GRAND THEFT (F.S. § 812.014); BURGLARY OF A STRUCTURE WITH DAMAGE OVER $1,000 (F.S. § 810.02(2)(c)2); CRIMINAL MISCHIEF $1,000 OR MORE (F.S. § 806.13(1)(b)3)
ALL THREE FELONIES REDUCED TO MISDEMEANOR TRESPASS
Santa Rosa County, FL
April 8, 2026
Client was charged in Santa Rosa County with three felony counts: Grand Theft (F.S. § 812.014), Burglary of a Structure with Damage Over $1,000 (F.S. § 810.02(2)(c)2), and Criminal Mischief — $1,000 or More (F.S. § 806.13(1)(b)3). Together, the charges exposed the client to multiple years in Florida State Prison and a permanent multi-felony criminal record. Burglary and theft offenses involving structures and significant property damage are routinely prosecuted aggressively in the First Judicial Circuit, and a conviction on any one count alone would have produced devastating collateral consequences: loss of voting and firearms rights, presumptive disqualification from countless categories of employment and housing, mandatory restitution exposure for the full amount of alleged damage, and a permanent felony record that cannot be sealed or expunged. The State's initial plea offer included multiple felony adjudications with 180 days in the county jail. The defense had to find a way to neutralize all three felony counts simultaneously.
The defense team obtained and reviewed all available discovery — the law enforcement narratives, body-worn camera footage from multiple responding agencies, and the State's restitution and damage documentation. We identified evidentiary issues with each count, including [REDACTED] proof problems on the burglary and grand theft elements, and we challenged the valuation evidence supporting the criminal mischief enhancement. Through sustained negotiation with the State Attorney's Office, we obtained a critical concession: rather than plead to any of the three felonies as charged, the State agreed to amend the information and resolve the case on a lesser-included Misdemeanor Trespass charge with a 150-day county jail sentence (with credit for time served). The two original felony counts were dismissed in conjunction with the plea to the reduced misdemeanor. The client avoided three felony convictions, avoided state prison exposure, preserved voting and firearms rights, and walked away with only a misdemeanor trespass on the record — eligible for sealing or expungement under Florida law after the applicable waiting period. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case depends on its facts and circumstances.