St. Augustine Criminal Defense Law Firm
Defending Residents, Visitors, and Students Facing Criminal Charges
An arrest in St. Augustine may involve the St. Augustine Police Department, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, or a police department serving one of the nearby beach communities. The agency involved can affect which reports, recordings, witnesses, and procedures become important to the defense.
Residents are not the only people who need representation in St. Augustine. Visitors, Flagler College students, seasonal workers, and people traveling through the area can suddenly find themselves facing a criminal charge in an unfamiliar court system. Returning home does not make the charge or scheduled court dates disappear.
Attorney Mark Sieron has defended criminal cases in St. Johns County for decades. As a former Florida prosecutor, he understands how the state evaluates an arrest and what evidence can expose weaknesses in its case. Contact Aguilar & Sieron, P.A. for a free consultation about a charge in St. Augustine.
Criminal Cases Our St. Augustine Law Firm Handles
Our firm represents people facing misdemeanor and felony charges throughout St. Augustine and the surrounding communities. Cases we handle include:
- DUI Charges: We defend alcohol- and drug-related DUI cases arising from traffic stops, crashes, chemical-test refusals, and allegations of actual physical control.
- Drug Charges: We handle possession, possession with intent to sell, trafficking, prescription drug, and other controlled-substance charges.
- Sex Crimes: We defend allegations involving sexual battery, unlawful sexual activity, internet communications, and possession or distribution of prohibited material.
- Domestic Violence: We represent people accused of domestic battery, aggravated assault, stalking, and violating protective orders.
- Theft and Property Crimes: We defend shoplifting, grand theft, burglary, fraud, and offenses involving allegedly stolen property.
- Felony and Violent Crimes: We handle serious charges involving assault, battery, firearms, robbery, and other allegations carrying possible prison sentences.
Florida’s potential sentence depends on the degree of the charge. A first-degree misdemeanor can carry up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A third-degree felony can carry up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, while second- and first-degree felonies expose the accused to substantially longer sentences.
A criminal record can also affect employment, housing, education, professional licensing, immigration status, and the right to possess a firearm. Those consequences make it important to evaluate the entire case before accepting a plea.
Where Were You Arrested?
What Happens After a St. Augustine Arrest?
A person arrested in St. Augustine is generally taken to the St. Johns County jail complex on Lewis Speedway. The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, where St. Johns County criminal cases are heard, is located nearby at 4010 Lewis Speedway.
A person who remains in custody generally appears before a judge within 24 hours. That first appearance can address several immediate issues:
- The Alleged Charge: The judge informs the accused of the allegations currently supporting the detention.
- Probable Cause: In a warrantless arrest, the court reviews whether sufficient grounds support continuing to hold the accused.
- Bond and Release: The judge may set bond or impose release conditions based on the charge, prior record, community ties, and other legally relevant factors.
- Contact Restrictions: A domestic violence, battery, stalking, or other interpersonal case may produce an order prohibiting contact with another person or return to a particular location.
- Right to Counsel: The accused is advised of the right to legal representation and may request appointed counsel if eligible.
The State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit reviews the arrest and decides which formal charges to file. The filed charge may differ from the offense initially written on the arrest report, creating an opportunity for a defense lawyer to begin investigating before arraignment.
What Our St. Augustine Criminal Defense Firm Can Do for You
Police reports present the government’s version of what happened. Our work is to investigate the complete circumstances and determine what the report leaves out. Depending on the case, we can:
- Intervene Before Formal Charges Are Filed: We may communicate with prosecutors, provide relevant information, and challenge unsupported allegations while the filing decision remains under review.
- Obtain Evidence From Every Agency: We request body-camera footage, patrol-car video, dispatch recordings, photographs, test records, warrants, and other materials from the agencies involved.
- Challenge Searches and Statements: We examine whether police lawfully stopped, detained, searched, or questioned the accused and seek suppression when evidence was obtained illegally.
- Locate Independent Evidence: Businesses, hotels, residences, parking facilities, and public areas may have surveillance recordings or witnesses whose accounts differ from the police report.
- Address Court Appearances: When the client lives outside St. Augustine, we determine whether an appearance can be waived or handled remotely and explain when attendance is mandatory.
- Pursue the Appropriate Resolution: We can seek dismissal, negotiate for reduced charges or diversion when available, and prepare the case for trial when the state will not offer an acceptable outcome.
Mark Sieron’s experience as a former prosecutor helps him anticipate how the state may use the evidence and identify the areas most likely to affect the outcome. Every defense is built around the facts of the individual case.
FAQs About St. Augustine Criminal Defense
- Does it matter which police agency made the arrest?
- Do tourists have to return to St. Augustine for every court date?
- Can a lawyer help before my first court date?
- Can a St. Augustine misdemeanor still result in jail?
- What if police never read my Miranda rights?
Does it matter which police agency made the arrest?
