Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
A Jacksonville man was arrested this month after police say he made up a story about being held at gunpoint by a woman. Andra Griffin was arrested and charged with making a false report to law enforcement about the commission of a crime, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Griffin is charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in the county jail. Police said a man called 911 and said he was being held at gunpoint and gave the dispatcher a tag number to a vehicle, the newspaper reported. Officers ran the license number and it led them to a home on the Southside, but there was no man at the home, nor any evidence of any abduction, the newspaper reported. Police then determined the man who called 911 gave a false name and he was eventually identified as Griffin, the newspaper reported. Griffin was apparently mad at the woman and used the allegation to get back at her. Now he’s the defendant in a Jacksonville Misdemeanor Case and is the one who’s the subject of a police investigation.
By nature, Jacksonville Misdemeanor Crimes are less serious that Jacksonville Felony Crimes. Most importantly, a defendant cannot be sent to state prison on a misdemeanor and the maximum sentence is one year in the county jail. And there are many professions and employers that prohibit hiring people with felony convictions on their records but do not disqualify people with misdemeanors. But that certainly doesn’t mean the charges aren’t serious for the person facing the charges. In many Jacksonville Misdemeanor Cases involving false police reports, the defendant may be required to pay for the cost of the investigation and the time police spent working on what officers thought was a legitimate case. Prosecutors also don’t take kindly to people lying to police, so that may make it less likely for the state to offer a favorable plea deal to Griffin. These types of cases can often wind up going to trial, especially if the state is so dead-set on a sentence close to the maximum that there isn’t much difference in the punishment he could face is he lost at trial. In most cases, defendants take a plea agreement to limit their exposure to jail time. But in a Jacksonville Misdemeanor Case, with a year being the maximum anyway, the risk may not be as high.
Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney has represented hundreds of men and women charged with misdemeanors and has taken several to trial. If you or a loved one is charged with a Jacksonville Misdemeanor Crime, our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney can explain the potential consequences and fully examine your case to help you make the best decision going forward.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Misdemeanor Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.