Domestic Violence Attorney in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

In many misdemeanor and DUI cases, your attorney can appear on your behalf for routine hearings, so you don’t have to travel back to Florida for every date. Whether you must personally appear depends on the charge and the judge, and Attorney Gilbert will tell you what your case requires. Call (850) 757-0505.

Santa Rosa Beach is in south Walton County. Local county-court matters are heard at the South Walton Courthouse Annex on Coastal Centre Blvd., while felony cases go to the main Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs.

No, and this surprises most clients. Once a domestic violence report is made, the decision whether to prosecute belongs to the State Attorney, not the alleged victim. Even if the person who called 911 wants the case dropped, the state can (and often does) move forward anyway. An experienced attorney can still work to have charges reduced or dismissed based on the evidence.

Yes. Under the federal Lautenberg Amendment, anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is permanently prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. For service members, law enforcement, and hunters, this is often the single most serious consequence of a DV conviction, and one of the strongest reasons to fight the charge rather than plead to it.

Florida injunction hearings happen quickly, often within two weeks of the petition being filed. The judge decides whether to grant a final injunction based on testimony and evidence presented that day. Having an attorney present is critical: an injunction can bar you from your home, require you to surrender firearms, and appear on background checks. You generally get one chance to tell your side.