Jacksonville Violent Crimes Lawyer

Prosecution Experience. Board Certification. Over 150 Jury Trials.

Before I defended violent crime cases, I prosecuted them. I began my career at the State Attorney’s Office, working up to the Special Victims Unit and the Homicide Team, where I prosecuted capital crimes in both Miami and Jacksonville. That experience taught me exactly how the Duval County State Attorney’s Office builds these cases, where evidence gets prioritized, and where a well-prepared defense can challenge a prosecution’s case. For more than 35 years, I’ve been putting that knowledge to work for clients facing the most serious charges under Florida law.

As a violent crime attorney in Jacksonville, I defend people who believe their situation is hopeless. I’ve represented clients in state and federal court against the full resources of the government, including clients facing decades or life in prison. Past results have included dismissals and acquittals at trial, though past outcomes don’t guarantee future results. If you’re facing violent crime charges in Jacksonville, contact my office now.

Facing violent crime charges in Florida? Call Mitchell A. Stone, P.A. today at (904) 263-5005 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential consultation.

Florida Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine & Self-Defense

Stand Your Ground, the Castle Doctrine, self-defense, and defense of third parties aren’t just legal concepts I explain to clients. They’re defenses I’ve successfully deployed in court. In past cases, applying these defenses appropriately has produced dismissals, immunity rulings, and not-guilty verdicts at trial, though those outcomes aren’t a promise of what can happen in your case.

Florida’s Stand Your Ground law can provide pretrial immunity, potentially resolving a case before it ever reaches a jury when the facts support the motion. That outcome requires skilled, thorough presentation of the evidence. I don’t treat these motions as procedural steps; I build them as a primary vehicle to seek an end to the case. See the Success Stories page for examples of violent crime cases across Northeast Florida and statewide where these defenses produced favorable outcomes.

Violent Crime Charges I Defend in Jacksonville

Violent crime charges in Florida span misdemeanor-level offenses through capital felonies, and the specific charge classification determines which sentencing enhancements and minimum mandatory provisions apply. That makes the initial defense strategy critical. I represent clients facing all types of violent criminal charges, including:

• Homicide (murder and manslaughter)
• Attempted murder
• Vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter
• Assault and aggravated assault
• Battery and aggravated battery
• Sexual offenses
• Robbery and armed robbery
• Kidnapping and torture
• Gun crimes and weapons charges
• Domestic violence
• Child abuse
• Abuse of the elderly
• Juveniles arrested for violent offenses

I’ve represented clients charged with first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder who, in some cases, were convicted on much lesser charges or had charges resolved more favorably, though results vary by case. I’ve also taken cases involving attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, armed robbery, sexual assault, and kidnapping through trial in both state and federal court.

What a Violent Crime Conviction Means in Florida

Florida law classifies violent felonies by degree, and the penalties attached to each classification are severe. Understanding what’s at stake is part of why early defense action matters so much.

Felony Degree Classifications & Penalty Ranges

Under Florida Statutes §§ 775.082 and 775.083, a third-degree felony conviction carries up to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. A second-degree felony carries up to 15 years and fines up to $10,000. A first-degree felony can carry up to 30 years or life, with fines up to $10,000. First-degree murder can result in life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Enhancements, Mandatory Minimums, & Collateral Consequences

Beyond the base sentence, Florida imposes enhanced penalties when a weapon is used during a violent offense, when the victim is a law enforcement officer or firefighter, or when the defendant has prior criminal history. Florida’s 10-20-Life law creates mandatory minimum sentences for certain firearm-involved violent offenses: ten years for possessing a firearm during a qualifying offense, twenty for firing it, and twenty-five to life if the discharge causes death or great bodily harm. These minimums limit judicial discretion once triggered. A conviction also carries collateral consequences that follow a person long after any sentence is served, including loss of the right to possess firearms, restrictions on employment and professional licensing, and a permanent criminal record.

How early I get involved can shape which of these consequences remain on the table and which can be challenged or avoided.

Why Jacksonville Clients Facing Violent Charges Retain Me

I’ve been board-certified in criminal trial law by the Florida Bar since 1999. Earning that credential requires demonstrated courtroom experience, peer review, and a written examination, and a small fraction of Florida attorneys hold it. I now serve on the Florida Bar Criminal Law Board Certification Committee, the body that sets the standard for that credential.

Trial Record & Professional Recognition

My trial record includes over 150 criminal jury trials to verdict in both state and federal courts. That volume matters in violent crime cases, where courtroom judgment and witness examination can’t be improvised. I served as the 33rd President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, received the G. Kirk Haas Humanitarian Award from the Florida Bar in 2021, and was named Lawyer of the Year in Criminal Defense by Best Lawyers in 2022. I’m rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and have been recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, and Jacksonville Magazine’s Leading Lawyers.

Courtroom Reach & Prosecution Background

I’m admitted to practice in Florida, Washington D.C., the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Middle, Southern, and Northern Federal District Courts of Florida. The prosecution background I built at the State Attorney’s Office, including capital cases on the Homicide Team, is the foundation of every defense I build today. Knowing how those cases are constructed from the inside is an advantage informed by experience, not just reading case law.

Schedule a Free Consultation on Your Case

Violent crime charges move quickly in Florida. The decisions made in the hours and days after an arrest, from what is said to law enforcement to how a first appearance is handled, can shape the entire trajectory of a case. The sooner I’m involved, the more options may be available to you.

I handle violent crime cases across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Consultations are free and confidential. Call (904) 263-5005 or contact my office online to get started today.