Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Future

Military Arrests

As a member of the military, an arrest or conviction for a civilian crime can affect your civilian rights and your military career. Don't let a mistake or a momentary lapse of judgment threaten your freedom and everything you've worked for.

If you're facing criminal charges, you need a knowledgeable and experienced defense team to fight for you. Fortunately, you've come to the right firm. Flaherty & Merrifield have successfully defended military members against serious civilian charges. Whether you are stationed in the area or are here on temporary duty, we want to hear your story and evaluate your case. Give us a call.

Arrested While Vacationing in Florida

A Florida vacation where you can relax, soak up the sun, and let your hair down always sounds like a good idea, but if it ends in an arrest, it can leave you with a number of pressing questions and concerns about your legal rights and options, as well as what you can expect from the criminal court process.

You need an accomplished Fort Walton Beach defense team to handle your case from beginning to end, taking care of the day-to-day aspects of your defense and minimizing how often you have to travel back to the Sunshine State. Fortunately, you've come to the right law firm. Find out how Flaherty & Merrifield can help successfully resolve your case.

Bonds & Warrants

Being arrested in a public setting is more than just embarrassing—it can do long-lasting damage to your personal and professional reputation. If you think you may have an active warrant against you, don't wait until law enforcement shows up to put you in handcuffs. Contact Flaherty & Merrifield.

Our skilled Fort Walton Beach defense attorneys can find out if there is a warrant out for your arrest, arrange a discrete surrender, and post bond so you can stay out of jail and assist with your own defense. Here's what you need to know.

Sex Crimes

A sex crime accusation can destroy your life and, if you're convicted, can send you to prison for a long time. Sex crimes have consequences that continue to follow you even after you've served your sentence or been acquitted. Don't risk it.

If you've been accused of, arrested for, or charged with a sex crime in Florida, understanding what you're facing and hiring a skilled legal team to defend you are essential to protecting your rights and future. Find out how Flaherty & Merrifield's skilled defense attorneys can help.

Domestic Violence

Finding yourself at the center of a Florida domestic violence investigation or prosecution can be daunting. Not only can these charges result in fines or time in jail or prison, but the collateral consequences of a conviction can continue to negatively affect your life long after you've paid your debt to society.

Don't let this happen to you. Working with a reputable and accomplished defense team increases your chances for a positive case outcome. Find out how the skilled Fort Walton Beach attorneys with Flaherty & Merrifield can protect your rights and mount the vigorous defense you deserve.

Assault & Battery

If you were in a heated altercation that escalated to verbal threats or physical violence, you could find yourself facing charges for assault & battery. These serious offenses can carry harsh penalties, including time in prison. Additionally, while you may not consider yourself a violent person, if you're convicted of assault or battery, the consequences and stigma of violence can continue to follow you after you've paid your debt to society, limiting your personal and career opportunities. Don't risk it.

Learn more about the charges you face, your rights, the legal process, and how working with our highly skilled Fort Walton Beach attorneys can increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Murder

A Florida murder charge doesn't have to be the end of life as you know it. However, it does mean you'll need an aggressive and skilled legal team to defend you at trial. Fortunately, you've come to the right place. Flaherty & Merrifield has the knowledge and experience necessary to pursue every possible defense to protect your future and secure the best possible outcome. Contact us today.

Juvenile Offenses

As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children and ensure that they have a bright future. But if your child is charged with a juvenile offense in Florida, it’s easy to feel helpless. The last thing you want is for your son or daughter to lose their freedom or suffer long-lasting consequences for a mistake.

At Flaherty & Merrifield, we understand. We’re not just skilled Fort Walton Beach defense attorneys; we’re also parents—and we’re here to help you through this difficult experience. Find out more about what your child is facing and how a strategic defense can help them avoid harsh penalties.

Burglary

In Florida, burglary charges are serious felony offenses that can have life-changing consequences upon conviction. If you have been charged with burglary of a conveyance, burglary of a structure, or burglary of a dwelling in the Fort Walton Beach area, you'll need a talented and dedicated legal team to mount a powerful defense on your behalf.

