Melbourne Visitor Arrests Attorney

Criminal Defense for Arrested Tourists in Florida

The miles of beach that extend from Titusville to Palm Bay attract millions of visitors every year. This stretch is more commonly known as the Space Coast because every manned spaceflight launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) departed from either Cape Canaveral or the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). In addition to the many family-friendly activities in the greater Melbourne area, tourists also partake in the extensive nightlife scene on the Atlantic Coast.

Several visitors end up being arrested for criminal offenses stemming from alleged drunk driving, drug charges, or domestic violence. While a person who lives in another county, state, or even country can be tempted to think that an arrest while visiting Brevard County can simply be forgotten, the truth is that the criminal episode can and will follow them back home. International visitors may even be unable to leave the United States until their cases are resolved.

Our Melbourne criminal defense attorney at Law Offices of Bryan J. McCarthy provides aggressive defense for tourists and other visitors who were charged with criminal offenses in Volusia County, Indian River County, Orange County, Osceola County, Brevard County, and Seminole County.

How Visitors Can Handle Criminal Charges in Brevard County

A visitor who has been arrested in Florida cannot simply go back home and pretend the alleged criminal offense never happened. Failing to appear for a required court date will usually result in a bench warrant being issued for the alleged offender’s arrest, and such information is shared by law enforcement agencies across the country.

If a person is arrested on an out-of-state warrant, the state of Florida could seek to extradite the alleged offender back to the Sunshine State to face the criminal charges. Similarly, alleged offenders cannot simply transfer their cases to courts in their home jurisdictions.

Very few criminal charges ever reach the point of going to trial, and the percentage of such cases when an alleged offender lives outside the state is even smaller.

With the help of a local lawyer in the Melbourne area, a few of the possible alternative resolutions that an attorney may be able to achieve include:

• Charges Dismissed — A case may be dismissed if there are such problems as a lack of probable cause to arrest, an illegal search, or a basic lack of evidence;
• Pretrial Diversion (PTD) Program — Multiple counties on the Space Coast have these types of special deferred prosecution programs that allow first-time, non-violent offenders to have criminal charges dropped if they successfully complete programs that typically involve random drug tests, classes, and/or counseling;
• Plea in Absentia — A lawyer may be able to negotiate a plea and enter it in court without the alleged offender having to return to Brevard County;
• Adjudication Withheld — When a court withholds adjudication of guilty in a case, it means the court will impose certain penalties but the alleged offender (who is usually a first-time offender) has not been formally convicted; or
• Deferred Prosecution Agreement — In certain cases, alleged offenders may be able to have to their cases moved out of the criminal justice system by agreeing to complete certain requirements within a specified amount of time, such as counseling community service, or paying restitution.

Florida Resources for MDMA Charges

Florida’s Space Coast — Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism runs this website, which lists hotels, events, towns, beaches, and things to do on the Space Coast. You can find additional information about such communities as Titusville, Port Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Melbourne Beaches, Viera, and Palm Bay.

430 Brevard Avenue 
Suite 150 
Cocoa, FL 32922 
(877) 572-3224

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) | Visitor FAQs — The DHSMV is responsible for issuing driver licenses, motor vehicle titles, and license plates, but it also oversees the Florida Highway Patrol. This section of its website is dedicated to answering some of the most frequently asked questions regarding traffic laws and license requirements. Many answers contain links to additional information about laws in the Sunshine State.

We Regularly Represent Out-of-Town Visitors

If you are a tourist who was recently arrested while visiting the Space Coast area, you should immediately contact legal counsel capable of representing you in the specific Florida location you are facing charges in. The Law Offices of Bryan J. McCarthy represents residents of other counties, states, and even countries in courts in and around Brevard County.