to give a complete legal fee quote until we have an initial consultation with the client. WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE AFFORDABLE Major Credit Cards Accepted / Payment Plans Our office believes that that you should have an experienced attorney that you are satisfied with, even though you may not be able to pay the whole legal fee upfront. After meeting with us to discuss your case, you may be quite surprised at the affordability of the legal fees.   Will I have to Pay for and Initial Consultation ? No, initial consultations are always free of charge. We have appointments to fit around your schedule, on evenings and Saturdays.         What will Happen on my First Court Date and Do I have to Be there If I Have A Lawyer? The first court date is called an arraignment. On this day a plea will be entered to the charges (guilty, not guilty or no contest). Usually, the police reports and a list of charges (Complaint) are obtained. The defendant in misdemeanor cases will usually not have to be present if represented by an attorney. In felony cases the defendant must appear. The Police  Did Not Read Me My Rights, Will My Case be Dismissed ? Law enforcement personnel are required to read you your "Miranda rights" only if two criteria are met. You must be in custody (usually "arrested"), and you must be interrogated (questioned about the details of the crime). A Miranda warning violation does not automatically result in the dismissal of a case. The statements that you made after the violation would be suppressed and not admissible as evidence., initial consultations as.       The Police Spelled my Name Wrong On The Citation, Will my Charges Be Dismissed ? No, a harmless error of this type on a traffic citation will not result in a dismissal of the charges.   I Did NOT Give Police Permission TO Search My Vehicle. Is This a Violation Of my Rights and an Illegal Search? In most cases no. Police need probable cause to suspect that the vehicle contains contraband or instrumentalities of a crime. There is a lesser expectation of privacy in vehicles and searches incident to an arrest are also allowed. Officers can search the entire passenger cabin, and in some cases may even open any containers and packages if there is probable cause that it may contain contraband. Proper probable cause is always a key issue for an attorney to explore.         I am a Tourist; Do I Have to Remain in Florida to Resolve my Case Since the South Florida draws many tourists and vacationers, our firm seeks to provide visitors charged with crimes the same individual service and aggressive defense as we offer residents. We give special attention to our out of area clients by having them excused from proceedings where their presence is not necessary. If you were arrested and charged with a crime in Florida, but live outside the state, in certain cases it is possible for the Law Offices of Jauregui & Jauregui, P.A. to represent you without the need for you to return numerous times to Florida for court appearances. We can appear on your behalf at most court proceedings and save you thousands of dollars in travel expenses as well as your valuable time. In many instances, we can resolve your case without you ever having to appear in court   How Long Does a Misdemeanor Trial Take? A misdemeanor trial may take anywhere from one day to two weeks.       How Long Does a Felony Trial Take? The length of a felony trial depends on the nature of the case. Generally, felony cases take between two months and one year to complete..          Do I have to Talk to the Judge or Jury? No. Your attorney speaks for you. The defendant has a Constitutional right to remain silent. Whether to put the defendant on the witness stand is a decision the defendant and his attorney must make. Defense attorneys agree that it is sometimes better to keep the defendant off the witness stand, except in special cases. Once the defendant testifies, he opens himself to cross-examination by the prosecution. Because of this Constitutional right, the judge will instruct the jury that the defendant's failure to testify must not be considered in any way a sign that the defendant is guilty. Of course, if a defendant is entering a plea or accepting a plea bargain, he must answer the judge's basic questions with regard to his understanding of these actions.     Why Do I Keep Seeing Different Attorneys And Judges? Your legal team is comprised of both attorneys in our firm. We work closely on each case and specialize in different areas. We strive for you to have the best representation at every stage. Prosecuting attorneys may work in teams as well. You may appear before several judges throughout the process due to scheduling and availability.           Is the Police Officer Coming to Court? The police officer is a member of the prosecution's team. He will come to court only if the prosecutor wants him to. The police officers and the prosecutors work together to present a case against the defendant. In some misdemeanor cases, if the police officer and other witnesses fail to appear in court at the trial, the case may end in a dismissal.    When Do I Bring Witnesses To Court? Witnesses may be key allies to the defense. The Law Offices of Jauregui & Jauregui, P.A. will be responsible for gauging the proper time to introduce witnesses in court. Please inform us of any witnesses as soon as possible so that we may interview that person and evaluate how best to serve in your defense.            What Rights Do I have At The time of the Arrest? The Miranda rights for each citizen and non citizen are guaranteed by the United States Constitution. They are not required to be issued by police at the time of arrest. If this happens, your lawyer may ask that any statements made to the police not be used against you in court. These rights include the right to remain silent, the right to a lawyer present while you are questioned, and the right to an appointed lawyer if you cannot afford one.   When Do I tell My Story? The defendant's “story” is critical. Often times, the police get it wrong and an innocent person is being accused. During the consultation, tell us the entire story, good and bad facts in order for us to effectively represent you. Everything you tell us is confidential and can only be used to help you. Remember, we are not here to judge you, only to defend you and fight for your rights and freedom. It is essential to know the truth to present a successful defense. After that, we will use the information gathered to prepare a defense and ideally have your case dismissed before the trial. If we do go to trial, this is the time where you can present your story, assuming it is in your best interest.         What If I Don't Want to Go to Court? Can My Attorney Represent me? The Law Offices of Jauregui & Jauregui, P.A. can represent you at nearly all stages of the misdemeanor criminal process without you having to appear in court. In felony court, you must be present unless the court issues a waiver for a valid reason. However, if you cannot appear, let us know and we will work it out for you.  I Pleaded Guilty or NO Contest to a Case. Now Its is Affecting My Immigration or Employment. How can I withdraw my Plea? The Law Offices of Jauregui & Jauregui, P.A. can vacate a plea and judgment by bringing a motion to court. A written motion must be filed and argued. This outcome of the motion depends on the particular facts and charges in your case. Please contact us for a free consultation as to the best manner to help your specific situation. 305-558-5335.           Should I Wait Until I am Formally Charged With a Crime (Arraigned) to Hire an Attorney? No, you should generally hire an attorney as soon as you are arrested or investigated in connection with a crime. An experienced, knowledgeable attorney can go to work immediately in an effort to AVOID the filing of formal charges.