Fortunately, that's exactly what we do at Flaherty & Merrifield. We've successfully defended many clients charged with burglary, and we would be happy to review your case and help you understand the consequences. Here's what you need to know.

Robbery & Theft

Being charged with robbery or another theft crime can be a frightening and confusing experience. It is vital to protect your rights from the very beginning or risk facing harsh potential penalties upon conviction.

Don't let a simple mistake change the course of your future. At Flaherty & Merrifield, our exceptional Fort Walton Beach defense attorneys are here to fight for your rights and help you through this difficult time.

Battery on Law Enforcement

Charges of battery on a member of law enforcement aren't your typical assault and battery charges. A third-degree felony, battery on a law enforcement officer is punishable by a substantial fine, lengthy prison sentence, or years of probation. Don't let a heated moment derail your future. Find out how our talented and courtroom-savvy Fort Walton Beach defense attorneys can help.

Resisting an Officer With or Without Violence

Charges of resisting an officer, whether it’s with or without violence, can take your legal troubles from bad to worse, making you the target of aggressive prosecution and rendering you ineligible for diversion programs that could help your case. Fortunately, you don't have to accept the harsh penalties associated with these charges as an inevitability. Find out how our team of skilled Fort Walton Beach attorneys can mount the effective defense you deserve.

Felony Traffic Offenses

Felony traffic offenses—including Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement, DUI With Injury, and DUI Manslaughter—can carry serious consequences. Don’t let a momentary lapse of judgment, or a mistake made by law enforcement, threaten to destroy everything you’ve worked for. With so much at stake, you need the representation of a skilled defense team. Fortunately, that’s just what you’ll find at Flaherty & Merrifield.

Drug Charges

Florida drug charges carry serious consequences. If convicted, you could face steep fines and anywhere from three years in prison to life without parole. Even if your sentence doesn't include imprisonment, having a felony drug conviction on your record can severely limit your opportunities.

Don't let a mistake—whether it's yours or law enforcement's—threaten to destroy your future. At Flaherty & Merrifield, we vigorously defend clients facing a wide range of drug-related charges. Find out more about the cases we handle and how our drug charge defense attorneys can help you through this difficult experience.

Boating Under the Influence (BUI)

No one expects a beautiful day out on the water to end in criminal charges, but, unfortunately, this happens more often than people realize. While you're out enjoying the day with your family and friends, local law enforcement is scouring the coastlines for impaired boaters—and if they catch you boating under the influence, you can face serious charges that carry harsh penalties upon conviction.

With so much at stake, you simply can't afford to go it alone. Find out how the dedicated and skilled defense attorneys at Flaherty & Merrifield can assist you.

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Florida law enforcement takes driving under the influence (DUI) so seriously that sometimes they overreach their authority. If you've been charged with a DUI in Florida, you need skilled legal representation to protect your rights and help you avoid the harshest possible penalties, which could include fines, jail time, and the loss of your driving privileges. At Flaherty & Merrifield, our knowledgeable defense attorneys have extensive experience helping clients favorably resolve DUI cases. Here's what you need to know.

Violation of Probation

Violating the terms of your probation or community control may seem like a harmless infraction, but these are actually serious offenses that can carry real consequences if you are convicted—including additional jail time. Don't risk it.

At Flaherty & Merrifield, our Fort Walton Beach attorneys have defended many clients against these charges, and we're ready to put our years of experience and expertise to work for you. Here's what you need to know about your charges and how we can help.

Record Expungement and Sealing

A criminal arrest or conviction can continue to haunt you long after you've paid your debt to society, limiting employment and other opportunities. In some cases, it may be possible to have your driving or criminal record sealed or expunged, giving you the clean slate and fresh start you deserve.

However, eligibility for record sealing or expungement is limited, and you'll need a trusted attorney to help you navigate this complicated legal process. We provide details about sealing and expunging criminal records in Florida and tell you how the dedicated legal team at Flaherty & Merrifield can assist you.