Clearwater Criminal Defense Attorney

Respected Pinellas County Defense Lawyer Committed to Standing Up for the Rights of Good People Charged with Serious Crimes

Every arrest in Clearwater triggers a fast-moving chain of events—booking at the Pinellas County Jail on 49th Street, a first appearance before a judge at the Pinellas County Justice Center, and an initial review by prosecutors at the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The Mayberry Law Firm has handled hundreds of these cases across the Tampa Bay region, from downtown Clearwater to the barrier island hotels on Gulf Boulevard. If you need a Clearwater criminal defense attorney who knows the local courts as well as the federal courthouse across the bay in Tampa, we stand ready to protect your record, your freedom, and your future.

Federal Charges

U.S. Route 19 connects Clearwater’s logistics warehouses with the Port of Tampa Bay, drawing the attention of the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security. A credit card ring that mails stolen data through Tampa’s distribution center or a fentanyl shipment that lands at Tampa International Airport can pull a Clearwater arrest into federal court on North Florida Avenue.

Federal agents usually build their case months in advance—issuing grand jury subpoenas, conducting wiretaps, and seizing bank records before anyone is handcuffed. A Clearwater criminal defense attorney experienced in the Middle District of Florida can challenge jurisdictional reach, attack probable-cause affidavits supporting search warrants, and negotiate with Assistant United States Attorneys before an indictment becomes inevitable.

Sex Crimes

Clearwater’s beaches and nightlife attract statewide sting operations focused on sex crimes. Detectives posing online as teenagers schedule “meet-ups” in parking lots near U.S. 19 or at motels on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, then announce press releases about multi-defendant takedowns. These prosecutions rely on digital forensics—chat logs, cell phone extractions, IP address mapping—and any misstep in the collection process can unravel the case. A Clearwater criminal defense attorney subpoenas chat transcripts for missing context, questions the chain of custody for seized devices, and presents expert testimony on the unreliability of geolocation pings in high-density tourist zones.

Violent Crimes

From spring-break brawls on Clearwater Beach to late-night disputes outside the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, police respond quickly to any allegation of a violent crime. Florida’s Stand-Your-Ground law allows you to seek immunity when force is used in lawful defense, but success depends on filing a detailed motion and producing evidence such as surveillance video from the Marina Cantina or eyewitness statements taken before memories fade. Ballistic inconsistencies between shell casings recovered near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway and eyewitness narratives often determine whether a shooting was self-defense or aggravated assault. An attorney who routinely practices in Pinellas County can leverage local knowledge of law-enforcement procedures to suppress unreliable identifications and expose overcharged counts.

Theft Offenses

Retail corridors like Countryside Mall, Clearwater Mall, and the tourism-heavy beach strip produce a steady flow of shoplifting and credit card fraud arrests. Florida’s aggregation rule lets prosecutors combine multiple petty theft incidents into a felony once the total value exceeds $750, even if each individual item was minor. Store security footage is frequently blurry, and loss-prevention reports often inflate retail value. A Clearwater criminal defense attorney obtains higher-resolution video, cross-examines corporate witnesses about inventory procedures, and negotiates civil compromises that keep a client’s record free of theft convictions. For white-collar allegations involving Raymond James or Morton Plant Hospital, forensic audits sometimes reveal bookkeeping mistakes rather than intentional fraud.

DUIs

Clearwater police set DUI checkpoints along the Courtney Campbell Causeway and perform saturation patrols near popular downtown bars on Cleveland Street. Intoxilyzer 8000 breath-test machines stored at Central Breath Testing are prone to calibration drift; maintenance logs often reveal missed deadlines or instrument errors. Field-sobriety exercises conducted on sandy parking lots or uneven brick walkways outside Pier 60 Skatepark produce false clues leading to arrest. Depending on the situation, our Clearwater criminal defense attorney file motions to suppress evidence, subpoena patrol-car dash-cam footage, or present necessity defenses for drivers who had no safe alternative transport late at night when rideshares are scarce.

Drug Crimes

The DEA monitors packages flowing through Tampa’s regional mail hub and targets deliveries to Clearwater apartment complexes near Drew Street and Old Coachman Road. Task-force detectives rely heavily on confidential informants to stage controlled buys in the park-and-ride lots off U.S. 19. Informant credibility is the Achilles’ heel of many drug prosecutions; sealed plea agreements or outstanding warrants can create powerful impeachment material. In trafficking cases, net weight frequently includes moisture and packaging, pushing otherwise marginal amounts over statutory thresholds. A Clearwater drug crime defense attorney challenges lab-weighing protocols, contests constructive-possession theories for drugs found in shared vehicles, and negotiates treatment-based resolutions that avoid mandatory minimums.

Call a Clearwater Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Every hour after an arrest is an hour the prosecution gains advantage. Evidence can disappear, surveillance recordings may be overwritten, and witnesses scatter once tourist season ends. The Mayberry Law Firm moves fast—securing videos, interviewing witnesses, and filing motions before the State Attorney’s Office locks into its narrative. Call 813-444-7435 or contact us online to schedule a confidential consultation with a Clearwater criminal defense attorney who knows Pinellas County courts and isn’t afraid to confront the toughest charges. Your freedom, reputation, and future depend on decisive action—take it today.