Yes. An arrest within the City of St. Augustine may involve the St. Augustine Police Department, while incidents outside city limits may involve the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. St. Augustine Beach has a separate municipal police department, and Florida Highway Patrol may investigate offenses arising from highway stops or crashes.
The applicable Florida law does not change with the agency, but the available records and procedures can. Identifying every participating agency helps the defense request all reports, videos, communications, and test results.
Do tourists have to return to St. Augustine for every court date?
Not necessarily. A lawyer may be able to appear for a client at certain misdemeanor proceedings or request permission for remote participation. The judge, charge, and type of hearing determine whether the accused must personally attend.
A visitor should not leave Florida and ignore the paperwork received after arrest. Missing a required hearing can lead to a warrant and additional complications. A lawyer can confirm the court schedule and explain which appearances require the client’s presence.
Can a lawyer help before my first court date?
Yes. Evidence can begin disappearing immediately after an arrest. Surveillance recordings may be overwritten, witnesses may become difficult to locate, and memories may fade. Early action also allows the defense to begin communicating with the State Attorney’s Office before the filing decision is complete.
The first court date is not the beginning of the government’s work. Police and prosecutors may already be collecting reports, laboratory results, videos, and witness statements. The defense should have the same opportunity to preserve favorable evidence.
Can a St. Augustine misdemeanor still result in jail?
A Florida misdemeanor can still carry incarceration. A first-degree misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail, while a second-degree misdemeanor can carry up to 60 days.
The lasting consequences may extend beyond the sentence. A conviction can appear during background checks and create problems involving employment, housing, school discipline, or professional licensing. A misdemeanor should not be treated as harmless merely because it is not a felony.
What if police never read my Miranda rights?
Police do not have to provide a Miranda warning simply because they stopped, detained, or arrested someone. The warning generally becomes necessary before officers conduct a custodial interrogation.
A failure to give the warning does not automatically dismiss the entire case. It may provide grounds to exclude statements obtained through an unlawful interrogation. The defense must examine where the questioning occurred, whether the person was free to leave, what officers asked, and whether an exception applies.
When Freedom Is on the Line, Experience Matters
A criminal charge in St. Augustine can follow a resident, student, or visitor long after leaving the courthouse. Aguilar & Sieron, P.A. brings decades of criminal defense experience to cases involving DUI, drugs, domestic violence, theft, sex crimes, and serious felony allegations.
Contact our firm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a free and confidential consultation. We will listen to what happened, examine the evidence, and explain the options available for protecting your future.
Historic Downtown
Historic Downtown includes St. George Street, the bayfront, the Castillo de San Marcos area, Flagler College, and the restaurants, bars, hotels, and parking facilities surrounding the city center. Arrests in this area may involve DUI, disorderly conduct, battery, theft, drug possession, or allegations arising from interactions with other visitors.
A defense investigation may require security recordings, payment records, rideshare information, hotel records, or witnesses who were only visiting St. Augustine. That evidence should be identified quickly before it becomes unavailable.
Lincolnville
Lincolnville sits southwest of the historic center near King Street and the San Sebastian River. An arrest in a home, vehicle, business, or public area can raise questions about police jurisdiction, witness credibility, searches, and who possessed any property or contraband officers found.
Doorbell cameras, nearby business surveillance, phone records, and testimony from other occupants may provide information missing from the arrest report. Aguilar & Sieron can investigate the evidence and build a defense suited to the charge.
Anastasia Island
Anastasia Island includes areas within St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, and unincorporated St. Johns County. That means an arrest near the Bridge of Lions, A1A, State Road 312, or another part of the island may involve different law-enforcement agencies.
The agency and exact location determine where the defense requests video, reports, dispatch communications, and other records. The resulting state charge will generally proceed through the St. Johns County court system.
St. Augustine Beach
St. Augustine Beach is a separate municipality with its own police department. Arrests may arise from traffic stops on A1A, incidents at a hotel or rental property, or allegations connected to restaurants, beach access points, and public events.
A visitor arrested at the beach may return home before understanding the court process. Our firm can determine what hearings require attendance, communicate with prosecutors, and begin obtaining evidence from the investigating agency.
Vilano Beach
Vilano Beach lies north of the city across the Vilano Causeway and is part of unincorporated St. Johns County. Arrests in this area generally involve the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office or another county or state agency.
Cases may arise from traffic stops along Coastal Highway or A1A, allegations at vacation properties, or incidents near local businesses and beach access points. Aguilar & Sieron can defend residents and visitors throughout the resulting St. Johns County proceedings.
West Augustine
West Augustine lies west of downtown St. Augustine, around West King Street, Holmes Boulevard, and State Road 207. It is home to many of the county’s longtime residents. Criminal cases here span the same range we see throughout the city, and our firm has the local experience to represent you whether you’re facing a first-time charge or something more serious.