A 2006 traffic citation for driving with an expired license was not an immediate priority for a young woman living in Sarasota County at the time. The 27 year old immigrant was in the US on a VISA. She failed to get the traffic violation resolved before moving to Colorado with her husband. Two years elapsed and the situation got out of hand. Driving with a License Expired more than 4 months, Florida Statute 322.34(2), is a 2nd Degree Misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in county jail and fines up to $500 with court costs.
The defendant's failure to appear before the Court for arraignment resulted in a bench warrant being issued for her arrest. Since she was now living out of state the situation was even more difficult to deal with. She engaged the services of Tampa criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law. Having experienced local criminal defense attorneys is imperative in resolving criminal charges, especially when living out of state.
Our attorneys filed a Waiver of Appearance with the Court. The Waiver was accepted and our client was not required to be present at the pre-trial hearing. We then motioned the Court to set aside the bench warrant. Our Motion was granted and we entered a Plea of Absentia. Our Plea was also accepted and allowed us to negotiate with the State Attorney to reach a resolution on this case. We successfully reached a negotiation to our client's criminal charges without her ever having to return to the State of Florida.
Knowledgeable local representation can save an individual thousands of dollars in travel costs and time lost from employment, not to mention peace of mind.
In Trouble with Florida Law and Living Out of State: Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Successfully Resolves Case
April 1, 2009
