ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT in 3 Parts

PART 1 - THE ARREST

if you get arrested, here's what you do: 

First: DON'T PANIC. I know this is far easier to say than do but it is very important that you try and stay calm, cool, and collected. When you are detained or being arrested, the police will ask a lot of questions. They will inform you of the procedures surrounding your arrest. If you are not paying close attention and staying focused you will not understand what is happening which will make the process worse: more frightening, longer, and may actually hurt your case. Remember, although you have been arrested, it does not mean you are guilty of committing a crime. The officer has opined that you have broken the law, but it is not a fact or a truth. But, now is not the time to argue with the police officer.

Second: DON'T TALK. I strongly advise my clients to give the police officer only your identifying information:   your name, SS#, and DOB. Otherwise, do NOT answer the officer's questions without me or an attorney being present. You may think by cooperating with the police they will not arrest you. However, in my experience, there is only a very very small chance that you will be released. And that small chance of being released is far outweighed by the harm you do to your case by talking to the officer.

Do not tell the officer what you do for a living or your employer. If you provide this information it will be publicly displayed on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office public access website for all to see. Local media outlets scour the arrest reports multiple times a day to see who has been arrested and if it is newsworthy. If they deem you or your arrest is newsworthy, they may print it in the local newspaper or online. Additionally, the police officer may call or notify certain employers if an employee is arrested (i.e., School Board, Military, etc.).

Third: BONDING OUT. If arrested, you will be brought to the jail and during processing, you will be told the bond amount. This is the amount of money that you must pay to be released from jail.

To bond out (i.e. be released from jail), you can pay the entire cash amount and be released from the jail. Or, you can hire a bondsman. Customarily, you will pay a bondsman 10% of the bond amount and the bondsman will pay the Jail the balance. You will never get that 10% back. The bondsman may require collateral (e.g., title to your house or your car) for the remaining bond amount. (Many bondsman no longer require collateral and just require the 10% as their fee.) Some offenses carry an automatic NO BOND status and you cannot bond out of jail until you see a Judge the next day. If you get arrested and booked into the jail before 11:59 pm, and you don't or cannot bond out, you will see the Judge the next morning on the video monitor. However, if you get booked into the jail after 12:00 am, you will not see the Judge until the following morning.  

Fourth: JAIL MONITORING.  Remember, the phones at the jail are recorded and anything you say on the phone can be used against you in Court. Additionally, your fellow jail inmates are not your friends. Do not talk about the facts of your case on the phones or with anyone at the jail.

Finally, DON'T DELAY.   The sooner you know about the legal process and the timeline for your case,t he sooner you can relax, get back into your normal routine, and feel confident your case is being professionally and expertly handled. 

Time is of the essence. If you get arrested, you should call me, Andrew Shein immediately. Each case has its own set of unique facts and circumstances which may require immediate action by me in representing you and to preserve your rights. The sooner we can discuss your case the quicker we can set in motion the game plan for showing your arrest was without legal justification or to minimize the consequences of your arrest.   

As always, you can call me ANYTIME at (813) 877-HELP (4357), text me at (813) 833-4200, email me at sheinlaw@hotmail.com , or get more information about the law at www.AndrewShein.com.    

Be well!

 

GO BUCS!

It's time once again for Buccaneer Football!

As most of the Tampa Bay community is gearing up for an exciting and interesting season with new coach Raheem Morris, the Law Offices of Andrew Shein, P.A. wants the football community to be aware that local law enforcement is ALWAYS in force in and around Raymond James Stadium.

During football season, our office has handled many cases where a Buc fan may have gotten too close and too argumentative with their stadium neighbors and worse yet, the cop who comes to investigate. It is our experience that it is always best to step back from the situation and defer to the cop even if you are in the right. Staying cool headed may keep you from getting ejected from the stadium and from spending the rest of game day behind bars.

Also, our local law enforcement is always out patrolling the streets and on the lookout for possible DUI drivers. This is even more true before, during, and after a Buc game. As always, designate a sober - non-drinking driver to make sure everyone gets home safely!

If you find yourself arrested, call THE LAW OFFICES OF ANDREW SHEIN, P.A. for a free consultation.

ENJOY THE GAME! GO BUCS!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

As Labor Day weekend approaches, many of you are looking forward to a relaxing long weekend with friends and family. We at the Law Offices of Andrew Shein, P.A. certainly hope everyone in the Tampa Bay community has a great weekend celebrating and honoring America's hard-working labor force. However, it is important to note that Labor Day weekend is also one of the worst weekends for DUI incidents and DUI arrests. You can be sure that our Law Enforcement will be out patrolling the roads this weekend.

If you go out and drink this weekend, please make sure to have a non-drinking designated driver take you home. If you are arrested for DUI, call our offices as soon as possible for a free consultation.

Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day Weekend.

http//www.chipleypaper.com/news/unsafe-4119-impaired-crackdown.html

OMG!!! Check out our new ad in the TBT

Our new ad campaign for the TBT paper. We considered many different texting phrases but OMG seemed to capture the substance of the ad and still allow non-texters to get the message. Just another way to catch the eye and the interest of the TBT readers and give the Tampa community something new.

Even though we are always trying to be creative with the advertisements, our main focus is to help our clients navigate through the criminal court system and achieve the best result possible. We are committed to providing exceptional service and give each and every client the personal attention that they deserve.

Grand Opening

The Law Offices of Andrew Shein, P.A. is pleased to announce the grand opening of their brand new office at 3605 W. Azeele Street, Tampa, FL 33609. The Mediterranean style building, first conceived by Andrew’s father in-law and designed by local architect Meyer Weitzman, took many years of collaboration and planning to design. However, it took JAVIC HOMES less than a year to build. After years of waiting, The Law Offices of Andrew Shein, P.A. finally moved into the luxurious new space in February of 2009.

The entire first floor is occupied by THE LAW OFFICES OF ANDREW SHEIN, P.A. This space more than doubles the work area that Andrew previously had. Clients can now comfortably enjoy the growing collection of artwork and the always abundant chocolates.

With over 2500 square feet of space, the new two-story building has enough space for Andrew’s law practice as well as space to rent to other professionals. The location is convenient to major highways, the interstate, and downtown Tampa. The building is beautiful, spacious and modern – complete with WI-FI and each office comes loaded with plenty of phone and LAN ports. Our tenants enjoy a brand new and well-maintained building with many amenities included.

We love our new space and hope our clients, our tenants, and our visitors do too.