Felony DWLSR Reduced to No Valid Driver’s License

On September 7, 2016, in Division A, before the Honorable Lisa D. Campbell, judge of the Criminal Court of Hillsborough County, Florida, our client’s Felony DWLSR charge under F.S. 322.34 (2)(c) was reduced to a second-degree misdemeanor for no valid driver’s license. The Our client was originally charged with Felony Driving While License Canceled, Suspended or Revoked (Third Offense). Getting the charges reduced was necessary so that the client would not receive a Five Year HTO Revocation from the Florida DHSMV. The client received a time served disposition with no probation. He left the courtroom and paid $270 in total fees in the case.

No Motor Vehicle Registration Charge Dropped in Tampa, Florida

In 18-CT-006XXX, our client’s charge of No Motor Vehicle Registration was Nolle Prossed on June 15, 2018, after our firm filed a Motion to Dismiss arguing that a motorized bicycle does not require vehicle registration under Florida Statute 322.01 (27). This case was set in front of the Honorable Miriam Valkenburg in Division A in Tampa, Florida.

On June 3, 2019, the State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County, FL, filed a “Notice of Nolle Prosequi” which dropped the charge of leaving the scene of a crash without rendering aid with injury in violation of Section 316.027(2)(a). In that case, we were able to present mitigation showing that our client was not at fault in the crash and did not knowingly leave the scene without rendering aid. After the criminal charges were dropped, we went to traffic court on the outstanding “careless driving” charge. That civil infraction was also dismissed on August 20, 2019, when a critical witness failed to appear in court. No other civil or criminal charges arose from the incident so the client was completely exonerated.

On June 19, 2019, the State Attorney’s Office filed a “NO INFORMATION” which provided that “having taken testimony under oath at the State Attorney investigation, concludes that the facts and circumstances revealed do not warrant prosecution at this time.” As a result, no charges were ever filed and the case was closed. The case involved an arrest for fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer (LEO) with the St. Petersburg Police Department in Pinellas County. This offense of Fleeing and Eluding a LEO under Florida Statute Section 316.1935(2), is a third-degree felony. The criminal report affidavit alleged that the officer initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of 38th Avenue and 16th street on a vehicle using lights and siren before the vehicle fled from the scene. The officer described the make and model of the vehicle, the tag number, and a description of the driver. According to the report, the driver was later identified by detectives. We were able to request a surveillance video from a business in the area where the incident occurred to show that the events could not have occurred in the way alleged by the officer. We also requested CAD calls, dispatch records, GPS records, dash camera recordings, and evidence of any driver’s license or tag check performed by the officer from the St. Petersburg Police Department so that the timeline could be better established. As a result, the prosecutor filed a “no information.” A “no information” indicates the prosecutor is formally ending the criminal investigation of the case with no intention of filing a charging document in the future.

Our client had never been in trouble before and was accused of leaving the scene of an accident. We were able to achieve a Nolle Prosse in 21-CT-XXXX05 in front of Judge Conrad on July 29, 2021, and avoid a criminal record.

Our client was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving another occupied vehicle. The police then went to our client’s home to issue her a notice to appear in court. On February 23, 2022, the State Attorney’s Office in Tampa, FL, entered a nolle prosequi which dropped the only charge pending against the client.

On 8/13/24, attorneys Katherine Aranda and Joshua Monteiro took a racing case to trial and the jury returned a not guilty verdict in Pinellas County, FL.

Our client was accused of fraudulently obtaining a Commercial Drivers License (CDL). After his suspension was upheld at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) Show Cause Hearing, we filed a Writ of Certiorari challenging the suspension of his license. The Writ was based on DHSMV lacking competent and substantial evidence that our client obtained a driver’s license by fraud. In response, the DHSMV agreed to set the fraud suspension on our client’s driver record aside on May 31, 2022.

Our client was charged with Driving While License Suspended in Hillsborough County. Prior to the first court date, our office provided the State Attorney with information to show that our client’s license was expired, not suspended and that he currently held a valid license. The State announced a Nolle Prosse of the charge at the first court date, which dismissed the charge.

On August 17, 2023, the prosecutor agreed to reduce the misdemeanor crime of leaving the scene of a traffic crash, a second degree misdemeanor, to a civil infraction for failing to report under Section 316.062. As part of a negotiated plea, The Honorable Joseph Lawhorne agreed to “withhold adjudication” and imposed $166 in court costs.

On June 24, 2024, the State Attorney’s Office filed a “no information” after deciding that the facts and circumstances of the case did not warrant prosecution for fleeing or attempting to elude involving high speed or wanton disregard. Part of the reason for that decision was that an attorney at Sammis Law Firm presented the SAO with favorable or mitigating information showing no crime had occurred.