ST was charged with Shoplifting in Destin. She was facing a sentence of 60 days in jail. When she came in to meet with me, she was very scared about what was going to happen to her. She was worried about the impact a theft conviction would have on her ability to get a good job to support her family.

I assured her that I would take care of this for her. I issued a subpoena for the security camera evidence and found a few things to work with. I also carefully reviewed the police reports and witness statements.

As part of what I do, I always explore ways to resolve a case without going to trial. It is important to do that in a way that doesn’t give away any of our leverage. The prosecutors know that I am willing to go to trial if needed, which allows me to negotiate better resolutions for my clients.

In ST’s case, the State offered to send her case to pretrial diversion. This was a very tempting offer because it guaranteed a case dismissal if successfully completed.

I met with ST in my office and laid out her options. I explained the pros and cons of each one. After several meetings with her family and me, she decided to accept the offer of pretrial diversion. While she was confident in my ability to win the case at trial, she decided that she couldn’t pass up the sure thing of a guaranteed dismissal.

ST completed her pretrial diversion and her case was dismissed. When it was over, she thanked me for going the extra mile to secure different options for her case. She also told me how much she appreciated that I let her make the decision and that I gave her plenty of time to make it. She said that she knew if she had gone with the public defender, she would have only had a few seconds to discuss the case and make her decision.

ST’s case might not qualify as a “big” case. It certainly didn’t make headlines. But you know what? It was very big to her and her family. Which means it was big to me. Every case I defend has huge implications for my clients, and I take every case, no matter how big or small, very seriously.

At Flaherty & Merrifield, I have over 15 years of experience successfully defending clients with all types of cases. I have the expertise and the talent to get the very best possible result for each of my clients.

If you would like to see what a difference I can make for you. I welcome your call.

If you have been charged with Shoplifting in Destin, I invite you to call Flaherty & Merrifield at (850) 243-6097 for a free consultation. I will help you get your life back on track.

Case Dismissed