Criminal Defense Lawyers in Hillsborough County

If you have been arrested for a misdemeanor or felony criminal offense in Hillsborough County, Florida, contact an experienced and aggressive criminal defense attorney with offices in downtown Tampa.

At Sammis Law Firm, our four attorneys focus exclusively on criminal defense. The majority of our cases are in Hillsborough County, Florida, at the courthouses in Tampa and Plant City, FL.

We understand the benefits of litigating all viable motions to suppress and motions to dismiss which often leads to the most favorable negotiations to resolve the case. Litigating those motions also sets the groundwork for the best outcomes at trial.

Contact us to find out what you might need to do right now to protect yourself against criminal prosecution.

Call the Sammis Law Firm for a free initial consultation to discuss your misdemeanor or felony charge with an experienced criminal attorney. The free consultation can be conducted in the office or over the phone.

Call 813-250-0500 today.

Local Attorneys Devoted to Criminal Defense

Criminal cases in Hillsborough County are handled differently than in other jurisdictions in Florida. Being familiar with the prosecutors, the judges and the procedures in your particular courtroom can make all the difference in obtaining the best possible result in your criminal case.

• Read more about Violation of Probation cases in Hillsborough County, Florida.

• Read more about DUI cases in Hillsborough County, Florida, including breath test cases, refusal cases, and felony DUI cases.

• Read more about Drug crimes in Hillsborough County, Florida, including possession of marijuana, manufacture or cultivation of cannabis, possession of a controlled substance or drug trafficking.

• Read more about Domestic Violence cases in Hillsborough County, Florida, including domestic battery, domestic assault, and stalking charges.

• Read more about ways to resolve an outstanding Warrant for Arrest in Hillsborough County, FL.

Track Your Hillsborough County Criminal or Traffic Court Cases

Details of any traffic, misdemeanor or felony case in Hillsborough County, Florida, can be viewed on the website for the clerk of court for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

If the individual was arrested on the criminal charge, then information about the arrest can be found on the website for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Visit the links below for information on pending court dates, and details about the pending charges.

• Hillsborough County Criminal Cases
• Hillsborough County Jail Inquiry
• Hillsborough County Warrant Inquiry

The Sammis Law Firm, P.A., is located in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. We focus exclusively on criminal defense.

Hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney that is familiar with the procedures and practices that are most common in your particular courtroom is the best way to fight the charges to achieve the best results possible.

Contact us for more information about our education, experience, and qualifications fighting felony and misdemeanor cases in Tampa and Plant City, Hillsborough County, Florida.

Call (813) 250-0500 for more information.

How Many Courtrooms are in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit?

Did you know that the 13th Judicial Circuit has seventy-one (71) courtrooms located in four different buildings. In downtown Tampa, the 13th Judicial Circuit has:

• thirty-five (35) courtrooms in the Edgecomb Courthouse;
• thirty-one (31) courtrooms in the Annex (located across the street from the Edgecomb Courthouse); and
• one (1) courtroom for traffic court located across the street at 419 Pierce.

The 13th Judicial Circuit also has four (4) courtrooms at the Plant City Courthouse for civil, traffic, and misdemeanor cases.

County Court Judges in Hillsborough County, FL

If you are charged with a misdemeanor or traffic crime in Tampa, Hillsborough County, your case will be assigned to a particular division and judge based on the first letter of your last name.

In Hillsborough County, there are 11 criminal divisions of the County Court, including Division “O.” Divisions “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “E,” “F” (domestic violence),”G,” “O,” and “R” (trial division) are based in Tampa.

• All First Appearance Cases go to Division “O” with TBD (Senior Judge Rotation (temporarily))
• All Domestic Violence Cases go to Division “F” with The Honorable Margaret R. Taylor, Judge (who is also assigned to Trial Division “R”)
• Division “G” – The Honorable Paul T. Jeske – First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name – A, E, J, I, Q, T, V, Z
• Division “E” – The Honorable John N. Conrad – First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name – H, L, W
• Division “D” – TBD (Senior Judge on a Temporary Basis) – First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name – C, K, R
• Division “C” – The Honorable Scott A. Farr – First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name – D, M, N, X, Y
• Division “B” – The Honorable Eric R. Myers – First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name – B, F, P
• Division “A” – The Honorable Jack Gutman – First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name – G, O, S, U

East County Divisions “P” and “X” are based in Plant City. The clerk will assign all misdemeanor offenses (including domestic violence cases) and criminal traffic offenses in which the offense occurred within the East Division boundaries to East County Criminal Divisions “P” or “X” based on the first letter of the defendant’s last name according to the following alphabetical distribution:

• DIVISION “P” – A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L
• DIVISION “X” – M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

At Sammis Law Firm, our criminal defense attorneys are familiar with the local criminal procedures used in the courtrooms in Hillsborough County, many of which can be found in the administrative orders issued by the Chief Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

Diversion Programs in Hillsborough County, FL

To help first offenders avoid some of these harsh penalties for lower-level offenses, the State Attorney’s Offices throughout Florida have created various felony and misdemeanor diversion programs including:

• adult pre-arrest diversion APAD;
• felony pre-trial intervention PTI;
• domestic violence pre-trial intervention DVPI;
• misdemeanor intervention program MIP; and
• DUI diversion program called RIDR.

Statistics on Hillsborough County, FL

Hillsborough County is composed of the cities of Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace, plus forty-seven (47) unincorporated areas. Hillsborough County is the fourth most populated county in Florida and accounts for over 6% of the State’s total population.

Hillsborough County covers over 1,200 square miles, including more than 200 miles of coastline. According to the census estimate in 2010, the population was more than 1.2 million people. Hillsborough County’s population reported:

• 75.8% identified as White;
• 25.1% identified as Hispanic or Latino;
• 17.6% identified as Black;
• 3.6% identified as Asian;
• 0.6% identified as other races; and
• 2.3% identified as multiracial.

The 2010 Census figures indicate that:

• 51% of Hillsborough County’s population is female;
• 11.9% of the population are 65 years old or older; and
• 15% live below the poverty level.

Additional Resources

HCACDL (Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) – The attorneys at the Sammis Law Firm are all lifetime members of the HCACDL (Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers). This organization was founded in 1979 to support criminal defense lawyers practicing in the criminal courtrooms in Tampa and Plant City. Attorneys in the organization practice in both state and federal court. Benefits of membership include a more united voice on issues of common concern, access to the discussion forums, and quality CLE seminars.

This article was last updated on Monday, July 19, 2021.